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Proposed Revised Critical Habitat & Draft Environmental Impact Statement on Experimental Removal of Barred Owls April 2012 Northern Spotted Owl Recovery

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Northern Spotted Owl Recovery. Proposed Revised Critical Habitat & Draft Environmental Impact Statement on Experimental Removal of Barred Owls April 2012. Northern Spotted Owl Recovery. Main threats: habitat loss and competition from encroaching barred owl. - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

TRANSCRIPT

Page 1: Northern  Spotted  Owl Recovery

Proposed Revised Critical Habitat &

Draft Environmental Impact Statement onExperimental Removal of Barred Owls

April 2012

Northern Spotted Owl Recovery

Page 2: Northern  Spotted  Owl Recovery

• Main threats: habitat loss and competition from encroaching barred owl.

• Announced both policy proposals on March 8, 2012; both 90-day review; additional review time with CH economic analysis (late May).

• Finalize CH by November 15, 2012.• Finalize EIS by early 2013; experiment may start in

late 2013; earliest assessment in 2016.

Northern Spotted Owl Recovery

Page 3: Northern  Spotted  Owl Recovery

Joint roll-out reinforcesmain tenets ofrecovery strategy:

1) Protect the best remaining habitat.2) Actively manage forests to restore their

health and resilience.3) Reduce harmful impacts of barred owl.

Northern Spotted Owl Recovery

Page 4: Northern  Spotted  Owl Recovery

Challenges:

• Both proposals highly polarizing and controversial

• Reactions to more acres of CH, ecological forestry guidance and lethal removal of barred owls

Northern Spotted Owl Recovery

Page 5: Northern  Spotted  Owl Recovery

• We are letting the current science lead the way.

• Using improved tools to identify the best habitat.

• Strongly support active forest management to restore forest health in CH areas where appropriate.

• Will refine proposal after reviewing public comment, scientific peer review, and economic analysis.

Critical Habitat

Page 6: Northern  Spotted  Owl Recovery

Objectives in Identifying Areas• Ensure sufficient habitat to support healthy populations

across range and within 11 CH units.• Ensure distribution of populations across range of habitat

conditions.• Incorporate uncertainty—effects of barred owl, climate

change, wildfire and disturbance risk.• Recognize CH protections meant to work in concert with

other recovery actions (e.g. barred owl management).

Critical Habitat

Page 7: Northern  Spotted  Owl Recovery

A Look at the Numbers• 13.9 million acres proposed

• WA: <4.8 m; OR: 5.1 m; CA: 4 m

• USFS: >9.5 m; BLM: <1.5 m; NPS: <1 m;

• State lands: 670,000

• Private lands: 1.3 m

Proposed to exclude HCPs and Safe Harbor Agreements

Critical Habitat

Page 8: Northern  Spotted  Owl Recovery

Acreage changes•Congressionally Reserved lands (2.6 m acres)•State and private lands (~2 m acres); consistent with RP•Federal Matrix (3.8 m acres); consistent with RP; many of these areas subject to ongoing litigation•<2 m acres LSR not functioning as habitat have not been included

Critical Habitat

Page 9: Northern  Spotted  Owl Recovery

Our Goal is to Have a CH Designation that• Is scientifically defensible.• Is legally defensible.• Supports overall land management goals of

FS, BLM, and the States as much as possible.• Enables variety of timber management.• Provide guidelines for timber harvest

compatible with recovery goals using ecological forestry.

Critical Habitat

Page 10: Northern  Spotted  Owl Recovery

• Rangewide habitat modeling effort:

• Step 1. Model/map habitat quality.• Step 2. Design potential habitat conservation network

scenarios.• Step 3. Evaluate habitat network scenarios to assess

relative impact on future persistence.

Critical Habitat

Page 11: Northern  Spotted  Owl Recovery

Critical Habitat

Step 1 – Model and map relative habitat quality (MAXENT) Step 2 – Aggregate habitat value into

blocks (ZONATION)

Step 3 – Test effectiveness of various scenarios (HEXSIM)25 50 75 100 125 150 175 200 225 250

0200400600800

100012001400

Klamath

Barred OwlsNo Barred Owls

Num

ber o

f Ind

ivid

ual

Fem

ales

Page 12: Northern  Spotted  Owl Recovery

Critical Habitat

NW

FP

Com

p 1

Com

p 2

Com

p 3

Com

p 4

Com

p 5

Com

p 6

Com

p 70

5001,0001,5002,0002,5003,0003,5004,0004,5005,000

0

5

10

15

20

2516

.39

18.5

3

13.1

9

20.0

8

19.7

0

18.2

9

15.2

8

13.9

7

2,088

3,216

2,534

3,0743,390

2,9993,190 3,051

Total Area of Composite# females at year 350

# fe

mal

e ow

ls a

t yea

r 350

Area

in co

mpo

site

(mill

ions

of a

cres

)

Page 13: Northern  Spotted  Owl Recovery

Critical HabitatN

WFP

Com

p 1

Com

p 2

Com

p 3

Com

p 4

Com

p 5

Com

p 6

Com

p 705

101520253035404550

0

5

10

15

20

25

16.3

9

18.5

3

13.1

9

20.0

8

19.7

0

18.2

9

15.2

8

13.9

7

43

11

26

20

1411 10 12

24

5

1511

85 6

3

11

0 2 1 0 2 3 1

Total Area of Composite% of simulations where population is <1250% of simulations where population is <1000 % of simulations where population is <750

Prop

ortio

n of

HEX

SIM

sim

ulati

ons

Area

in c

ompo

site

(acr

es)

Page 14: Northern  Spotted  Owl Recovery

Critical Habitat

Page 15: Northern  Spotted  Owl Recovery

Draft EIS on Barred Owl ExperimentalRemoval:• We have a clear obligation to do all we can to prevent extinction and recover spotted owl

• Barred owl has competitive advantage – More generalized food and habitat requirements– Can use younger and variable forests– More aggressive and strongly defend territory– Produce more young

Barred Owl Draft EIS

Page 16: Northern  Spotted  Owl Recovery

• Goal is to test effectiveness and feasibility of barred owl removal as a management tool

– Effectiveness in improving spotted owl demography– Efficiency in managing barred owl densities– Ability to maintain lower barred owl denisites

• With strong habitat protections in place, there’s a good chance of succeeding in recovery in the long term if the barred owl challenge can be addressed in the short term.

Barred Owl Draft EIS

Page 17: Northern  Spotted  Owl Recovery

Key Points•Includes 8 Alternatives, including a No Action. Vary on

– Methods of removal -- lethal, non-lethal (capture and captivity), and combinations.

– Number and locations of study areas (1 to 11); – Duration (3-10 years),– Cost– Number of barred owls removed.

Barred Owl Draft EIS

Page 18: Northern  Spotted  Owl Recovery

Addressing the Challenges:• Hired environmental ethicist and convened

stakeholder group to foster understanding and constructive dialogue on ethical aspects of policy-making on barred owl management.

• “Front-loaded” outreach efforts; proactive and incremental communications with constituents (Congressional staff, media, partners, state and federal agencies, tribes) to prevent reactive mode, clarify rationale(s), and minimize misperceptions.

Barred Owl Draft EIS

Page 19: Northern  Spotted  Owl Recovery

Barred Owl Draft EIS

• Alt 1 – one study area

• Alt 2 – three study areas

Page 20: Northern  Spotted  Owl Recovery

Barred Owl Draft EIS

Page 21: Northern  Spotted  Owl Recovery

Barred Owl Draft EIS

Page 22: Northern  Spotted  Owl Recovery

Barred Owl Draft EIS