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Science Ignored In FWS Spotted Owl Recovery Plan |
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BETHESDA, MARYLAND, Aug. 14 -/E-Wire/-- The northern spotted owl is perhaps the most "notorious" of all threatened species protected under the U.S Endangered Species Act. Now, at a time when endangered species decisions are viewed with an air of skepticism, the debate over conservation of the northern spotted owl continues.
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Northern spotted owl populations have continued to decline across their range at a rate of about 3.7 percent per year. Declines in Washington State are so significant that populations in the state might justifiably be considered endangered rather than threatened.
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In early 2007, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) released its 2007 Draft Recovery Plan for the Northern Spotted Owl, and The Wildlife Society (TWS), the premier scientific and educational association representing wildlife professionals, recently submitted comments on the plan. TWS asked its member experts in avian population dynamics, spotted owl ecology, forest ecology and management, and fire ecology to review the 2007 Draft Plan.
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In the introduction to the comments, TWS notes that the 2007 Draft Plan does not adequately avail itself of the depth and breath of information on one of the most studied of raptors. "There is no other species listed under the U.S. Endangered Species Act for which such extensive information is available upon which to build a scientifically credible recovery plan," stated Dr. Michael Hutchins, executive director/CEO of TWS. "This lack of attention to existing research, including some critical studies, has resulted in a seriously flawed plan for recovery."
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The review notes that, "The Northwest Forest Plan (NWFP) appears to have been effective in slowing general decline of this subspecies across its range. This result strongly suggests that a recovery plan for the northern spotted owl should be based on the NWFP and should strengthen provisions of that plan which focused on spotted owls. Instead, the 2007 Draft Recovery Plan substantially weakens virtually every provision for protection of the owls that is already in place."
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The Draft Plan provides no justification for reducing conservation measures for northern spotted owls at a time when owl populations continue to decline. TWS' comments also note that:
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Option 1 reduces protection of habitat and known owl locations
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Option 2, while purporting to follow the same "rule set" as Option 1, has additional weakness including a further reduction in acreage of habitat reserves for spotted owls
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There is absence of ecosystem-wide considerations, as well as some errors in both mapping and tabular presentations.
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Questions about whether the latest recovery plan relies on the best scientific information available are rife, even as the FWS pledges to re-evaluate several other ESA documents in light of alleged interference from political appointees. Wildlife biologists, the agency, and industry alike fear a return to the "timber wars" of the 1980's.
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"There are many contradictions in the Draft Plan, including the perplexing assertions that both options, though substantially different, are the "best" option for owl recovery," concluded Hutchins. "Either option presented in this recovery plan, if accepted and implemented, would represent a significant step backward for a species that is clearly still in trouble. The Fish and Wildlife Service should start over with a fundamental commitment to using the best available science and with the goal of identifying viable solutions to the many potential threats faced by spotted owls, particularly the loss of old growth forest habitat."
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About The Wildlife Society -
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TWS is a scientific and educational organization dedicated to enhancing the ability of wildlife professionals to conserve diversity, sustain productivity, and ensure the responsible use of wildlife resources for the benefit of society. TWS also is an advocate for science-based wildlife policy. For more information visit www.wildlife.org
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For a complete copy of TWS' comments on the Draft Recovery Plan for the Northern Spotted Owl, please contact Laura Bies, at (301) 897-9770 ext. 308 or visit www.wildlife.org. Contact Info:
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Laura Bies
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Tel : 301-897-9770 ext. 308 Website : the Wildlife Society
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