National Forests and Bureau of Land Management Districts Within the Range of the Northern Spotted Owl; Western Oregon and Washington, and Northwestern California; Removal of Survey and Manage Mitigation Measure Standards and Guidelines

Résumé

The Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) (Collectively the Agencies) will prepare a supplemental environmental impact statement (SEIS) to meet the requirements of a Settlement Agreement pursuant to a lawsuit by Douglas Timber Operators against Forest Service and BLM. The proposed action, generally, is to change the Standards and Guidelines for Management of Habitat for Late- Successional and Old-Growth Forest Related Species Within the Range of the Northern Spotted Owl (Northwest Forest Plan), currently included in planning documents of the Forest Service and BLM. Specifically, the Agencies propose to remove the Survey and Manage mitigation measure standards and guidelines. Habitat needs of the affected rare or little- known species would rely on other elements of the Northwest Forest Plan and the existing Forest Service Sensitive Species and the BLM Special Status Species programs, as needed and appropriate. The proposed action would amend land and resource management plans for National Forests and BLM Districts within the range of the northern spotted owl (generally western Oregon and Washington, and northwestern California). This action will be addressed in a s