Northern Spotted Owl. Status - The owl was federally listed as threatened under the ESA on June 26, 1990 (USFWS 1990a). Detailed accounts of the taxonomy, ecology, reproductive characteristics, and status and trends of the spotted owl are found in numerous federal documents (Xxxxxxxx et al. 2004, USFWS 2008, USFWS 2011, Xxxxx et al. 2011). On May 16, 2008, the FWS announced the release of the Final Recovery Plan for the Northern Spotted Owl (USFWS 2008). Of note are five main elements of the recovery plan, one of which was to create incentives to non-federal landowners to contribute to owl recovery through land management. On June 28, 2011, the FWS released the Revised Recovery Plan for the Northern Spotted Owl, wherein FWS reiterated the important role that State and private lands can play toward implementing a coordinated and cooperative effort to recover the spotted owl (USFWS 2011). The FWS stated they will continue to work with these landowners to use a variety of voluntary incentives and approaches that will help contribute to spotted owl recovery through protection and development of unoccupied, high-quality habitat. Lands covered under section 10 of the ESA provide for the conservation of key habitat areas and occupied sites. The net conservation benefits of SHAs are often direct contributions to recovery, even if of a limited temporal nature. Specifically, Recovery Action 14 encourages applicants to develop Habitat Conservation Plans and Safe Harbor Agreements that are consistent with the recovery objectives. The FWS’ Revised Recovery Plan for the Northern Spotted Owl was intended to inform the FWS’ revision of the designation of critical habitat for the Northern Spotted Owl. In 1992, FWS designated critical habitat for the owl within 190 Critical Habitat Units, which in Washington encompassed 2.2 million acres (USFWS 1992). At that time, only federal lands were designated as critical habitat in the final rule. On March 8, 2012, FWS released its proposed rule to revise the designated critical habitat for the spotted owl, which would include State and private lands in the designation (USFWS 2012). However, FWS proposes to exclude certain areas from the final designation after taking into consideration economic impacts, impacts on national security, and any other relevant impacts of specifying any particular area as critical habitat. One of these exclusions includes approximately 936,816 acres of State and private lands that have a Habitat Conservation Plan, Safe Harbor ...
Northern Spotted Owl. Spotted owl population dynamics Spotted owl populations have been monitored at eight long-term study areas on Federal lands in Washington, Oregon, and California and additional study areas on State, private, and Tribal lands during the same period. These studies were initiated between 1985 and 1991 (Lint et al. 1999, entire), and have continued through the present. Data from these areas have been analyzed and region wide analyses have been conducted approximately every 5 years with the most recent completed in 2009 (Xxxxxxx et al. 2011, entire).
Northern Spotted Owl. (Strix occidentalis caurina) The northern spotted owl is listed as threatened pursuant to the federal ESA. This species is a “fully protected” species in California. It is listed as a Sensitive Species by the California Board of Forestry and Fire Protection. Habitat and protection for this species is provided through a property-wide HCP. (See Green Diamond Resource Company - Habitat Conservation Plan for the Northern Spotted Owl for further information pertaining to this species on Green Diamond land). Provisions of the HCP shall avoid significant adverse impacts and unauthorized take of the species
Northern Spotted Owl. There are currently 447 acres that have been delineated as baseline habitat for the spotted owl. Current occupancy appears unlikely, but over time, the chance of a dispersing individual taking residence may increase in association with that habitat improvement. This is expected to be a net-conservation benefit. By reforesting operable forest lands at lower densities and by applying pre-commercial thinning and/or commercial thinning prescriptions where needed and practical, Everett expects to increase variability in tree spacing and to promote understory shrub growth. Treated stands should develop the conditions necessary for spotted owl dispersal by age 40. Combined with the snag and downed wood program, conifer stands receiving these prescriptions are expected to provide spotted owls with dispersal opportunities for 20 years or more prior to harvest. Deferred-harvest areas, comprising over one-third of the LCT forest lands, contain significant numbers and amounts of snags and downed wood. These features and structures are expected to increase in number and size as senescence ensues and are expected to provide nesting opportunities for spotted owls. Should spotted owls occupy forests within the covered lands, Everett will protect occupied sites according to measures described heretofore. These protection measures will ensure that spotted owls will have an opportunity to reproduce successfully in deferred-harvest areas and, at least for the short term, on operable forest lands. Conservation measures to develop spotted owl dispersal habitat with potential foraging and nesting habitat, along with occupied site protective measures, are actions Everett would not otherwise implement on its other forest lands; thus, implementation of the SHA/CHEA constitutes a net benefit for spotted owls in this forest landscape. Table 4-2: Comparison of Conditions by Management Strategy – Net Benefit Activity/Element Option Without SHA/CHEA With SHA/CHEA Difference (net conservation benefit) Plant and monitor N/A ≈ 40% of operable forest lands would be planted with 400-450 seedlings per acre. Such plantations are unlikely to sustain sufficient understory shrubs for spotted owl prey species. No operable forest lands would be planted with more than 250 seedlings per acre. An additional ≈ 40% of operable forest lands will now be likely to sustain sufficient understory shrubs for spotted owl prey species. Mid-rotation management No thinning Trees grow until harvested. Operable fore...
