Restoring the Abundance & Diversity of Idaho’s Wildlife
From bears to bluebirds, Idaho’s wildlife is a powerful economic driver, but even more valuable for its inherent beauty, the excitement it brings to our lives, and the sense of wonder it sparks in our children.
But Idaho is growing fast and changing before our eyes. Habitat loss, degradation, fragmentation, and poorly planned development destroys valuable winter range and ancient migration routes. Management resources are spread too thin and hundreds of species are neglected.
Idaho needs to plan ahead to provide conditions for wildlife to thrive as Idaho grows and develops its economy. We need to collaborate to find solutions that give all native species the attention they deserve. This includes budget priorities—as approximately 95 percent of Idaho’s wildlife receives only 1.2 percent of conservation funding.
The Idaho Conservation League is a voice for all wildlife, and the ecosystems that wildlife depends upon.
ICL’s Wildlife Program
For over half a century the Idaho Conservation League has worked to protect Idaho’s unique wildlife and the diverse habitats they need to survive. In 2022, ICL devoted additional resources and staffing to our wildlife work, with an increased focus on non-game species.
Photos courtesy Ed Cannady Photography
Our long-term goal is that Idaho’s native wildlife thrive, that the full array of native species is represented on the landscape, and that those species are able to fulfill their ecological roles in Idaho.
Idaho is home to a diversity of native wildlife. Yet Idaho’s wildlife efforts are narrowly focused on animals that can be hunted, trapped, or caught. ICL’s wildlife program works to protect the full breadth of Idaho’s biodiversity, including restoring species lost from our landscapes, like bison and elusive species like wolves and wolverines. We help shape attitudes toward wildlife management and ensure the state’s wildlife management policy is based on science, not politics. We raise public awareness and support for the protection of all species, build a strong constituency of wildlife lovers, and work to find solutions to ensure that future generations of Idahoans can enjoy the wildlife heritage they deserve.
Conserving Idaho’s Diverse Wildlife
Across the country, alarming declines in biodiversity have been well documented—and Idaho is no exception. Nineteen Idaho species are currently listed under the Endangered Species Act, with eight more awaiting protection. The Idaho Department of Fish and Game’s (IDFG) State Wildlife Action Plan identifies nearly 270 species of birds, mammals, reptiles, fish, invertebrates, and plants that are imperiled or at risk. The urgent challenge before us is understanding how to halt these declines and protect the ecological role each species plays.
Yet IDFG’s Nongame Wildlife Diversity Program receives only a tiny fraction of the agency’s budget, even though just 2% of Idaho’s species—such as quail and deer—are managed as game animals for hunters. Because IDFG relies heavily on a user-based funding model, the conservation needs of the remaining 98% of Idaho’s native wildlife and plants are chronically underfunded. This not only jeopardizes the future of the wildlife we love, it also conflicts with IDFG’s mission to conserve and perpetuate all of Idaho’s wildlife.
ICL works to elevate IDFG’s funding and management priorities so that declining nongame species receive the attention they need. We collaborate with wildlife advocates across Idaho to address this long-standing inequity—because protecting healthy habitat and strong populations for nongame species ultimately benefits all life on the landscape.
Ed Cannady photos.
Keystone Species
Many of Idaho’s keystone species have been eliminated from our landscape or now persist in only small, fragile populations. Iconic and once-common species such as wolverines, grizzly bears, lynx, wolves, bison, woodland caribou, sage grouse, and even monarch butterflies have declined due to habitat loss, conflict, and decades of mismanagement.
ICL advocates for strong protections for imperiled species under the Endangered Species Act, as well as the development and implementation of recovery and reintroduction plans that restore healthy, self-sustaining populations. Our goal is to help species recover to the point where they can be removed from the endangered species list and responsibly returned to state management.
Because these species have no voice of their own, ICL works to be a strong and consistent advocate on their behalf—ensuring that decisions affecting their survival are grounded in high-quality science, sound conservation principles, and a long-term vision for restoring Idaho’s natural heritage.
Ed Cannady photos.
Ed Cannady photos.
Habitat Loss & Wildlife Security
Quality habitat is essential for Idaho’s wildlife to remain resilient in the face of growing threats. Across the state, record levels of recreation on public lands, expanding residential sprawl, and increasing industrial development are placing new demands on water, habitat, and infrastructure. These pressures are contributing to unprecedented habitat loss and fragmentation. New research shows that Idaho’s highways create significant barriers to wildlife movement, while mounting evidence of climate impacts—such as droughts and extreme wildfire seasons—makes it even harder for wildlife to thrive.
More than 50% of wetlands in the U.S. have been lost over the past two centuries, and remaining tracts of native vegetation continue to shrink due to development, climate change, and the spread of invasive species. ICL is working to ensure Idaho does more to protect and restore the habitat that native wildlife depend on. That includes securing migration corridors that support genetic exchange and allow animals to move between their seasonal ranges.
We also work with state agencies, conservation partners, and the public to reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions and safeguard both migratory and resident wildlife across Idaho’s landscapes.