We will NEVER recreate the old growth habitat that has been lost, and far
too much has been lost. If indeed, spotted owls are specialist to the point
they can only reproduce in those habitats, then they are doomed. Eventually
fires, new logging priorities, congressional removal of the endangered
species act, new forest plans, will doom the owls to the fate most
specialist species encounter in the irreversibly human changed landscape.
Fragmented old growth will not last, we are not creating any significant
additions under ANY forest management plan anywhere. So, bit by bit, the
habitat will be gone, and the generalist species will take its correct place
and the specialist will lose. This is obvious ecological reality, not just
for Spotted owls, but for any and all habitat specialist species. They will
end up, like the condor, simply with no place to go, obligate to human
support, tiny fragmented populations inbreeding until they are no longer
viable. While there are small reserves of habitat that might remain post
climate change, it is unlikely to be anything large enough to maintain a top
predator. Shooting Barred owls now only slightly delays the eventual
extinction of an owl who will have no place but a zoo to call home. Sorry if
this seems over pessimistic but the curve of human population growth and
forest habitat modification by climate change will doom any organism that
can not quickly adapt to new conditions. A few big wildfires and the core of
the remaining habitat is gone. Humans can adapt. Cockroaches can adapt.
Spotted owls? As far as we know, can not. So lets put them in the zoo now
and save their genes before they end up like the condor, a few token birds
living off human handouts and requiring capture and detoxifying every few
years.

Rob Sandelin
Naturalist, Writer, Teacher
Snohomish County