Species of Conservation Priority | North Dakota Game and Fish

North Dakota's Wildlife Action Plan focuses on 100 species that are considered Species of Conservation Priority. Information relating to the distribution, abundance, habitat requirements, threats, management goals and monitoring techniques for each of these species is included in the Wildlife Action Plan. They are categorized into three levels according to their conservation need:

Level I - Species in greatest need of conservation.
Level II - Species in need of conservation, but have had support from other wildlife programs.
Level III - Species in moderate need of conservation, but are believed to be on the edge of their range in North Dakota.

Level I Species

These are species which are in decline and receive little or no monetary support or conservation efforts. North Dakota Game and Fish Department has a clear obligation to use SWG funding to implement conservation actions that directly benefit these species.

Level I species are those having a:
• high level of conservation priority because of declining status either here or across their range
- or -
• high rate of occurrence in North Dakota constituting the core of the species breeding range (i.e. “responsibility” species) but are at-risk range wide

Level II Species

North Dakota Game and Fish Department will use SWG funding to implement conservation actions to benefit these species if SWG funding for Level I species is sufficient or conservation needs have been met.

Level II species are those having a:
• moderate level of conservation priority
- or -
• high level of conservation priority but a substantial level of non-SWG funding is available to them

Level III Species

These are North Dakota species having a moderate level of conservation priority but are believed to be peripheral or nonbreeding in North Dakota.