A conservation strategy for the northern spotted owl: a report of the Interagency Scientific Committee to address the conservation of the northern spotted owl; habitat conservation area maps

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The Interagency Scientific Committee to Address the Conservation of the Northern Spotted Owl (hereafter the Committee) was established under the authority of an interagency agreement between the USDA Forest Service, USDI Bureau of Land Management, USDI Fish and Wildlife Service, and USDI National Park Service. The Committee’s charter was signed by the agency heads and subsequently incorporated into Section 318 of Public Law 101-1 21 in October 1989. The Committee was asked to develop a scientifically credible conservation strategy for the northern spotted owl in the United States. Since that time, the Committee has reviewed the literature on the northern spotted owl, heard presentations from most of the scientists doing research on spotted owls, considered the concerns of numerous interest groups, and conducted field trips in Washington, Oregon, and northern California to examine the owl’s habitat. We have also interviewed dozens of biologists and land managers. Much of the attention directed toward this bird stems from a growing debate over managing old-growth forests on Federal lands, and from a concern about protecting biodiversity. We understand the significance of these larger issues, but we have kept to our mandate to develop a conservation strategy specifically for the northern spotted owl. We have concluded that the owl is imperiled over significant portions of its range because of continuing losses of habitat from logging and natural disturbances. Current management strategies are inadequate to ensure its viability. Moreover, in some portions of the owl’s range, few options for managing habitat remain open, and available alternatives are steadily declining throughout the bird’s range. For these reasons, delay in implementing a conservation strategy cannot be justified on the basis of inadequate knowledge.

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Reference Code: M90THO01IDUS

Full Citation: Thomas, J. W., E. D. Forsman, J. B. Lint, E. C. Meslow, B. B. Noon, and J. Verner, committee members. 1990. A conservation strategy for the northern spotted owl: a report of the Interagency Scientific Committee to address the conservation of the northern spotted owl. Habitat conservation area maps. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service; U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, Portland, OR. 1:500,000 scale.

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