Recovery Plan for the Northern Spotted Owl - DRAFT

currently unsuitable. The guidelines specify the kinds of silvicultural activitiesand salvage that may occur within DCAs, and they suggest ways of managingto limit large-scale disturbance (fire, wind) of habitat in some of the provinces.All of these guidelines are designed to protect and enhance owl habitat. As aresult of adhering to the management guidelines, forest areas within the DCAswill provide habitat for a wide array of other species.Management guidelines for salvage within DCAs are designed to retain coursewoody debris (snags and down logs) after large-scale disturbances. Thismanagement will contribute to the habitat requirements of a number of cavitydwellers including cavity-nesting birds and flying squirrels through retention ofcoarse woody debris. These guidelines also will promote suitable conditions forarthropods, salamanders, fungi, and small mammals that use these habitatfeatures.Management in the Forest MatrixRecommendations for management of the forestlands outside of DCAs (forestmatrix) on federal lands are designed to provide habitat for dispersing juvenileowls and for pairs and territorial singles, where the DCA network is deficient orthere is a risk of large-scale disturbance (see section III.C.2.). Management ofthe matrix for dispersing owls only is not likely to provide the necessary habitatfor many species associated with older forests. However, the matrix on federalland outside of DCAs also will be managed to protect residual habitat areas,reserved pair areas, and managed pair areas, which will provide habitat forother species associated with older forests. Habitat around managed pairareas may be maintained through time using various management techniques,and there is some uncertainty about what benefits it will provide to otherspecies. However, if some of these management techniques include longerrotations and uneven-aged management with a goal of providing large trees,snags, and coarse woody debris, these areas will be used by a number ofspecies. The Yakima Indian Reservation and private lands in northern Californiapresent opportunities to evaluate this type of management in mixed-coniferforests. Unfortunately, this type of management has been conducted in fewareas in the Douglas-fir/hemlock forests of western Oregon and Washington.Further Surveys, Inventory, and ResearchThe committee also identified species within the range of the northern spottedowl for which little is known or further review would be appropriate. Thecommittee developed four criteria for evaluating each species' current statusincluding:1. Possession of an extremely restricted geographic range.2. A federal classification as a category 2 or 3 species for listing.3. Designation as a species of special concern or sensitive species in oneor more states.4. Lack of information on distribution and or population numbers.The committee also emphasized species that are endemic to the Pacific Northwestand associated with older forests. The species suggested for furtherreview include:Birds: goshawk, Vaux's swift, white-headed woodpecker, black-backedwoodpecker, pigmy owl.Mammals: fisher, marten, red tree vole (two species), white-footed vole,forest deer mouse, long-legged myotis, fringed myotis.225