State Trust Lands Habitat Conservation Plan
Northern Spotted Owl Conservation Strategy
Our Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) covers state forestlands managed by the department within the range of the northern spotted owl (Strix occidentalis caurina). This includes approximately 1.8 million acres of state trust lands west of the Cascade Mountains as well as lands on the eastern slopes of the Cascades. One of our primary conservation strategies is designed to protect and enhance habitat used by northern spotted owls, providing areas for them to live, eat, and reproduce.
What are the objectives of the northern spotted owl conservation strategy?
- Provide habitat that makes a significant contribution to:
- Demographic support
- Maintenance of species distribution
- Facilitation of dispersal
What main factors are thought to threaten northern spotted owl populations?
- Competition from barred owls (Strix varia)
- Ongoing loss of habitat to timber harvest and disturbances
- Loss of habitat and distribution from past activities and disturbances
- Effects of stochastic (random) weather events
What are your current northern spotted owl projects?
Where can I read the northern spotted owl conservation strategy?