A couple of days ago, Dennis Rockwell told us about the US
Forest Service telling people about Great Gray Owls in the
Blue Mts. of e. Oregon. That practice certainly doesn't
apply to all owls, everywhere. Let me report an exchange
yesterday between me and a US Forest Service ranger (FSR) at
Lake Quinault, Olympic NF:

Me: Any owls around here?
FSR: Why, did you see one?
Me: No, but we'd like to.
FSR: Well, we have Spotted Owls, but they're nocturnal.
Me: Oh. Do you know where any are?
FSR: No. But if I did, I couldn't tell you.

Notice "couldn't"; she made it clear that she had been
instructed to conceal the presence of Spotted Owls, at
least, if she knew of them, and wasn't permitted to try to
distinguish between bona fide ecotourists and avicidal
loggers.
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P W (Bill) Smith
Grays Harbor, Washington USA
pwsmith at techline.com