Recovery Plan for the Northern Spotted Owl - DRAFT

On January 11, 1980, there was an appeal of the decision not to prepare anenvironmental assessment or an environmental impact statement prior toadoption of the Oregon Endangered Species Task Force's Spotted Owl ManagementPlan. The Chief, U.S. Forest Service, Washington, D.C., upheld thedecision by the regional forester for the Pacific Northwest Region. However, theChief directed that the Regional Guide for the Pacific Northwest Region, andaccompanying environmental impact statement include (1) a biological analysisto determine the number and distribution of spotted owls that would constitutea viable population, (2) regional management and monitoring standards, and(3) an evaluation of needed research. The Forest Service also directed that untilthe regional plan was approved, 290 pairs of spotted owls should be protectedon national forests in Oregon using the guidelines in the Interagency SpottedOwl Management Plan. Where necessary, adjustments were to be made totimber sales offered after October 1, 1980.In October 1980, national forests in Washington were directed to protect, inaccordance with the Interagency Spotted Owl Management Plan, the habitat ofall confirmed spotted owl pairs, In April 1981, tentative allocations of spottedowls were assigned for the Gifford Pinchot, Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie, Olympic,and Wenatchee National Forests. These allocations totaled 112 pairs of spottedowls.Also in 1980, the Spotted Owl Subcommittee, which replaced the task force,revised its Spotted Owl Management Guidelines in light of additional researchand information. Results of radio-telemetry studies of spotted owls (Forsman1980) became available in December 1980. These studies indicated that theamount of suitable habitat that existed within 14 home ranges studied wasmuch greater than 300 acres. The Spotted Owl Subcommittee also workedwith other consultants during 1980. Dr. Michael Soule recommended protectionof a population of 500 or more pairs for genetic reasons.Based on the report from Forsman (1980) and consultation with Soule, theOregon-Washington Interagency Wildlife Committee revised the InteragencySpotted Owl Management Plan in February 1981. The revision called for 1,000acres of old-growth habitat to be maintained for each spotted owl pair, with300 acres around the nest site, if known, and an additional 700 acres within1.5 miles of the nest site.In May 1981, the Forest Service issued the Draft Pacific Northwest RegionalPlan. The plan contained direction on the number and distribution of spottedowl pairs to be evaluated in forest planning. It also included in the appendixthe February 1981 revision of the Oregon Interagency Spotted Owl ManagementPlan.In 1982, the Forest Service, in cooperation with the BLM, initiated an Old-Growth Wildlife Research and Development Program in the Forest Service'sPacific Northwest Research Station.During 1984, more information about spotted owls was published by Forsmanet al. (1984). In May of 1984, the Regional Guide for the Pacific NorthwestRegion and accompanying final environmental impact statement were published.These documents replaced the draft environmental impact statementfor the regional plan. The regional guide included standards and guidelines forforest-level planning of spotted owl habitat management, and directed nationalforests to analyze the effects of protecting at least 375 pairs of spotted owls inOregon and Washington national forests.66