Overview:   Although there are no exact historic data for Washington populations of this shorebird, it has been estimated that the snowy plover breeding population in Washington was never very large.  However, loss of nesting sites in this state has resulted in a reduction in their overall population size.  In recent years, according to the USFWS (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service), fewer than 30 birds have nested on the southern coast of Washington.  According to WDFW, in 1991 it was estimated that only one successful brood was detected in the state.  Recently, WDFW estimated that the state population is limited to just two areas of habitat which contain fewer than 10 nests per year.  The snowy plover’s nesting habitat normally consists of coastal dune ecosystems.  In recent years, with the increase of recreational use of these types of environments, critical nesting habitats have declined.  Currently, the WDFW’s main focus on the protection of this species has been to preserve and limit access to areas which contain nesting habitat. In December of 1999, the federal government set aside 18,000 acres of nesting habitat along the Pacific coast as critical habitat for the western snowy plover.  This area encompasses 180 miles, or about 10%, of the coastline in Washington, Oregon and California.  For more information on western snowy plover populations in Washington State, check out the National Wildlife Refuge page @ http://bluegoose.arw.r9.fws.gov/NWRSFiles/WildlifeMgmt/SpeciesAccounts/Birds/WestSnowyPlover/WestSnowyPloverIndex.html