Recovery Plan for the Northern Spotted Owl - DRAFT

PRESCRIPTION D -RETAIN OWLS IN MANAGED LANDSCAPEManagement objectiveIn addition to the minimum requirement of prescription A, use a combinationof silvicultural manipulations and habitat reserves to permanentlysupport owl pairs and territorial singles. This is recommended in order to:1) reduce the overall decline in population; 2) move toward total landscapemanagementfor owls; 3) provide opportunities to experiment with spec fichabitat management techniques, and 4) provide benefits for other species.While prescriptions A, B, and C are essential for recovery, prescription D isrecommended to speed recovery but is not considered essentiaLDiscussion. The long-term goal of the recovery plan is to move from a landscapecomposed of protected areas and matrix toward a landscape whereconditions provide for a more continuous distribution of owls. Unfortunately,many of the actions that might be taken in the short-term could impede ratherthan promote achievement of this goal. Effective pursuit of the goal requiresthree management commitments. First, some active forms of management incurrently unsuitable younger stands within the DCAs should begin. Second,such techniques also should be applied in unsuitable habitat in the matrix tofacilitate the development of suitable habitat in the matrix. Finally, there mustbe efforts to retain owls and suitable habitat in the matrix and to begin experimentingwith active forms of management that will sustain habitat over time.Such management could include uneven-aged silviculture and management onlong rotations. The latter two actions to support owls in the matrix will have avariety of benefits, including slowing the expected rate of overall owl populationdecline and possible benefits to other species (see Appendix D).Application of this prescription may be particularly beneficial in several instances.It may be useful in areas where owls exist at relatively high densitieswell-distributed over the landscape. An example of such an area is the westernOregon Cascades province. Implementation of the DCA strategy in this provincewithout additional measures in the matrix could result in a significantdecline in the owl population. Such a decline would retard progress towardrecovery.Conversely, it may be beneficial to retain owls in the matrix in areas where thepopulation outside DCAs is sparse. In such cases, removal of the few remainingowls from the matrix also seriously will impede the long-term goal tomanage for owls across the landscape.In addition, it would be useful to apply the prescription where it can benefitother species in the following categories:1. Federally listed species or candidates for listing known to be associatedwith older forests.2. Species with restricted ranges and associations with older forestswhere their ranges are not substantially included in existing DCAs.Criterion for applying prescriptionThis prescription could be applied in any part of the matrix.Management guidelines for prescription D (assumes the implementation ofprescription A)1241. Provide managed pair areas in an area approximating the size of a pairhome range surrounding the activity center. The size of this area and