Spotted owl recovery plan released

The Bush administration has released a final recovery plan for the northern spotted owl that officials say could lead to recovery of the threatened bird in 30 years.

The plan outlines a series of 34 steps to halt the owl’s decline, reduce threats and return a stable owl population in Washington, Oregon and California.

The recovery plan identifies the primary threats as habitat loss due to logging and catastrophic wildfires. Competition from the barred owl, a related species, is also a factor.

Critics said the report was an improvement over a draft plan last year. But they say it doesn’t do enough to restrict logging old-growth forests where the bird lives.

The northern spotted owl is protected as a threatened species under the federal Endangered Species Act.