The California Fish and Game Commission met in Santa Rosa today and on their agenda was the petition to list the Northern Spotted Owl as a California Endangered Species.  Audubon California supports a listing and our restoration ecologist Courtney Gutman traded in her wellies for a pair of sensible flats and attended to submit our comments. She was joined by members of Madrone Audubon Society who also urged commissioners to vote in favor of the petition.   

Despite being listed by the Federal Government in 1990, the bird continues to decline rapidly due to habitat loss, encroachment by other species, climate change, wildfire, and other factors. 

Northern Spotted Owls are declining throughout their range, and in some places those declines are accelerating. According to the California Fish and Wildlife Department, the species is estimated to have declined by nearly 4% a year since 1985. In California, some of these losses have been severe. 

A state listing will result in greater scrutiny of logging and development within the bird’s range, increased coordination among public agencies, and the likelihood of additional funding for protection and recovery efforts.

The Fish and Game Commission voted to make their final decision on the Northern Spotted Owl’s listing at their June meeting which will be held in Bakersfield.