Recovery Plan for the Northern Spotted Owl - DRAFT

amount of suitable habitat should be determined from home range datafor study sites most similar to the site being considered (Tables 2.1 and2.2). This habitat may be maintained through time using various managementtechniques. Some uncertainty will be accepted in the use ofmanagement to provide habitat in these areas. This habitat is not arequirement of recovery.2. As an alternative, habitat may be provided and distributed throughoutthe matrix area rather than focused on owl activity centers. For example,the objective for matrix management could be to maintain 10 percentsuperior habitat and 20 percent marginal habitat (Thomas et al. 1990) inthe matrix at all times. A combination of habitat retention and habitatmanagement could be used to achieve the objective, with existing allocationscontributing where they provide appropriate conditions. Under thisalternative, residual habitat areas still would be a requirement. The acresin residual habitat areas will contribute to the total that is to be maintainedas superior habitat.125