Recovery Plan for the Northern Spotted Owl - DRAFT

were in suitable habitat condition. As of January 1991, suitable habitatexisted only on an estimated 15 percent of the forest landbase within theprovince (all ownerships, Figure 2.4a).Dispersal and movement within the province is very limited, especially in thenorthern half, due to the low amount of dispersal habitat on federal and statelands, the general lack of habitat on private lands, and the substantial distancesbetween suitable habitat areas. An assessment of dispersal habitat onfederal lands was made using the dispersal habitat criteria of Thomas et al.(1990). For BLM lands, 130 of 264 (49 percent) of the quarter-townshipscontaining one section or more of BLM land did not meet dispersal habitatcriteria. For Forest Service lands, nearly all of the quarter-townships containingSiuslaw National Forest lands met the dispersal criteria (Frounfelker pers.comm.). Both of these assessments reflect 1991 habitat conditions.Declining Habitat. Since 1950, the estimated annual rate of decline insuitable owl habitat for the province has been 2 percent (Figure 2.4b).Throughout much of the Coast Range, remnant stands containing habitat havebeen reduced to small and often isolated parcels; many of these areas nolonger support owls. The little suitable habitat remaining within the provincewill be further reduced without immediate action. Of equal concern is the rateof harvest of 60- to 80-year-old stands, which may serve as the foundation forrestoration of owl habitat in the province.Distribution of Habitat and Population. The remaining habitat within theprovince typically occurs as scattered pockets within a matrix of younger/3,000Uea)2,5002,000_0C 1,500U,0 1,000n- 10000 0000000000000~500............... ...... …...................00. -01940 1950 1960 1970Year1980 1990 2000........... All ownerships_..... _ BLM (U.S. Bureau of Land Management)____ FS (U.S. Forest Service)0ooooooPrivate......... State- - - I -- ....--- .-- . I .. .I.. 11.1.11 111.1.11- 111-- -1"ISources: Mellen (pers. comm.),Neitro (pers. comm.), Johnson(pers. comm.), Bruce (pers.comm.), Starkey (pers. comm.),Greber et al. (1990).I/Figure 2.4b. Trend in northern spotted owl habitat, Oregon Coast Range province.50