One additional set of species that have been designated as having conservation significance are the “species of greatest conservation need” (SGCN) identified in State and Tribal Wildlife Action Plans. Congress created the State Wildlife Grant program in 2000 to help state fish and wildlife agencies and their partners conserve sensitive or imperiled fish and wildlife species, especially those not traditionally hunted or fished. A cornerstone of each plan is the identification of species of greatest conservation need. These lists are intended to identify those species in a state that are rare or declining, which then serve as the basis for the plan’s conservation actions and implementation. Because there is no specific guidance on how states should evaluate and identify these species, there is a high degree of variability from one state to another in number and types of species designated as SGCNs. Based on the most recent (2015) wildlife action plans, approximately 12,000 species and subspecies were collectively designated as SGCNs. This includes 11,133 species and 1,370 infraspecific taxa (subspecies and varieties) (USGS 2017).8 Among those species, 22% are vertebrate animals, 45% are invertebrates, and 32% are plants.
8Another 413 higher taxa (genus and above) were also designated as SGCNs including an
unknown number of species.
Go to next page: A Geography of Imperilment
Author
Bruce Stein, Ph.D., Chief Scientist and Associate Vice President
National Wildlife Federation
State of the Nation: The Condition of Biodiversity Across the United States Sections
State of the Nation: The Condition of Biodiversity Across the United States
How is America’s Biodiversity Faring?
Endangered Species Act Listings
NatureServe Conservation Status Assessments