Federal judge orders revised spotted-owl plan

Seattle Times ^ | September 3, 2010 | Phuong Le

[epithermal]

SEATTLE —

A federal judge is requiring the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to revise a Bush administration recovery plan for the northern spotted owl, and the federal agency said Thursday it plans to release a draft next week.

U.S. District Court Judge Emmet G. Sullivan ruled Wednesday that the federal agency must come up with a revised recovery plan within nine months for the threatened bird, which has been at the center of a long battle over logging in the Northwest because it lives in old growth forests.

The judge also required revisions to the owl's critical habitat, which had been cut in 2008 under the Bush administration by 1.6 million acres, or about 23 percent, in Washington, Oregon and Northern California.

[epithermal]

[Sacajaweau]

They need millions of acres?? Baloney....

And loggers have no work because??

And you can't drill because?

And you can't mine coal because?

There's gonna be a corn shortage because??

[InterceptPoint]

There was a huge fire that burned for many days. When the fire was finally brought under control U.S. District Court Judge Emmet G. Sullivan was Johnny on the Spot asking the firefighters about the fate of the Spotted Owl, a species that had once been seen in the area that had burned.

One of the firefighters responded to the Judge: "Well Judge, there's good news and there's bad news". The good news is that the Spotted Owl is no longer on the Endangered Species List. The bad news is there aren't any more Spotted Owls.

[marsh2]

Restrictions on forest management for northern spotted owl and associated indicator species have plunged my area into long term unemployment, poverty and elevated levels of social ills from family pressure - such as substance abuse and child abuse. It has been a curse to the Pacific northwest and to northern California.

Ironically, the lands set aside for the spotted owl are burning in the series of large confulgrations that have been on the uptick since regulations where set in place. Some of the restrictive regulations aren’t even valid any more. The scientist who established the canopy closure standard has said she was in error, yet this does not stop the enviros who appeal on the basis that it is still valid. The index tree height rule was established in the Olympic forest and has no applicability in western dry forest.

The Courts should stop playing scientist and let the Forest Service do its damned job.

[ApplegateRanch]

So, when is a federal judge going to do something useful, like ordering the Justice Department & DHS to do their jobs a-la the crimalien invasion, Gitmo prisoners, and a few other issues near & dear to FReepers?

[ully2]

The spotted owl does not live in only old growth. They have been found in many second and third growth forests. Just another environmentalist myth.