The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) is announcing the proposed revised critical habitat rule for the northern spotted owl that identifies 204,797 acres of exclusions from the 2012 critical habitat designation under section 4(b)(2) of the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The Service is simultaneously proposing to withdraw the January 15, 2021 rule that would have excluded 3.4 million acres of critical habitat for the northern spotted owl.
The exclusions being proposed will allow fuels management and sustainable timber harvesting to continue while supporting northern spotted owl recovery. The proposed exclusions are located in 15 Oregon counties in which 184,618 acres are on Bureau of Land Management-administered lands and 20,000 acres are on Tribal lands. This proposal is based on information developed since the 2012 critical habitat rule was published, including over 2,000 public comments and information submitted when the public comment period was reopened on March 1, 2021.
The proposal is available for public inspection in the Federal Register Reading Room, and was published in the Federal Register on Tuesday, July 20, opening a 60-day public period that closes September 20, 2021.
For more information, including a link to the proposed rule and FAQs, go to www.fws.gov/oregonfwo.
Contributed by: Jodie Delavan | Public Affairs Officer, United States Fish and Wildlife Service – Oregon Fish and Wildlife Office