US Fish and Wildlife Service Aug 12, 2008
Revised Critical Habitat Designated for Northern Spotted Owl
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today issued a final revised
designation of critical habitat under the Endangered Species Act
for the threatened northern spotted owl (Strix occidentalis
caurina) totaling approximately
5.3 million acres of federal land in the northwest United States.
This includes the designation of approximately 1.8 million acres
in Washington, 2.3 million acres in Oregon and 1.2 million acres
in California.
The critical habitat designation is based on the draft and final
recovery plans for the northern spotted owl. The resulting network
of conservation areas is designed to support a stable number of
breeding pairs of northern spotted owls over time and to allow for
their movement across the network.
In federal forests west of the Cascade Mountains’ crest, the
designation overlays the owl conservation areas identified in the
final recovery plan, released in May 2008. In fire-prone forests
east of the Cascade crest, the critical habitat designation
follows the owl conservation areas delineated in the 2007 draft
recovery plan. This is because the final recovery plan, following
the advice of expert peer reviews, adopts a broad-scale,
“landscape management” approach to owl conservation in eastside
forests and does not delineate specific conservation areas. By
law, a critical habitat designation must delineate specific
geographic areas.
These revisions of the original 1992 critical habitat designation,
which totaled nearly 6.9 million acres, also reflect information
gathered through advanced mapping and modeling technologies, which
resulted in a more precise definition of owl conservation areas.
Changes in land management since the original designation, such as
Northwest Forest Plan reserves, also contributed to the new
critical habitat designation.
“This critical habitat revision is based on the most current
assessment of the conservation needs of the northern spotted owl,
as outlined in the final recovery plan, which is one of the most
extensively reviewed recovery plans our agency has produced,” said
Ren Lohoefener, Director of the Service’s Pacific Region. “In
developing the recovery plan and the critical habitat designation,
we worked closely with the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of
Land Management to identify areas on lands they manage that are
best suited for owl conservation and recovery.”
The northern spotted owl was listed as a threatened species under
the federal Endangered Species Act in 1990, and critical habitat
was first designated in 1992. The species’ need for continued
federal protection was confirmed by a scientific review in 2004.
The six-year effort to update the northern spotted owl’s critical
habitat designation by including recent scientific information and
peer review was initiated in response to a lawsuit filed by the
Western Council of Industrial Workers, the American Forest
Resource Council, the Swanson Group and Rough and Ready Lumber
Company.
Critical habitat identifies specific geographic areas that contain
features essential for the conservation of a threatened or
endangered species and that may require special management
considerations. For the northern spotted owl, these features
include particular forest types of sufficient area, quality and
configuration. This critical habitat supports the needs of
territorial owl pairs throughout the year distributed across the
species’ range, including habitat for nesting, roosting, foraging
and dispersal.
The designation of critical habitat does not affect land ownership
or establish a refuge, wilderness, reserve, preserve or other
conservation area. It does not allow government or public access
to private lands. A critical habitat designation does not impose
restrictions on private lands unless federal funds, permits or
activities are involved. Federal agencies that undertake, fund or
permit activities that may affect critical habitat are required to
consult with the Service to ensure that such actions do not
adversely modify or destroy critical habitat.
In addition to conservation on federal lands, habitat for the
northern spotted owl may also be protected through cooperative
measures under the Endangered Species Act such as Habitat
Conservation Plans, Safe Harbor Agreements and state programs.
Voluntary partnership programs such as the Service’s Private
Stewardship Grants and Partners for Fish and Wildlife program also
restore habitat. Habitat for endangered species is provided on
many national wildlife refuges managed by the Service and on state
wildlife management areas.
The final revised critical habitat rule will be published in
tomorrow’s Federal Register. It is available for download at
http://www.fws.gov/pacific/ecoservices/nsopch.html or by
contacting the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Office, 2600 SE 98th Ave.,
Suite 100, Portland, OR
97266 (503-231-6179).
The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with
others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and
their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people.
We are both a leader and trusted partner in fish and wildlife
conservation, known for our scientific excellence, stewardship of
lands and natural resources, dedicated professionals and
commitment to public service. For more information on our work and
the people who make it happen, visit
www.fws.gov
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