Despite decades of recovery efforts the oregon silverspot butterfly (speyeria zerene hippolyta) faces extinction

Only five small populations remain along the oregon and northern california coasts. The butterfly occupies early successional grasslands containing the larval host plant (early blue violet) and nectar resources. These early seral habitats have been lost due to invasive species development and a lack of disturbance. Habitat loss and fragmentation was the leading threat to species survival at the time of listing and IT persists today as a major impediment to recovery. While many high priority actions in the 2001 oregon silverspot butterfly revised recovery plan have been or are currently being implemented the primary need to protect and restore silverspot habitat and the coastal prairie ecosystem remains. This proposal addresses this need to protect remaining suitable habitat in the clatsop plains conservation area (clatsop county oregon) through acquiring a high conservation value property while simultaneously working to explore permanent conservation of two additional properties using a mechanism such as a conservation easement. Protecting habitat within these properties is essential to maintaining habitat connectivity within the 35 acre neacoxie wildlife corridor and is time sensitive since the county has recently approved a land partition which suggests a high likelihood that these properties will be developed in the near future. The oregon parks and recreation department and north coast land conservancy will lead the effort to purchase and manage this property for the near future reintroduction of the silverspot. For the past 40 years these partners have been committed to long term conservation of the silverspot and native coastal prairie habitat restoration while fostering partnerships to reduce conflict between silverspot conservation and economic development. Securing the permanent protection of the remaining clatsop plains prairie habitat is necessary to prevent extinction of the silverspot in the foreseeable future.