Recovery Plan for the Northern Spotted Owl - DRAFT

III.C.4. Recovery Goals and Strategies for Each ProvinceOverviewRecommendations made in this section are specific to physiographic provincesbased on the classification of Franklin and Dymess (1973) and Bailey(1966)(Figure 2.2.). Physiographic provinces are determined by the geophysicallandscape characteristics and climate that influence the vegetation. Forpractical application in the recovery plan, physiographic provinces weremodified based on state boundaries, current spotted owl distributions, andland ownership patterns, all of which influence the potential for managementrecommendations.The status of spotted owls in each province and recommendations for recoveryare summarized in this section. Recovery goals for each province are based onthe status of spotted owls, threats to the population (section II.B.), and therecovery plan objective (section III.A.). These goals are intended to alleviate theprimary threats in each province. Recommendations for federal and nonfederalland reflect the obligations of different ownerships under the EndangeredSpecies Act. Indian lands are identified, but presented as neither federal nornonfederal lands; contributions from Indian lands are described in sectionII.C.8.Recovery strategies and recommendations in this section describe areas andactions by land managers that are necessary for spotted owl recovery. Theseinclude the DCAs and matrix management areas on federal land, and areas ofspecial management emphasis on nonfederal lands.Federal landsThe primary recovery strategy on federal lands is the establishment andappropriate management of DCAs, as described in section III.C.2., includingdesignation of DCAs as critical habitat. DCAs are illustrated on maps providedwith the draft recovery plan (Maps 1 through 3). Recommended DCA boundariesare delineated, but it is anticipated that during the response period to thedraft, local land managers will suggest boundary changes to improve owlhabitat management. Such proposed changes will be evaluated by the RecoveryTeam and incorporated into the final recovery plan, as appropriate.In the province narratives, category 1 and 2 DCAs are listed, including approximateacreages and owl numbers. Detailed information on individual DCAs isin Appendix J.Federal matrix lands connecting the DCAs will be managed for dispersalhabitat and also include areas that require management for reserved pairareas, managed pair areas, and residual habitat areas (see section III.C.2. for adescription of matrix prescriptions).Nonfederal landsMost of the spotted owl recovery effort will be on federal lands. However, whererecovery cannot be met solely on federal lands, recommendations are made fornonfederal lands. These recommendations include the following terms:141