Proposal would ease some timber restrictions.The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service has proposed a plan to ease timber harvest restrictions on some private, tribal and other non-federal forestland for·est·land n. A section of land covered with forest or set aside for the cultivation of forests. in California and Washington state. Logging in A colloquial term for the process of making the initial record of the names of individuals who have been brought to the police station upon their arrest. The process of logging in is also called booking. these areas had been restricted as a result of court rulings affecting the northern spotted owl The Northern Spotted Owl, Strix occidentalis caurina, is one of three Spotted Owl subspecies. A Western North American bird in the family Strigidae, genus Strix, it is a medium-sized dark brown owl sixteen to nineteen inches in length and one to one and one sixth pounds. . The plan would open up private land by casing "taking" restrictions. The Endangered Species Act The federal Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA) (16 U.S.C.A. §§ 1531 et seq.) was enacted to protect animal and plant species from extinction by preserving the ecosystems in which they survive and by providing programs for their conservation. makes it illegal to "take" or kill an endangered animal. The FWS had included habitat modification such as logging in its definition of "take" because in theory by changing the animals habitat, the animal is put in danger. In the case of the northern spotted owl, timber sales and harvests were restricted because the trees that were being logged were considered by some to be the only place for these birds to live. An idea that is disputed by many foresters and most timber companies. The proposal, based on a small landowner exemption in section 4(d) of the Endangered Species Act, exempts landowners in Washington and California with less than 80 acres of forestland for incidental take provisions. In the state of Washington, the proposal would relax "incidental take" restrictions for over 5.3 million acres on non-Federal forest lands. The landowners would still be required to maintain 70 acres of the closest suitable habitat around owl sites. The take restriction would be retained in six proposed "Special Emphasis Areas," including the western portion of the Olympic Peninsula The Olympic Peninsula is the large arm of land in western Washington state that lies across Puget Sound from Seattle. It is bounded on the west by the Pacific Ocean, the north by the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and the east by Puget Sound and the Hood Canal. and the Columbia Gorge/White Salmon areas. These areas were chosen to "fill in gaps" where the Federal forest land was inadequate to protect the owl, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. the FWS. In California, it would relieve the take restrictions in much of northern California, but keep in the 70 acres exception. The proposal also offers an incentive to landowners to restore and enhance potential spotted owl habitat without being penalized pe·nal·ize tr.v. pe·nal·ized, pe·nal·iz·ing, pe·nal·iz·es 1. To subject to a penalty, especially for infringement of a law or official regulation. See Synonyms at punish. 2. if the area attracts spotted owls. A common argument by timber companies is because they take such good care of their land, owls nest in the forests. When this occurs, logging becomes restricted. In a statement, W. Henson Moore, recently named president of the American Forest and Paper Assn., said the rule appears to be a good "first step" but said the AFPA AFPA Association Nationale pour la Formation Professionnelle des Adultes (the French State Vocational Training Service for Adults) AFPA American Forest and Paper Association AFPA Alberta Forest Products Association continues to have its reservations. "Based on our understanding, the rule appears to be a reasonable first step in creating cooperation between the federal government and private forest owners because it recognizes the needs of private property owners for certainty in addressing the spotted owl issue." The statement goes on to say that the AFPA has "several important reservations, among them the treatment of non-federal lands on the Olympic Peninsula." The rule was to be published in the Federal Register in February. The FWS is developing an environmental impact statement. After comments on the rule and the EIS (1) (Executive Information System) An information system that consolidates and summarizes ongoing transactions within the organization. It provides top management with all the information it requires at all times from internal and external sources. , it will be reviewed by the FWS director. The rule will probably not be signed by the director until late summer. Send comments to: Regional Director, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, 911 N.E. 11th Avenue, Portland, OR 97232-4181. |
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