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Roseburg Resource Company. Rich Klug: 530-938-5729 richk@rfpco.com. Location of Roseburg’s CA timberlands. Approximately 175,000 acres total with 110,000 acres within the range of the NSO Uneven-age management until early 2000’s, then transitioned to even-aged management.
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Roseburg Resource Company Rich Klug: 530-938-5729 richk@rfpco.com
Location of Roseburg’s CA timberlands Approximately 175,000 acres total with 110,000 acres within the range of the NSO Uneven-age management until early 2000’s, then transitioned to even-aged management
History and Current Status of NSO Surveys • Surveys started in early 1990’s • Very few historic Activity Centers in NSO Database on or adjacent to RRC ownership • Many have been determined to be unoccupied or not valid by USFWS (not all of these are correctly represented in the CNDDB) • Sacramento Canyon noted for not having NSO • Currently there are less than a dozen occupied AC’s on or adjacent (within 1.3 miles) to RRC lands.
History and Current Status of NSO Surveys • Of these, there are three that have been surveyed and been found to be unoccupied for 3-4 years that we are awaiting new site abandonment protocols. • All the AC’s on RRC are in areas not generally considered good habitat (however, one site has fledged two in each of the last 4 years)
History and Current Status of NSO Surveys • Of the six, three that have been surveyed and been found to be unoccupied for 3-4 years that we are awaiting new site abandonment protocols. • All the AC’s on RRC are in areas not generally considered good habitat (however, one site has fledged two in each of the last 4 years) • Adjacent sites include FS LSR sites
NSO Regulatory Compliance • We currently have a Survey Waiver (based on Zabel, et al and extensive survey history) issued by USFWS that states we do not have to survey for spotted owls in the Sacramento River Canyon and Trinity County ownership.
Graph of Best Fit Model from Zabel, et al. 2003 as presented by Woodbridge 2006http://www.fws.gov/oregonfwo/ExternalAffairs/Topics/DryForestWorkshop/Documents/2006/PowerPoints/Woodbridge.pdf
NSO Regulatory Compliance • Other areas get USFWS endorsed protocol surveys which are reviewed through the THP approval process • We frequently use Take Avoidance Scenarios 2 and 3 due to a lack of high quality habitat. We occasionally use Scenario 1.
Owl Protections • Less than 5% of the ownership is Nesting-Roosting or High Quality Nesting Roosting habitat • The huge majority is foraging/low quality foraging with a some non habitat • Heavy snow usually prevents early season activities/disturbance
Owl Surveys • Survey protocol • USFWS endorsed protocol used in non-waiver areas • Addition BO surveys conducted where historic NSO are not detected • Survey effort • RRC designs all surveys based on habitat/topography • Contractor used to conduct surveys • Annual effort depends on THP demands • The few historic AC’s are checked annually either by RRC or contractors
Owl Population Data • Due to low number sites and early season access issues (snow) we do not monitor demography
Unregulated Threats to NSO • We’ve detected BO on two tracts but they don’t seem to have established territories (they may have temporarily displaced one AC) • Some illegal marijuana grows but not to the extent as in other regions
Take Home Message • We have very few owls • Past uneven aged management may not have been good for owls (little nesting roosting habitat at present time) • We continue to conduct NSO surveys in non-survey areas • We are working with USFWS to extend survey waiver. • We have not seen BO colonize this area like they have in other areas.