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By Cameron Falls
July 19th, 2018
Oregon Fish and Wildlife Office
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Table of Contents

Abstract 3

Spotted Owl Endangerment and Conversational

Efforts 4

The Wise Old Owl 4

Plans for Protection 4

The Cost of Conservation 4

A Bird in Need 4

Controversy from Logging Community 5

Reduction of Barred Owl Population to Increase

Spotted Owl Population 5

Owl Populations and Future Prospects 6

A Symbolic Bird 6

Conclusion 6

References 7
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Abstract

Northern Spotted Owls are a medium sized species of owl and are some of the largest in the
United States. They live mostly in the west coast of the United States and Canada in old and
dense forests (“Basic Facts about Northern Spotted Owls.”). The majority of the owls however,
now live on federally protected land due to habitat destruction. The spotted owls are on the
endangered species list, though their numbers are higher on average than other endangered
animals. Experts estimate that the spotted owl population is only 10% of what it was 150 years
ago (Santa Clara University). This reduction is mainly due to human destruction of their natural
habitats.
The largest conservational effort relating to the spotted owls is the Endangered Species Act of
1990, which classified the spotted owl as endangered (U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service). This act was
not passed without controversy however, as many people outwardly opposed its enactment.
The spotted owls make their homes in heavily forested areas that house many other species of
wildlife that the Northern Spotted Owl needs for its own survival. This large amount of life that
lives underneath the owl is now symbolically protected by the owl’s endangered status. Though
the spotted owl has been considered being taken off of the endangered species list, it has not
as the spotted owl acts as a keystone species for upholding the ecosystem and preventing its
destruction (“Northern Spotted Owl.”).

Figure 1: Northern Spotted Owl Habitats

(Map of Spotted Owls)
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Spotted Owl Endangerment and

Conservational Efforts

The Wise Old Owl

In the novel Owl by Desmond Morris, Morris states that “Today the most popular view of the
owl is that he is a friendly, wise old bird (Morris).” The own is seen as a guardian of nature and
a fierce hunter that stalks the night. Owls are raptors, birds of prey, and they are valuable
assets in maintain a balance to the forest ecosystems. The Northern Spotted Owl is a key
species in Oregon that hunts squirrels, rats, birds, and reptiles. There are currently
approximately 1200 pairs of these owls in Oregon and is the largest remaining population of
Northern Spotted Owls (Basic Facts about Northern Spotted Owls). They are very territorial
creatures that need space and do not react well when tamped with by outside sources. They
live in cracks and holes in trees and are very specific about where they settle down. They are
birds that require nature in its fullest, and when their homes are trampled upon, their means of
survival is unfortunately compromised almost completely.

Plans for Protection

The Endangered Species act of 1990 mandated that all loggers must leave a minimum of 40% of
all old-growth wood in any area that a Northern Spotted Owl was known to be home to (Santa
Clara University). Previously loggers operated without restriction and could harvest trees
wherever. The owls need to have very dense and very old forest habitats in order to survive.
They live in trees that were 200 years old and if the trees were removed they were
irreplaceable. In 1986 it was the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that formally inquired for the
Northern Spotted Owl to be placed on the endangered species list. The population of the owl
began to stop its decent as deforestation in areas where the bird lived where now highly
regulated. The requirement that the surrounding forested areas of know owls will hopefully
ensure that the population numbers will cease their concerning fall.

The Cost of Conservation

A Bird in Need
The Nothern Spotted owl has been slowly been decreasing in population steadily for over a
hundred years despite legislation that has been passed. Conservation is a tricky issue that can
not be solved by just throwing money at an issue. There are many factors to consider and
human involvement can always have unintentional side effects. The two biggest issues facing
the spotted owl are invasive species and the limitations of legislation. The spotted owl
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absolutely needs help if it is going to stabilize its population. Any hurdles that arise when trying
to help the spotted owl need to be addressed before it is too late.

Controversy from Logging Community

Not everybody has agreed on efforts to save the owls. There are some people out there whose
livelihoods depend on the destruction of the homes of wildlife. The logging industry in
particular in the 1990’s during the enactment of the Endangered Species Act was highly
opposed to halting log production. This started a controversy over what was more vital, the
preservation of a species or the preservation of potentially thousands of jobs (Santa Clara
University). The argument of conservation over certain jobs does not end with owls however.
The issue has been brought up regarding oil and coal, not just lumber. The aspects of nature
that are sacrificed to maintain some of these livelihoods are not replicable and once they are
exhausted they are gone forever. In the end the United States Government and the US Fish and
Wildlife Service chose the owls and as a result many jobs were lost. This blow to the logging
industry was not isolated, for logging jobs had been decreasing steadily over the last hundred
years. The needs of the country shifted, and a once seamlessly infinite supply of trees was
approaching its breaking point and a change was required.

