The mission of the Northwest Forest Plan (NWFP) is to adopt coordinated management direction for the lands administered by the USDA Forest Service and the USDI Bureau of Land Management and to adopt complimentary approaches by other Federal agencies within the range of the northern spotted owl. The management of these public lands must meet dual needs: the need for forest habitat and the need for forest products.
![[Photo Image] Spotted Owl of the Pacific Northwest - Photo by Shane Jeffries](nr/images/spotted-owl.jpg)
Updated
26 April 2007 - The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has
commenced the development of a recovery plan for the northern spotted owl.
The northern
spotted owl
was listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act in 1990, and critical
habitat was designated in 1992. In 1994, the Northwest Forest Plan became
the cornerstone for conserving the northern spotted owl on 24.4 million acres
of Federal land in Oregon, Washington and California.
The recent publication of numerous comprehensive reviews and reports on the status of the northern spotted owl throughout its range present an opportunity to incorporate the most current and best available scientific information into a recovery plan for the species. The recovery plan will address actions needed to recover the northern spotted owl throughout its range and will set specific recovery criteria for delisting. It will also address new threats that have arisen since the owl was listed, including issues such as West Nile virus and the range expansion of the barred owl into traditional spotted owl habitat.