The U.S. Forest Service Pacific Southwest Region is developing a conservation strategy for the California spotted owl. The Conservation Strategy will offer management and conservation recommendations for forest managers to consider when planning activities and uses in national forests.
The California spotted owl has been a conservation focus for the Region since the 1970s when it was designated a Forest Service Sensitive Species. In July 1992, the U.S. Forest Service Pacific Southwest Research Station published The California Spotted Owl: A Technical Assessment of Its Current Status. This report has provided the scientific foundation for conserving the species for the last 23 years.
“Scientific information and management experience have developed since then, and given the importance of species conservation to the development of revised Forest Plans, a new Conservation Strategy for the California spotted owl is warranted,” said Randy Moore, Regional Forester.
The Strategy will be developed in coordination with other key agencies that have interest in and experience with conservation of the California spotted owl, including: the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, the National Park Service, and the Sierra Nevada Conservancy.
The Region has created a website to share information about ongoing efforts for this strategy. To learn more visit the website: http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/r5/plants-animals/wildlife/?cid=STELPRD3854419. There, those interested in following the project’s progress can subscribe to an electronic mailing list.
The Region has taken the first step toward developing this Conservation Strategy by partnering with the Pacific Southwest Research Station. The Research Station is preparing a Conservation Assessment for the owl that will provide essential scientific information to support the California Spotted Owl Conservation Strategy.
For more information regarding the California Spotted Owl Conservation Strategy, please contact Jamie Rosen, California Spotted Owl Conservation Team Leader ([email protected] ; 415-744-3011) or Sarah Sawyer, California Spotted Owl Conservation Strategy Project Manager ([email protected] ; 707-562-8924).
The mission of the U.S. Forest Service, part U.S. Department of Agriculture, is to sustain the health, diversity and productivity of the nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations. The agency manages 193 million acres of public land, provides assistance to state and private landowners, and maintains the largest forestry research organization in the world. Public lands the Forest Service manages contribute more than $13 billion to the economy each year through visitor spending alone. Those same lands provide 20 percent of the nation’s clean water supply, a value estimated at $7.2 billion per year. The agency has either a direct or indirect role in stewardship of about 80 percent of the 850 million forested acres within the U.S., of which 100 million acres are urban forests where most Americans live.
