Northern Spotted Owl Essay, Research Paper

The

mere mention of the creature?s name brings shudders to loggers and some local

inhabitants, fear over its existence has incited rallies, garnered the attention

of three government agencies, and caused people to tie themselves to trees. On

April 2, 1993, President Bill Clinton embarked on a quest to settle a

long-standing battle. The environmentalists on one side, and their attempts to

protect natural resources, and the timber industry?s desire for the same on

the other. Unemployment and economic devastation was said to surely follow, due

to the loss of timber industry jobs. No trees were allowed to be cut within 70

acres of The Northern Spotted Owl?s nest. Other laws protected trees in a

2,000-acre circle around the birds. Listed as ?threatened? under the

Endangered Species Act, the Northern Spotted Owl has inadvertently landed in the

in middle of the complicated debate over logging in the Pacific Northwest. Under

the Act, logging of many old-growth forests has been suspended to protect the

bird and its remaining habitat. Survival of the Northern Spotted Owl The

Northern Spotted Owl can only live in old growth environment, it is considered

an ?indicator species?: The health of the Northern Spotted Owl population

indicates the health of the old-growth forest ecosystem. An individual Northern

Spotted Owl needs more than 3,000 acres of old growth to survive, because of its

scarce food supply. The Northern Spotted Owl is found in the cool, moist

woodlands on the Pacific Northwest. The habitat of the Northern Spotted Owl can

be described as trees relatively large in diameter in the stand, multi-layered

canopy, large tall live trees with cavities, broken tops, mistletoe, or

platforms of branches capable of holding accumulated organic matter suitable for

use as a nest, dead standing trees and fallen decayed trees to support abundant

populations of prey species, especially northern flying squirrels and woodrats.

The Timber Industry In May 1991, Federal District Judge William Dwyer issued a

landmark decision finding that the Forest Service had violated the National

Forest Management Act by failing to implement an acceptable management plan for

the northern spotted owl. His decision forbade timber sales across the spotted

owl region until the Forest Service implemented an acceptable plan. An

injunction blocking timber sales in Northern Spotted Owl habitat affected 17

national forests in Washington, Oregon and Northern California. The consequences

for the rural economy in many areas of the Pacific Northwest were devastating.

As many as 135 mills were closed, pushing unemployment up to 25 percent in some

small communities. The mill closings affected cutters, loggers, and truck

drivers, including other businesses that provided services to them were also out

of work. Conclusion It makes sense that wildlife needs a healthy forest in order

to survive. Wildlife, however, also plays an important role in maintaining a

forest’s health. Clearcutting is ecologically unsound because it destroys a

complex ecosystem and endangers many of the species that rely on it. Managing

forest habitats for owls also provides many other wildlife species with places

to live. Because it is such a stable and unique community, it provides a habitat

for many organisms that are only found there. Old growth forests are also

valuable in the maintenance of watersheds. Without the ground cover and

extensive root systems associated with old growth, water runs off steep

hillsides much more rapidly and causes extensive erosion. Many streams in old

growth forests are important for fish spawning, and the excess sediment loads

can completely destroy spawning areas. Some species of salmon are now seriously

endangered, primarily as a result of excessive logging activity. Another value

that is a little less tangible has to be experienced to be appreciated. Just

walking into an old growth forest causes most people to catch their breath and

they feel as if they have entered a cathedral. It’s easy to feel that you are

the only person on earth as you walk beneath the silent mammoths towering above.

Knowing that the trees you are looking at could be 2,000 years old makes you

feel insignificant. Economic setbacks due to saving complex echo systems and

endangered species is a small price to pay. If we continue to focus on quantity

rather then quality, we will exhaust the earth?s environment. At this point we

have caused extensive damage to the environment, plants and animals due to greed

and commercialism it is certainly time to pay our share.

Des Jardins, J. (1997) Environmental Ethics Power, T. (1995) Economic

Well-Being And Environmental Protection a report By 60 Northwest Economists,

Reviewed by George McKinley Sweet Home hard hit by federal, state logging

restrictions available on-line at http://www.sweet-home.or.us/forest/owl/index.html