New Plan Released For Spotted Owl Recovery

[depakid]

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Federal scientists released a new draft plan Wednesday meant to rescue the Northern Spotted Owl. Recovery plans guide how to bring back a threatened species. But the 2008 plan for the Spotted Owl drew lawsuits and accusations of political interference.

And scientists said it ignored climate change and didn’t adequately protect the owl’s habitat.

Paul Henson with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says the revised plan answers the critics. On habitat, he says it drops the old approach of setting aside a series of small conservation areas for the owl.

Paul Henson: “We’re withdrawing that and going back to utilizing the Northwest Forest Plan reserve network in the interim, while we initiate a habitat modeling effort.”

Henson says the high-tech modeling will integrate data on owls and the landscape to predict where the birds will live and what lands should be protected. The modeling should also guide a second owl document – a controversial set of maps called “Critical Habitat.”

More: http://news.opb.org/article/12734-new-plan-released-spotted-owl-recovery/

For much more see: http://www.fws.gov/oregonfwo/Species/Data/NorthernSpottedOwl/Recovery/

[TwilightGardener]

1. Look at that sweet face. Hope the plan works.