Recovery Plan for the Northern Spotted Owl - DRAFT

Table 3.22. Summary comments on the designated conservation area (DCA)network in the California Klamath province. (Section III.C.2. and Appendix Iprovide further information on the criteria and process used to delineate theseareas.)DesignatedConservationAreaAreaCD-3 and CD-8,CD-1, CD-2, CD-4CD-5, CD-6, CD-10,CD-1IE, CD-11W, CD-12CD-13, CD-15, and CD-16CD-7, CD-9CD-14, and CD-17through CD-21CD-23 through CD-27,CD-32 through CD-34CD-29 and CD-30CommentscommentsThese category 1 DCAs each currently support 20 or more pairs of owls.These category 1 DCAs currently support fewer than 20 known pairs ofowls. With the exception of CD-1 3, they all have the current potentialto support at least 20 pairs. All of them have the future potential tosupport at least 20 pairs.These DCAs do not support 20 pairs. CD-9 provides connectivityaround a high-elevation wilderness area. DC-7 provides connectivity toDCAs father east.This drier and naturally fragmented habitat will support from 3 to 15pairs in the future.Because of the naturally fragmented landscape, larger multipair DCAsare not possible. These DCAs provide connectivity to DCAs to the westand provide the link between the ranges of the northern spotted owl andthe California spotted owl in the Sierra Nevada.No opportunities exist to support Category 1 DCAs. DCAs are delineatedwhere owls are currently known, future habitat opportunitiesoccur, and where the only demographic support for this local populationis possible. Suitable habitat is not uniformly distributed over this regionbecause of moisture and soil conditions.II/1- ......I.......................... ..........- ...............- .... - ......................... 11. 1 .1nonfederal lands are not managed to support the federal conservation efforts.Increases in demographic support assist in maintaining the linkage betweenthe California Klamath and the California Cascades provinces, and supportpopulations in the adjacent California Cascades province as well. his linkagecould be crucial to maintaining the owl population in the California Cascadesprovince. Maintaining strong populations of the northern spotted owl in theCalifornia Klamath and Cascades provinces also would help maintain thelinkage to the California spotted owl.Western zone: No additional owl clusters or DCA support for owls are neededon state and private lands in the western part of the province, other thanmanagement for dispersal. DCAs on federal land should be consolidatedthrough the inclusion of inholdings.Eastern and southern zones: The eastern and southern parts of the provinceare drier and support a lower known population of owls, reflected by the lack ofcategory 1 DCAs. At least six category 2 DCAs and three reserved pair areascould be supported with currently known sites on state and private lands.Although this probably would not result in upgrading to category 1, it wouldincrease the stability of the relatively small owl populations in these clusters.189