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What is the
PHS List?
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) publishes a Priority
Habitats and Species (PHS) list and a Species of Concern (SOC) list. The PHS List is a catalog of habitats and species considered to be
priorities for conservation and management. Priority species
require protective measures for their perpetuation due to their population
status, sensitivity to habitat alteration, and/or recreational, commercial,
or tribal importance. Priority species include State Endangered,
Threatened, Sensitive, and Candidate species; animal aggregations considered
vulnerable; and those species of recreational, commercial, or tribal
importance that are vulnerable. Priority habitats are those
habitat types or elements with unique or significant value to a diverse
assemblage of species. A priority habitat may consist of a
unique vegetation type or dominant plant species, a described successional
stage, or a specific structural element. There are 18 habitat types, 140 vertebrate species, 28 invertebrate
species, and 14 species groups currently on the PHS List. These constitute
about 16% of Washington's approximately 1000 vertebrate species and
a fraction of the state's invertebrate fauna.
The SOC List,
published by the Wildlife Management Program, includes only native Washington
Fish and Wildlife species that are listed as Endangered, Threatened,
or Sensitive, or as Candidates for these designations. Endangered, Threatened,
and Sensitive species are legally established in Washington Administrative
Codes. Candidate species are established by WDFW policy. There are currently
24 Endangered, 11 Threatened, 4 Sensitive, and 103 Candidate species
on the SOC List.
Questions regarding the Species of Concern List can be directed to
the WDFW Endangered Species Section at (360) 902-2515. To obtain PHS
data and for answers to questions regarding priority habitats
and species, please call (360) 902-2543, or visit the PHS Website. |
Back to main PHS page