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Environmental Law

: ESA Blawg

Another look by FWS at Northern spotted owl critical habitat and economic analysis

By Keith Rizzardi

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73 Federal Register 29471 (Wednesday, May 21, 2008)(Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Proposed Revised Designation of Critical Habitat for the Northern Spotted Owl (Strix occidentalis caurina); Proposed rule; reopening of comment period.)

SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the reopening of the comment period on the proposed revised designation of critical habitat for the northern spotted owl (Strix occidentalis caurina) under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). We also announce the availability of the draft economic analysis (DEA) of the proposed revised critical habitat designation and an amended required determination section of the proposal. DATES: We will consider comments received or postmarked on or before June 20, 2008.

ADDITIONAL EXCERPTS: On January 13, 2003, we entered into a settlement agreement with the American Forest Resource Council, Western Council of Industrial Workers, Swanson Group Inc., and Rough & Ready Lumber Company to conduct a rulemaking to consider potential revisions to critical habitat for the northern spotted owl that includes a revised consideration of economic impacts and any other relevant aspects of designation... The purpose of the DEA is to identify and analyze the potential economic impacts associated with the proposed revised critical habitat designation for the northern spotted owl. The DEA quantifies the economic impacts of all potential conservation efforts for the northern spotted owl; some of these costs will likely be incurred regardless of whether we designate critical habitat... The analysis in the DEA quantifies economic impacts of northern spotted owl conservation efforts associated primarily with the following activities: (1) Timber management, (2) section 7 consultation, (3) survey and monitoring efforts, and (4) barred owl management.

FOR MORE INFORMATION about the species, visit the 2008 Final Recovery Plan by FWS.