Northern Spotted Owl’s Status Could be Upgraded to Endangered

Wednesday, April 08, 2015

Annie Ellison, GoLocalPDX Reporter

An evaluation underway by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will determine whether to upgrade the northern spotted owl’s status from threatened to endangered.

The status of the northern spotted owl is under review. Photo: US Fish and Wildlife Service

A petition from the Environmental Protection Information Center to change the owl’s status to endangered was a catalyst for the review, which will also fulfill a five-year review required under the Endangered Species Act.

The spotted owl’s legacy in Western Oregon, its natural habitat, is a sensitive one.

Many attribute declines in the timber industry to the bird being declared a threatened species in the 1990s, which required loggers leave 40 percent of old-growth forests in tact within a 1.3 mile radius of a spotted owl nest. Timber harvests were reduced by upwards of 80 percent, meaning the loss of thousands of jobs.

The northern spotted owl population has declined 2.9 percent per year on average, while declines as high as 5.9 percent annually have been reported.

The biggest threats to its existence is habitat loss and competition from barred owls.

“The best tools we have to prevent spotted owls from going extinct are continued habitat protection and barred owl management, both of which are recommended in the recovery plan," said Paul Henson, Oregon State Supervisor for the Service.

So far, he said efforts to remove barred owls from northern spotted owl habitat have shown improvement.

“Our review of the spotted owl will tell us whether current efforts to address threats are sufficient,” Henson said.

Read more about the northern spotted owl.

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