Spotted Owl - Conservation

Conservation

IUCN Red list status for the Spotted Owl is Near Threatened with a decreasing population trend .

The Northern Spotted Owl and Mexican Spotted Owl subspecies are listed as threatened in the United States under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), which is administered by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). The California Spotted Owl is not considered to be threatened nor endangered by the USFWS. However, it is a species of special concern by the state of California and the United States Forest Service (USFS). The Northern Spotted Owl was one of a few cases where the "God committee", a provision of the Endangered Species Act, has been invoked to decide whether or not to open up more federal forest for commercial logging. In a battle between two federal agencies, the Bureau of Land Management and the Fish and Wildlife Service, the committee ruled for the exemption of 1700 acres to the ESA, potentially allowing the extinction of the species. Legal battle went on at different levels, creating a complex case study in environmental law.

The Northern Spotted Owl is in rapid decline with about a 50% annual population loss along the northern edge of its range (northern Washington state and south-western British Columbia). Fewer than 30 breeding pairs remain in British Columbia, and the species is expected to be extirpated from Canada within the next few years.

All subspecies of the Spotted Owl are often the subject of disagreement between conservationists and loggers, cattle grazers, developers, and other organizations whose activities can affect forest conservation. In February 2008, a federal judge reinforced a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service decision to designate 8,600,000 acres (35,000 km2) in Arizona, Utah, Colorado and New Mexico as critical habitat for the owl. The decision had been challenged by the Arizona Cattle Growers' Association, but Judge Susan Bolton upheld the designation. According to the Center for Biological Diversity, "Having critical habitat will ensure that U.S. Forest Service logging does not limit the bird's recovery or drive it into extinction."