Recovery Plan for the Northern Spotted Owl - DRAFT

Recovery ObjectiveSecretary of the Interior Lujan also asked that the Recovery Team considerother species and economic effects to the extent allowed by law. The RecoveryTeam made a substantial effort to determine the status and location of otherspecies that could benefit from actions similar to those needed for owl recovery.Measures that would contribute to recovery of the owl, while also helping otherspecies, were favored in decisions leading to the draft recovery plan.Previous studies show that protection of sufficient habitat for a viable spottedowl population has substantial economic and social costs because of thereduction in timber harvests. The Recovery Team recognized that, under theEndangered Species Act, it could not consider measures short of achievingrecovery for the northern spotted owl, even though such measures might causesignificantly less economic and social losses. Instead, the Recovery Teamlooked for ways to achieve recovery that would cause less reduction in timberharvest and fewer job losses in the timber industry.The objective of the draft recovery plan is to remove the northern spotted owlfrom the list of threatened species.The Draft Recoveiy PlanThe northern spotted owl draft recovery plan has seven key elements:1. A recovery objective and a set of criteria for determining whetherconditions exist that would allow the northern spotted owl to beremoved from the list of threatened species.2. A network of designated conservation areas on federal forestlands,with each area designed to protect owl habitat sufficient to support anumber of breeding pairs of owls.3. A set of guidelines that govern management activities on federalforestlands in designated conservation areas.4. A set of guidelines that govern management activities on federalforestlands outside of designated conservation areas.5. A set of suggestions for contributions from nonfederal forestlands tosupport spotted owl populations.6. A monitoring and research program that will provide new informationon spotted owls and their habitat, and develop and test managementtechniques for promoting and maintaining owl habitatwhile allowing appropriate forest management.7. Implementation mechanisms that provide oversight and coordination,relying primarily on existing authorities and forest managementplanning procedures.Each of these elements is described briefly, followed by a discussion of thescientific basis for the plan and of the economic and social considerations builtinto the plan.viii