Red Lodge Clearinghouse

The agency estimates that it would bear about 30 percent of the anticipated costs to protect the 5.3 million acres in Washington, Oregon and California proposed for designation as critical habitat last year. The owl currently has nearly 6.9 million acres of critical habitat.

The Forest Service will pick up 60 percent of the tab, with the Bureau of Land Management covering 10 percent.

The analysis addresses the additional economic impacts associated with the proposed critical habitat designation and not costs associated with the owl's listing under the Endangered Species Act.

The owl has been at the center of a protracted battle between the timber industry and environmentalists on how to mange old-growth forests in the Pacific Northwest since it was given federal protection in 1990. Some timber companies have blamed the owl's critical habitat -- and the Northwest Forest Plan created to protect it -- for the demise of many timber operations.

The proposed critical habitat designation was based on recommendations in the 2007 draft recovery plan for the owl.

Last week, the agency released its final recovery plan, which calls for forest conservation in the Pacific Northwest and reducing the threat of the rival barred owl.

The plan calls for a network of 133 managed owl conservation areas totaling nearly 6.4 million acres of federal property on the western slope of the Cascade Mountains. The areas are intended to sustain adequate numbers of breeding pairs to allow the owl population to grow to sustainable numbers.

The plan also mandates maintaining owl habitat across the eastern range and studying ways to manage the barred owl (E&ENews PM, May 16).

The agency is accepting comments on the draft economic analysis and the proposed habitat revision until June 20.

Click here to view the draft economic analysis.

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