Northern Spotted Owl. Ecology The spotted owl lives in structurally complex forests ranging from southwest British Columbia through the Cascade Mountains and coastal ranges in Washington, Oregon, and California, as far south as Marin County (USFWS 2008, 2011). The spotted owl was listed under the ESA in 1990 because of loss of suitable habitat, primarily the mature and old growth forests that it needs for survival (USFWS 1990). Detailed accounts of the taxonomy, ecology, reproductive characteristics, and status and trends of the spotted owl are found in numerous federal documents (Xxxxxxxx et al. 2004, USFWS 2008, USFWS 2011, Xxxxx et al. 2011). The SHA also includes information on spotted owl ecology which is briefly summarized below (Environ 2012).
Northern Spotted Owl. Thirty spotted owl home range circles of 1.8-mile radius overlap some portion of the Applicants’ land base. However, only site centers located within the White Salmon and Columbia Gorge SOSEAs have regulatory status under Washington Forest Practices rules. With the exception of only one site center, Site #753, located on the Applicants’ ownership within the White Salmon SOSEA, all site centers within SOSEAs are currently located on USFS or WDNR ownership. Four of these sites are located within the Columbia Gorge SOSEA and 14 sites are located within the White Salmon SOSEA. The remaining twelve sites that overlap the Applicants’ lands are not within a SOSEA.
Northern Spotted Owl. There are owl territories that overlap Applicants lands but no spotted owls are known to currently known to occupy the covered lands. Surveys in the area suggest that most of the spotted owl site centers across this landscape are probably unoccupied at the present time, largely due to expansion and increase in the local barred owl population, combined with limited below-threshold habitat loss at a few sites outside of SOSEAs. Surveys at spotted owl site centers on the Applicants’ landscape suggest that very few site centers are occupied (D. Rock,
Northern Spotted Owl. The Revised Recovery Plan acknowledges the important role of non-federal lands to NSO recovery and RA-14 recognizes SHAs as an important tool that private landowners can voluntarily use to assist with NSO recovery objectives (USDI FWS 2011). Agreements developed under section 10 of the ESA that conserve high-quality NSO habitat and occupied sites can make a significant contribution to NSO recovery. Landowners are more likely to use longer harvest rotations and develop older, more complex stands that can serve as suitable NSO habitat under a SHA because there is no longer the threat of their lands being encumbered by ESA restrictions on incidental take. The actions taken under this SHA will provide a net conservation benefit and will contribute to the recovery of the NSO by:
Northern Spotted Owl. As described previously in section 2.1.3, barred owls are known to adversely impact NSO. Currently there are no known barred owls on the Property, but surveys conducted on federal lands have detected barred owls within approximately 1.3 miles of the Property. Throughout the Pacific Northwest, barred owls have rapidly expanded their range and displaced NSO from their territories. Barred owls have smaller home ranges, occur at much higher densities, tolerate a wider range of habitat conditions, and have more diverse diets than NSO (Xxxxx 2014). Surveying for barred owls and removing individuals that are detected would help reduce this threat and provide a net conservation benefit to NSO by preventing barred owls from displacing NSO that may occupy the Property during the permit term. Habitat loss and fragmentation through timber harvest has been identified as a primary threat to NSO. However, this threat is not significant on the Property given the requirements in the Easement and SHA to conduct forest management practices that will result in a net increase in NSO habitat across the Property over time by increasing tree diameters, canopy closure, stand structural complexity, and retaining important habitat elements. Additionally, planned silvicultural treatments such as thinning may benefit NSO by accelerating the development of habitat and prey populations and reducing the risk of unnaturally severe wildfire. Some activities related to timber harvesting, such as road use, are unlikely to affect habitat conditions for NSO because habitat will not be removed or altered. However, these activities have the potential to adversely affect breeding NSO by increasing noise disturbance and human activity near nest or roosting sites. Disturbance of nesting owls could occur when heavy equipment is used to conduct timber harvesting activities within 0.25 mile of an active nest during the breeding season. Seasonal restrictions identified in section 4.2.1.2 below will minimize disturbance associated with these activities.
Northern Spotted Owl. The SHA’s conservation measures are expected to provide a net conservation benefit to NSO by 1) improving habitat on the Property through forest management practices, 2) minimizing or avoiding incidental take through pre-harvest surveys and seasonal timing restrictions, and 3) managing the barred owl threat by allowing the Service access onto the Property to implement barred owl control measures and to conduct surveys.
