Recovery Plan for the Northern Spotted Owl - DRAFT

The feasibility of transfer or purchase of rights must be evaluated against1) biological constraints regarding habitat quality, quantity, and location,2) availability of institutional means to evaluate, monitor, and keepaccount of the trades, and 3) transactions costs to landowners andadministering agencies. Any trades would have to be carefully andconservatively structured owing to the uncertainty about their biologicaland social and economic effects.Implementation ScenarioIn section III.C.3., the recovery plan assumes that federal agency implementationwill occur in phases during the next 5 years. An approach to recoveryplan implementation that is feasible and prompt might occur in three broadphases. The first phase, which should take less than 1 year, involves completionof a federal and nonfederal review of its recommendations to determineorganization-specific actions needed to achieve consistency; e.g., forest andresource management plan revisions, and to carry out interim managementwhich serves as an appropriate "bridge" to full implementation. The secondphase, which likely will require up to 2 years, involves completing these generalresource management planning activities, preparing the more specific DCAmanagement plans recommended in the recovery plan, and adopting researchand monitoring strategies, and initiating related on-the-ground managementactions. The third phase includes further refinements of management activities,including monitoring and research, that characterize full-scale implementation,and the development of information for use in reviewing and, as necessary,revising the recovery plan.The following outline briefly describes this phased implementation strategy. Itlists anticipated activities in each phase of federal action agency (Forest Service,BLM, National Park Service), nonfederal entities, and the FWS. Some ofthe actions specified in each phase are interdependent, and it is assumed thatthey may proceed either concurrently or sequentially, as necessary.Phase 1 (May 1992 - May 1993)1. Federal action agencies:* Review the recovery plan to determine management requirements neededto achieve consistency with recovery plan recommendations and takeprohibitions as required by FLPMA, NFMA, NEPA, and any other applicablemandates (e.g., forest plan and regional guide revision or amendment).* By January 1993, adopt the recovery plan and implement interimmanagement to assure maximum consistency with recovery plan recommendationspending completion of the above management requirements.2. States:* Review the recovery plan to determine how to implement its recommendationsunder current authorities and initiate necessary actions (e.g., HCPdevelopment), in cooperation with private landowners as appropriate.* Assess the feasibility of other actions to promote recovery plan implementation.3. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service:* Promulgate a critical habitat rule to reflect recovery plan recommendations,and use it in conjunction with the DCA management guidelines asthe basis for adverse modification determinations.137