Help Protect Northern Spotted Owls
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is now accepting comments on revising the "critical" habitat for endangered northern spotted owls -- please help push for a designation that includes all the habitat these unique owls need to survive and recover.
Long a symbol of the Pacific Northwest's old-growth forests, spotted owls are threatened by both logging and invasive barred owls. The Northwest Forest Plan protected a large portion of the owls' habitat on federal lands, but old forests can continue to be cut down on private and state lands.
The Obama administration has proposed to designate nearly 14 million acres of critical habitat for spotted owls. But the proposal also excludes more than 4 million acres because they're supposedly "protected" by voluntary measures.
The Endangered Species Act is our nation's most powerful wildlife law -- please tell the Service to protect all the owls' essential habitat instead of hiding behind flimsy voluntary protection plans.
SUBJECT: Protect All Northern Spotted Owl Critical Habitat
To Mr. Paul Henson:
I am writing in support of designating all essential habitat for endangered northern spotted owls, which includes nearly 14 million acres. I do not support the exclusion of any areas because of separate protections. I am specifically concerned by plans to exclude state and private lands simply because they are covered by a habitat conservation plan or safe harbor agreement -- these voluntary measures do not replace the need for critical habitat.
[
Your comments will be added here.]
In considering these and other protections, and whether they provide sufficient protection to the extent that critical habitat is not needed, please consider the likelihood that the conservation measures will be implemented effectively. If there is any doubt, please include all the respective areas in the designation of critical habitat.
Thank you for considering these comments.
