Anecdotal occurrence records (sighting reports, descriptions of tracks, etc.) of rare or elusive species cannot be independently verified and, thus, are inherently unreliable and vulnerable to both scientific and legal challenges, regardless of the qualifications of the observer (McKelvey et al. 2008). In contrast, verifiable occurrence records (specimens, photos, trackplate impressions, etc.) provide conclusive evidence of species’ presence, and a scientifically sound basis for conservation actions and management recommendations (Aubry and Jagger 2004). During the past 10-15 years, in response to the need for reliable information on the current distribution of forest carnivores of conservation concern in the Pacific states (Ruggiero et al. 1994), many federal, state, and private biologists implemented standardized protocols for deploying remote cameras and trackplate boxes to survey for these species within their management areas (Zielinski and Kucera 1995).

The purpose of this website is to provide current and future biologists with a permanent archive and retrieval system for data on all standardized surveys conducted in the Pacific states, regardless of their success or failure to detect target species. Because negative results from standardized detection surveys provide useful information on species’ absence, especially for the fisher and American marten, such information is essential for the conservation of these potentially threatened species. The website is also designed to provide users with a permanent archive and retrieval system for other verifiable records (OVRs) obtained at any time and from any source (e.g., museum specimens, opportunistic photos, etc.) for the 5 forest carnivores of greatest conservation concern in the Pacific states: Canada lynx, wolverine, fisher, coastal marten (west of Interstate Highway 5), and mountain red fox (>3,000 ft. elev.).

Additional information on the design of the website and the nature of the data it contains can be found by reading through the Help menus. Users interested in submitting new survey data or OVRs should carefully review the Instructions for Entering Data into the Website Database.