Reduction of Barred Owl Population to Increase Spotted

Owl Population
Some of the issues that concern the Northern Spotted Owl are not human made. Barred Owls
are impeding upon the territory of the spotted owl and threatening their numbers. The Barred
Owl has been seen physically attacking spotted owls and stealing the food that the spotted owl
has relied upon. This problem has been escalating over the last couple decade and cannot be
ignored in order to sustain the spotted owl population. In 2010 the US Fish and Wildlife service
proposed a survey that would include hunting and killing a small portion of Barred Owls of
around two to five thousand birds. This proposal was met with some controversy as the ethics
of killing one species to protect another is unclear, especially when both species are owls. An
undertaking of this scale has never been tested on how the ecosystem would react and if the
operation is worth doing. If the project did happen, it would be thirty-six times bigger than any
conservation-based killing of raptors that has ever happened before. The project would cost the
agency around a million dollars annually (Livezey). As of 2013 over 100 owls have been killed;
the results of the project are still being speculated.
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Owl Populations and Future Prospects

A Symbolic Bird
The Northern Spotted Owl gives a face to deforestation and natural habitat destruction. It is
easier to sympathize with an issue when you can see a cute and friendly owl fighting to survive.
The owl is an animal that is easy to market as it is friendly and cute. Using the spotted owl as a
symbol has been effective as it has evoked sympathy and support for the issues facing the owl.
The owl has been used as a symbol for protection in the past as its keen eyes ward against evils
and bring good fortune. The Northern Spotted Owl is the perfect symbol to help keep the
natural landscapes of Oregon pure. There is nothing villainous though about the logging and
milling industry however, it is just appropriate that an owl will be seen as the force that keeps
its home standing.

Conclusion

The Northern Spotted Owl is symbolic when it comes to preservation efforts. Whether it is
deforestation, over hunting, or the destruction of the barrier reefs, the process of preservation
needs to start somewhere. Many natural ecosystems have many individual yet dependent parts
that will fail when other aspects are threatened. The destruction of a Northern Spotted Owl’s
habitat does not only affect the owl, but also all the other species of flora and fauna that live
under the trees. These ecosystems cannot be rebuilt once destroyed and the number of them is
shrinking. The Northern Spotted Owl is the face of these destroyed homes and its image can
help prevent further destruction.
The Northern Spotted Owl should remain on the endangered species list to ensure that there is
no point in the future where the owl’s home can be threatened again. Any issues that arise
from the preservation of a species in danger come secondary when that species is on the edge
of extension. The balancing act of trying to maintain nature while at the same time have a
working market economy are hard and sometimes the government needs to step in to ensure
that nature has a fighting chance. The remaining Northern Spotted Owls are mainly on federally
protected land at this point and their future is dependent of legislation like the 1990
Endangered Species Act.
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References

“Basic Facts about Northern Spotted Owls.” Defenders of Wildlife, 19 Sept. 2016,
www.defenders.org/northern-spotted-owl/basic-facts.

Livezey, Kent B. “Killing Barred Owls to Help Spotted Owls.” Northwestern Naturalist, 2010,
https://web.archive.org/web/20170525111608/http:/www.cfr.washington.edu/classes.
esrm.150/readings/Livezey_2010a.pdf.

Map of Spotted Owls. https://ebird.org/map/spoowl

Morris, Desmond. Owl. Reaktion Books, 2009.

“Northern Spotted Owl.” Klamath-Siskiyou Wildlands Center, www.kswild.org/imperiled-

species-profiles/2017/6/12/northern-spotted-owl.

“Northern Spotted Owl Continues to Decline – Endangered Listing Needed.” American Bird
Conservancy, https://abcbirds.org/article/northern-spotted-owl-continues-to-decline-
endangered-listing-needed/

Santa Clara University. “Ethics and the Environment.” Markkula Center for Applied Ethics,
www.scu.edu/environmental-ethics/resources/ethics-and-the-environment-the-
spotted-owl/.

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. “OFWO - Oregon's Endangered Species.” Greater Sage-Grouse |
Species Information, www.fws.gov/oregonfwo/promo.cfm?id=177175701.