Recovery Plan for the Northern Spotted Owl - DRAFT

C,.,5. CoordinationNeedfor CoordinationImplementation of the northern spotted owl recovery plan will require a level ofeffort that is without precedent in other attempts to recover species. Therecovery plan will necessitate actions over several decades at a minimum,including long-term commitments of funding and personnel from a variety ofgovernmental entities and the private sector. Activities will encompass a largeand varied geographic area, and involve intensive monitoring, evaluation,research, and management tasks. Although these activities will be integratedwith ongoing efforts in wildlife management, forestry, and silviculture to asignificant extent, they have distinct objectives that address the recovery plan'sdelisting criteria. Also, the recovery plan will require periodic updating toreflect new scientific knowledge and the results of monitoring and evaluations.Efficient and effective implementation of the recovery plan will require mechanismsto coordinate the wide variety of activities by the participating entities.In the short term, the Recovery Team should be maintained to provide thatcoordination function. Federal agencies (National Park Service, Bureau ofIndian Affairs, Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, ForestService) and state government agencies need to be involved in the coordinationand implementation of the recovery plan. In particular, the FWS must play amajor role in assuring that the plan is implemented. This will require theFWS's commitment with respect to the consultation process and other areas.In addition, the scope and breadth of coordination clearly will require establishinga group to help facilitate recovery during the lengthy time frame contemplatedin the plan.Coordinating GroupThe Recovery Team recommends a coordinating group be established to guiderecovery activities over the long term. The coordinating group should be basedregionally and explicitly constituted to facilitate interdisciplinary and managerialcommunication among action agencies, states, and the private sector inaddressing the biological, forestry, and policy issues associated with recovery.This can be accomplished by including persons with technical expertise asmembers or, if members are management officials, by assuring the group'saccess to technical personnel. Each participant should determine an appropriatemeans of liaison with the group. For example, agencies could establishtheir own recovery implementation teams or regional advisory bodies.Scope and functions. The coordinating group must be structured and itsfunctions defined to avoid potential conflicts with the statutory mandates ofthe agencies involved. Therefore, the Recovery Team explicitly recommends nodirect regulatory function for the group. This is to avoid creating the potentialfor confusion and duplication of effort of the FWS's section 7 consultationresponsibilities under the Endangered Species Act, as well as the land managementplanning and operational mandates of action agencies. The RecoveryTeam recommends that the group be chartered to address the areas outlinedin this section. These areas encompass broad policy and programmaticconcerns that are critical to progress in the recovery effort and ultimately toachieve delisting.199