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THE WILDLIFE SOCIETY CITES MAJOR FLAWS IN FINAL RECOVERY PLAN FOR THE SPOTTED OWL |
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BETHESDA, MARYLAND, Aug. 13 -/E-Wire/--
Today, The Wildlife Society (TWS) submitted comments on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (FWS’) Final Recovery Plan for the Northern Spotted Owl. TWS submitted comments on the Draft Recovery Plan in 2007, and according to Dr. Michael Hutchins, Executive Director/CEO of TWS, reviewers found that despite considerable input from the scientific community, the underlying strategy of the Plan has remained unchanged or, in some instances, has even been weakened from the 2007 Draft. The Society for Conservation Biology (SCB) and the American Ornithologists' Union (AOU) also reviewed the plan and found similar flaws.
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In early 2007, TWS, the premier scientific and educational association representing wildlife professionals, asked specialists in avian population dynamics, spotted owl ecology, forest ecology and management, and fire ecology to review the 2007 Draft Plan. The TWS experts, as well as independent experts from the AOU and the SCB, found that plan unacceptable. When the Final Plan was released, these same experts came together again to review and comment on the Plan. While there were a few areas of improvement, overall the 2008 Plan did not pass muster with the TWS panel.
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"It is clear that FWS responded constructively to some of the comments and suggestions submitted in response to the 2007 Draft Plan," stated Hutchins. Major positive improvements include:
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-The elimination of goals for target percentages of suitable habitat;
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-The "de-emphasis" of barred owls as the singular threat to spotted owls and elimination of plans to immediately apply control measures; and
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-A commitment to continuation of demographic studies.
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-The proposal to retain all older and structurally diverse forest, though this may be subject to tremendous variation in application.
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"However, after a thorough review, we believe that the 2008 Final Plan will not lead to recovery of this species," Hutchins noted. "Indeed, as with its previous incarnation, this Plan would reverse much of the progress made over the past 20 years to protect this species and the habitat upon which it depends."
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The U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and Bureau of Land Management (BLM), following direction provided by the Northwest Forest Plan (NWFP) and implemented by the relevant Land and Resource Management Plans (LRMPs), have managed the northern spotted owl on federal lands since the adoption of the NWFP in 1994. Spotted owl populations have continued to decline across their range at the rate of about 3.7% per year. Declines in Washington State are so significant that populations there might justifiably be considered endangered rather than threatened.
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"The proposed Managed Owl Conservation Areas (MOCAs) would reduce protected forest acres by a stunning 56 percent," said Hutchins. "Implementation of this plan would therefore represent a significant step backward in conservation of the northern spotted owl and of other species that share its range."
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The 2008 Final Plan proposes to:
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-Reduce the amount of habitat protected for owls in the western regions of Washington State, Oregon and California;
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-Eliminate habitat reserves entirely in the eastern regions of Washington State, Oregon and California in favor of a risky "floating habitat" scheme.
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-Ignore any consideration of dispersal habitat; and allow salvage logging without adequate guidelines and restrictions.
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"We believe, unfortunately, that the 2008 Revised Plan will not achieve recovery of northern spotted owls and will likely exacerbate their precarious status," concluded Hutchins. "TWS urges FWS to withdraw this plan and undertake further revisions before it is used as justification for the land management agencies to weaken provisions of the NWFP and to engage in activities that threaten northern spotted owls and their habitat."
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About The Wildlife Society
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TWS, founded in 1937, 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. For a full copy of the comments, please contact Laura Bies at (301) 897-9770 ext. 308. Contact Info: Dennis Odion
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541-552-9624 Website : The Wildlife Society
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