Northern spotted owl (Strix occidentalis caurina) recovery strategy: chapter 29

Addendum 1

Schedule of inventory and research activities for identification of critical habitat for Spotted Owls in Canada.

Description of Activity Rationale Timeline Activity or Report Completed
Develop survey standards for Spotted Owls. Standards are needed to ensure sufficient effort is expended in an area to detect a spotted owl if it is present or reliably conclude owls are not present. Such standards are required to provide credible survey results. 2004 Hobbs, J., I. Blackburn, and A. Harestad. 2004. Survey protocol standards for the Northern Spotted Owl (Strix occidentalis caurina) in British Columbia. Resources Inventory Standards Committee, BC Ministry of Sustainable Resource Management, Victoria, BC. 34 pp.
Monitor populations of Spotted Owl to gather data on spatial and temporal variability in abundance and distribution within the species range. Sites occupied by Spotted Owl need to be identified and monitored to determine population trend and locate occupied sites. 2004, 2005 Surveys completed by BC Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection.
Seek and inventory undocumented populations and characterize their habitats. Identify additional occupied sites and critical habitat. Considerable effort was spent conducting surveys in areas that contained suitable habitat for Spotted Owl but had not been included in previous surveys. 2005

Surveys and report completed by BC Ministry of

Environment, including information on some additional

sites surveyed by Keystone Wildlife Research Ltd., and

Eco-Vision and Seepanee Ecological Consulting.

Characterize the habitats and microhabitats of Spotted Owl nest sites in British. Columbia. Quantify habitat variables for habitat mapping and habitat modeling. Further refine critical habitat. 2004 Manley, I., A. Harestad, and L. Waterhouse. 2004. Nesting habitat of the Northern Spotted Owl in British Columbia. Final Report submitted to Canadian Forest Products Ltd. and Canadian Spotted Owl Recovery Team. 46 pp.
Characterize broad climatic features of habitats for Spotted Owl populations in the United States. Helps to identify constraints on suitable habitats in British Columbia. 2004 Main, B. and A. Harestad. 2004. Climatic indices and population parameters of Northern Spotted Owls: implications to management in British Columbia. Final Report submitted to Canadian Forest Products Ltd. and Canadian Spotted Owl Recovery Team. 35 pp.
Identify characteristics of Spotted Owl habitat in British Columbia Helps refine suitable habitat and thus ensure surveys, monitoring and identification of critical habitat are more efficient and accurate. 2004 Harestad, A., L. Waterhouse, and S. McCullam. 2004. Refining characteristics of Spotted Owl habitat to improve habitat inventories in British Columbia. Final Report submitted to Canadian Forest Products Ltd. and Canadian Spotted Owl Recovery Team. 27 pp.
Develop and apply habitat mapping and modeling to assess relations of protected areas, natural disturbances, and land management activities to Spotted Owls and their habitats. Identified large-scale areas which likely contain critical habitat for Spotted Owls to meet recovery goals in 50 years; examined population trends, examined preliminary policy options reviewed by the CSORT; presented methods to identify options for critical habitat selection 2004-2006 Sutherland, G.DA. Fall, D. O’Brien, F.L. Waterhouse, and A.S. Harestad (editors). A framework for landscape analysis of habitat supply and effects on populations of the Northern Spotted Owl in BC. Submitted to BC MoFR, Res. Br., Vic., BC. Spec. Rep. (in review).
Develop seamless database of forest inventory. Foresttype and age class are needed for habitat modelling  of suitable Spotted Owl habitat 2004-2005 Ministry of Water, Land, and Air Protection and Ministry of Forests.
Complete draft Recovery Action Plan for Spotted Owl Using all information gathered from the above actions and sources, draft a Recovery Action Plan that includes a habitat section that gives sufficient recommendations and guidance to the provincial government to enable them to identify Critical Habitat 2004-2006 CSORT final draft Action Plan for Spotted Owl in BC submitted to provincial government for approval.
Identify Critical Habitat for survival, recovery and potential reintroductions, including existing suitable habitat and capable habitat that can be recruited over time.     Consider guidance from Action Plan recommendations,  habitat mapping,  modeling and other relevant information sources to identify Critical Habitat and develop a habitat management plan for Spotted Owl recovery that is coordinated with existing  protected areas and land use/management activities 2006-2007 Ministry of Environment to provide identification of Critical Habitat and a revised Habitat Management Plan for the recovery of the Spotted Owl in BC.

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