Legal push grows as WA's Olympic marmots face threat of extinction

EATONVILLE, Wash. - Environmental advocates are suing the federal government, accusing officials of stalling a decision that could determine the fate of a species found nowhere else on the planet: the Olympic marmot.

Conservationists warn that climate change, predators, and federal delays are pushing the high-mountain mammal toward extinction.

Life above 4,000 feet

During spring and summer, hikers may spot the marmots darting through alpine meadows or hear them.

"If you haven’t seen one before, just kind of imagine like a 15-pound potato running around in the alpine meadows," said Marc Heinzman, conservation manager for Northwest Trek and Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium.

He said they live above 4,000 feet, spending just a few months awake. Their primary job during that window: eat as much as possible.

"They can double their body weight, basically, in that time," said Heinzman.

Olympic marmots face slow reproduction, high mortality

Heinzman says marmot reproduction adds to their vulnerability. It takes years for females to reach breeding age.

"They’re slow to have babies, and it’s tough living for them once they’re there," he said.

Female marmots typically won’t have babies until they’re around four-and-a-half years old, roughly a third of their lifespan and only about half of their offspring survive to adulthood.

Climate change altering alpine habitat

As the region warms, the marmot habitat is disappearing. Snowpack is thinning, and alpine meadows are giving way to advancing forests which are ideal for predators.

"As the climate continues to warm, the snowpack is being less and less up there," said Heinzman. "Coyotes have become more and more of a challenge in the last few decades as their populations have grown, and they’ve moved into marmot habitat."

The species could benefit from more wolves, he added.

Visible from Hurricane Ridge, vanishing glaciers signal broader loss of habitat. While other marmot species fare better elsewhere, the Olympic marmot faces unique pressures.

"Up in the Cascades, we’re not seeing quite the same effects yet, primarily just because it’s a little bit of a higher elevation or rugged," remarked Heinzman. "So the marmots are able to be a little higher up, and the weather is still a little more reliable."

Only found here… and nearly gone

"So the Olympic marmot is the one you’ll find out on Olympic Peninsula, and they are only found there. It’s the only place in the entire world where you can find that species, said Heinzman. "90% of them live within the national park that’s out there."

He added that they are uniquely adapted for that region. If they disappear, they likely won’t return — an estimated 2,000 to 4,000 remain.

"They are only found there for a reason and so if those marmots disappear it’s likely we’ll never have marmots in the Olympic Peninsula again," he said.

Their role in the ecosystem

Marmots are essential to their alpine environments. They help spread seeds and create burrows that benefit other species.

They live in social groups of up to 40, with a single whistle warning others when danger is near.

"Marmots are often known as a ‘whistle pig,’ which is probably the cutest nickname I’ve ever heard for an animal before," Heinzman said. "That is because they make this really sharp whistle sound, an alert call when they see predators."

Legal fight over delayed federal action

The Center for Biological Diversity petitioned in May 2024 to list the Olympic marmot as endangered. Federal officials were required to respond within 90 days, but have yet to do so more than a year later.

"It really doesn’t make sense," said spokesperson Aaron Kunkler. "I would hope that the Fish & Wildlife Service would be meeting that deadline more frequently than it is."

Before the Trump administration, Kunkler said the agency typically met that initial deadline. He noted that historically, officials met the 90-day finding but often missed the 12-month deadline 99% of the time. Now, he says lawsuits are necessary even for the earliest part of the process.

"The lawsuit will play out over the next six months, with the most likely outcome being that we get a settlement for a date for the 12-month finding," he said. "But it will push the finding out four years or more. The unfortunate state of things."

Push to protect an iconic species

"The Endangered Species Act protection creates a mandate that Fish and Wildlife prevent protected species from going extinct," said Kunkler. "Basically, it creates a legal obligation that requires them to do whatever it takes to keep the species from going extinct."

Heinzman supports the move for federal protection.

"Based on the threats they’re facing, it seems like they’re worthy of protection for sure," he said.  "They’re iconic to the Olympic Peninsula and iconic to the state. We want to make sure they’re around for a long time."

He noted that the Olympic marmot is officially the state endemic mammal found only in Washington, making its protection even more significant.

A species easy to overlook

"I think it’s very easy to overlook marmots and their plight," said Heinzman.

He thinks many people never get the chance to see one due to their remote, high-elevation habitat.

"They are only visible for that narrow window of time in such a challenging environment that even if you’re out there in the winter, you will not see a marmot," remarked Heinzman. "They could definitely have a little more brighter light shown on them, so people can truly appreciate how special they are."

FOX 13 Seattle has reached out to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service office in Lacey for comment and is still awaiting a response.

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