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NEWS RELEASE No. 05-141
November 9, 2005
Contact: Patty Henson, 360-902-1023; cell, 360-870-3853; email, [email protected]
State Forest Practices Board Votes to Enact Emergency Rules to Strengthen Spotted Owl Protection
Additional Resolutions Provide Further Protection
OLYMPIA - The State Forest Practices Board voted this afternoon to enact two emergency rules and approved three resolutions that will provide additional protection to address Washington’s declining northern spotted owl population, Public Lands Commissioner Doug Sutherland announced today.
“The Board’s decisions today recognize recent scientific evidence that the owl population has declined due to several major factors, as opposed to any one single cause. These factors include barred owls, current and past timber harvest, severe weather, decline in forest health, and fire,” said Sutherland.
One of the emergency rules will establish a temporary moratorium on the practice of ‘decertifying’ spotted owl sites until June 30, 2007, coincidental with the release of a federally-led recovery plan for the owl.
The other rule will eliminate the potential for landowners without habitat conservation plans or similar agreements from benefiting from actions on adjacent lands covered by such agreements.
The State Department of Natural Resources will file a rule making-order with the Office of the Code Reviser concerning both of these emergency rules.
The Board also passed a resolution requesting DNR to conduct an operational review of procedures used when evaluating Forest Practices applications or notifications. The purpose is to determine whether sound procedures are being consistently applied by Department staff when evaluating Forest Practices applications proposing harvest of habitat inside owl circles, and the adequacy of the habitat information the Department has on hand to make their evaluations. The Board also asked that any necessary corrections to processes be made and that the Department would report back by February of 2006.
NEWS RELEASE No. 05-141
November 9, 2005
Contact: Patty Henson, 360-902-1023; cell, 360-870-3853; email, [email protected]
State Forest Practices Board Votes to Enact Emergency Rules to Strengthen Spotted Owl Protection
Additional Resolutions Provide Further Protection
OLYMPIA - The State Forest Practices Board voted this afternoon to enact two emergency rules and approved three resolutions that will provide additional protection to address Washington’s declining northern spotted owl population, Public Lands Commissioner Doug Sutherland announced today.
“The Board’s decisions today recognize recent scientific evidence that the owl population has declined due to several major factors, as opposed to any one single cause. These factors include barred owls, current and past timber harvest, severe weather, decline in forest health, and fire,” said Sutherland.
One of the emergency rules will establish a temporary moratorium on the practice of ‘decertifying’ spotted owl sites until June 30, 2007, coincidental with the release of a federally-led recovery plan for the owl.
The other rule will eliminate the potential for landowners without habitat conservation plans or similar agreements from benefiting from actions on adjacent lands covered by such agreements.
The State Department of Natural Resources will file a rule making-order with the Office of the Code Reviser concerning both of these emergency rules.
The Board also passed a resolution requesting DNR to conduct an operational review of procedures used when evaluating Forest Practices applications or notifications. The purpose is to determine whether sound procedures are being consistently applied by Department staff when evaluating Forest Practices applications proposing harvest of habitat inside owl circles, and the adequacy of the habitat information the Department has on hand to make their evaluations. The Board also asked that any necessary corrections to processes be made and that the Department would report back by February of 2006.
