Northern Spotted OwlUS FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE, HOLLINGSWORTH, JOHN AND KAREN
Management of the northern spotted owl is once again in the headlines. The issue today is not whether to save the owl’s old-growth forests, but rather how to manage our forested landscapes in the face of scientific uncertainty concerning climate change, forest health, and wildfire.
The US Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) recently published the Proposed Revised Critical Habitat Rule for the northern spotted owl, for which we are currently seeking public comment and scientific peer review. This proposed critical habitat is based on a three-part recovery strategy: (1) manage the competing invasive barred owl; (2) protect the remaining older forest habitat; and (3) maintain and restore healthy forest ecosystems. This draft proposal, and the 2011 Revised Recovery Plan upon which it is based, represent ...
