Northern Spotted Owl Sample Clauses

Northern Spotted Owl. Status – The northern spotted owl was federally-listed as threatened under the ESA on June 26, 1990 (USFWS 1990a). Detailed accounts of the taxonomy, ecology, reproductive characteristics, and status and trends of the spotted owl are found in numerous federal documents (▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ et al. 2004, USFWS 2008, USFWS 2011, ▇▇▇▇▇ et al. 2011). Ecology – The current range of the spotted owl extends from southwest British Columbia through the Cascade Mountains, coastal ranges, and intervening forested lands in Washington, Oregon, and California, as far south as Marin County (USDI FWS 1990a, p. 26115). Northern spotted owls generally rely on structurally complex forest habitats because they contain the structures and characteristics required for nesting, roosting, foraging, and dispersal. These characteristics include the following: (1) a multi-layered, multi-species canopy dominated by large overstory trees; (2) moderate to high canopy closure; (3) a high incidence of trees with large cavities and other types of deformities; (4) numerous large snags; (5) an abundance of large, dead wood on the ground; and (6) open space within and below the upper canopy for flight (▇▇▇▇▇▇ et al. 1990; USFWS 1990b).

Northern Spotted Owl. (Strix occidentalis caurina) The northern spotted owl is listed as threatened pursuant to the federal ESA. This species is a “fully protected” species in California. It is listed as a Sensitive Species by the California Board of Forestry and Fire Protection. Habitat and protection for this species is provided through a property-wide HCP. (See Green Diamond Resource Company - Habitat Conservation Plan for the Northern Spotted Owl for further information pertaining to this species on Green Diamond land). Provisions of the HCP shall avoid significant adverse impacts and unauthorized take of the species

Northern Spotted Owl. Thirty spotted owl home range circles of 1.8-mile radius overlap some portion of the Applicants’ land base. However, only site centers located within the White Salmon and Columbia Gorge SOSEAs have regulatory status under Washington Forest Practices rules. With the exception of only one site center, Site #753, located on the Applicants’ ownership within the White Salmon SOSEA, all site centers within SOSEAs are currently located on USFS or WDNR ownership. Four of these sites are located within the Columbia Gorge SOSEA and 14 sites are located within the White Salmon SOSEA. The remaining twelve sites that overlap the Applicants’ lands are not within a SOSEA.

Northern Spotted Owl. There are owl territories that overlap Applicants lands but no spotted owls are known to currently known to occupy the covered lands. Surveys in the area suggest that most of the spotted owl site centers across this landscape are probably unoccupied at the present time, largely due to expansion and increase in the local barred owl population, combined with limited below-threshold habitat loss at a few sites outside of SOSEAs. Surveys at spotted owl site centers on the Applicants’ landscape suggest that very few site centers are occupied (D. Rock,

Northern Spotted Owl. Status - The owl was federally listed as threatened under the ESA on June 26, 1990 (USFWS 1990a). Detailed accounts of the taxonomy, ecology, reproductive characteristics, and status and trends of the spotted owl are found in numerous federal documents (▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ et al. 2004, USFWS 2008, USFWS 2011, ▇▇▇▇▇ et al. 2011).

Northern Spotted Owl. Incidental take for spotted owls is usually assessed when there is an established spotted owl territory, which is a either a pair or territorial single bird. Incidental take is not typically described for a dispersing juvenile bird that may be in transition from a natal area to more permanent residence. Nevertheless, the discussion that follows considers both dispersing individuals and an established territory. In the future, spotted owls may find suitable habitat for dispersal and foraging purposes on the LCT as the stands grow older with snags and defective trees developing within. Older forest patches will occur in riparian areas and also be dispersed in patches throughout the tree farm in baseline blocks, SMAs and SSAs. Across the covered lands, these protected areas probably have the highest likelihood of potential occupancy. Thus, the probability of a spotted owl pair nesting on the property is possible, although the likelihood is low due to the presence of barred owls and management practices associated with adjacent landowners, which are not conducive to creation or retention of spotted owl habitat. Dispersing juveniles may use the provided habitat because the LCT is situated between two SOSEAs and is proximal to designated spotted owl critical habitat which could contain nesting spotted owls. Incidental take of spotted owls, should it occur on the LCT, would likely be in the form of disturbance to dispersing spotted owls associated with the covered forest management activities on an annual basis, including, but not limited to commercial thinning, regeneration harvest, and road construction and maintenance activities, once larger blocks of contiguous mature stands have developed. Subsequent harm may occur as roosting, foraging, and dispersal habitat is degraded across the covered lands when commercially mature forest stands are harvested. However, there will always be dispersal habitat available for spotted owls to move to when disturbed and this habitat will always be greater than the baseline level available currently. Take in the form of harassment associated with removal of dispersal habitat is difficult to quantify because dispersal habitat will develop and be harvested at different rates throughout the Permit term. Harassment take from the covered activities could occur if in proximity to an occupied nest site. Although it is unlikely that spotted owls currently nest on the LCT and although Everett has agreed to protect nest sites from habita...

Northern Spotted Owl. As described previously in section 2.1.3, barred owls are known to adversely impact NSO. Currently there are no known barred owls on the Property, but surveys conducted on federal lands have detected barred owls within approximately 1.3 miles of the Property. Throughout the Pacific Northwest, barred owls have rapidly expanded their range and displaced NSO from their territories. Barred owls have smaller home ranges, occur at much higher densities, tolerate a wider range of habitat conditions, and have more diverse diets than NSO (▇▇▇▇▇ 2014). Surveying for barred owls and removing individuals that are detected would help reduce this threat and provide a net conservation benefit to NSO by preventing barred owls from displacing NSO that may occupy the Property during the permit term. Habitat loss and fragmentation through timber harvest has been identified as a primary threat to NSO. However, this threat is not significant on the Property given the requirements in the Easement and SHA to conduct forest management practices that will result in a net increase in NSO habitat across the Property over time by increasing tree diameters, canopy closure, stand structural complexity, and retaining important habitat elements. Additionally, planned silvicultural treatments such as thinning may benefit NSO by accelerating the development of habitat and prey populations and reducing the risk of unnaturally severe wildfire. Some activities related to timber harvesting, such as road use, are unlikely to affect habitat conditions for NSO because habitat will not be removed or altered. However, these activities have the potential to adversely affect breeding NSO by increasing noise disturbance and human activity near nest or roosting sites. Disturbance of nesting owls could occur when heavy equipment is used to conduct timber harvesting activities within 0.25 mile of an active nest during the breeding season. Seasonal restrictions identified in section 4.2.1.2 below will minimize disturbance associated with these activities.‌

Northern Spotted Owl. The northern spotted owl (Strix occidentalis caurina) (spotted owl) was listed as endangered by the State of Washington in 1988 and as threatened under the ESA in 1990 (55 FR 26114). The spotted owl inhabits mid and late seral coniferous forests with high canopy closure, complex canopy structure, large decaying trees and/or snags, and a high volume of downed wood (WDNR 2019) and may occur on Enrolled Lands. A spotted owl revised recovery plan was released in 2011, and in 2012, the USFWS designated 9,577,969 acres in 11 units and 60 subunits of California, Oregon, and Washington as critical habitat for the spotted owl (50 CFR Part 17 2012-28714) in addition to areas of critical habitat that were designated on federal lands in 1992 and 2008. Also in 2012, a petition to uplist the spotted owl to endangered was filed, and the status is currently under review after a positive 90-day finding in 2015 (80 FR 19259-19263). Full details related to spotted owl life history, habitat characteristics, and species survey information are available through the Environmental Conservation Online System (ECOS) webpage, Periodic Status Review for The Northern Spotted Owl in Washington (▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ 2016), and the Final Briefing Report to the Washington State Forest Practices Board Regarding Spotted Owl Status and Forest Practices Rules (▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ and ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ 2005).

Northern Spotted Owl. ‌ The Service has determined that the SHA conservation measures will provide a net conservation benefit to NSO by improving habitat and managing threats, including barred owl and fire. It will take time for late seral forest characteristics to develop in response to the conservation measures, and the Service estimates it may take as long as 50 years of implementing the SHA to improve NSO habitat beyond baseline conditions for the Property to support NSO occupancy. However, immediate conservation benefits will likely occur by reducing the threat of unnaturally severe fires on the Property, allowing the removal of barred owls, and developing long-term forest management plans to guide future improvements to NSO habitat. The growth and yield projections required by the Timber Management Plan and Forest Management Plan, in addition to the Easement’s requirement to update the timber inventory every decade or before harvest occurs to reflect the condition of the Property as it changes over time and as management activities are implemented, will allow the anticipated improvements to NSO habitat to be tracked and monitored. Given there are no known NSO on the Property, if individuals disperse from an adjacent LSR and establish a new territory on the Property, the net conservation benefit for NSO would be realized because the population on the Property will have increased. Even if NSO do not establish permanent territories on the Property, the SHA will benefit NSO on adjacent federal lands by maintaining and developing proximal suitable nesting/roosting, foraging, and dispersal habitat. Impacts of incidental take through disturbance will be minimized because of the incidental take avoidance and minimization measures. The net conservation benefit resulting from these conservation measures will be sufficient to contribute, directly or indirectly, to recovery of NSO, after taking into account the length of the SHA and any off-setting adverse effects of authorized take.