Billing Code 4333-15
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[Docket No. FWS–R1–ES–2022–0074; ES11140100000–245–FF01E0000]
Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Barred Owl Management Strategy;
Washington, Oregon, and California
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability; final environmental impact statement.
SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) developed a proposed barred
owl management strategy (strategy) to address the threat that the nonnative and invasive
barred owl (Strix varia) poses to two native western owl subspecies—the northern
spotted owl (Strix occidentalis caurina) and the California spotted owl (Strix occidentalis
occidentalis). In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act, this notice
announces the availability of a final environmental impact statement (FEIS) evaluating
the impacts on the human environment related to the proposed management strategy and
associated take of barred owls, which is prohibited under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act
unless authorized by the Service by permit or regulation. With this notice, we also make
available the revised proposed management strategy.
DATES: The Service’s decision on the proposed management strategy will occur no
sooner than 30 days after publication of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's
notice of availability of the FEIS in the Federal Register, and will be documented in a
record of decision.
ADDRESSES: You may obtain copies of the strategy and FEIS documents by any of the
following methods:
•

Internet: https://www.regulations.gov (search for Docket No. FWS–R1–ES–
2022–0074) or at https://www.fws.gov/project/barred-owl-management.

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Phone: You may call Robin Bown at 503–231–6923, to request alternative
formats of the documents.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Robin Bown, U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Office, Oregon Fish and Wildlife Office (see ADDRESSES), by telephone at 503–231–
6923, or by email at robin_bown@fws.gov. Individuals in the United States who are deaf,
deafblind, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability may dial 711 (TTY, TDD, or
TeleBraille) to access telecommunications relay services. Individuals outside the United
States should use the relay services offered within their country to make international
calls to the point-of-contact in the United States.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service)
announces the availability of a final environmental impact statement (FEIS) addressing
the proposed barred owl management strategy (strategy) developed to address the threat
that the nonnative and invasive barred owl poses to two native western owl subspecies,
the northern spotted owl (Strix occidentalis caurina) and the California spotted owl (Strix
occidentalis occidentalis). Implementation of the proposed management strategy would
involve the reduction of barred owl populations in designated management areas in
Washington, Oregon, and northern California. Where barred owls are in the early stages
of invasion in the California spotted owl’s range, the proposed strategy would allow for
removal of all barred owls in order to prevent establishment of barred owl populations.
This FEIS provides updates and clarifications to information presented in the draft
environmental impact statement (DEIS), including revisions in response to issues raised
in comments received during the public review period for that document, and identifies a
preferred alternative. The Service, with input from 11 Federal and State cooperating
agencies, has prepared this FEIS pursuant to the Council on Environmental Quality’s
(CEQ’s) implementing NEPA regulations at 40 CFR parts 1500–1508, which became
effective on May 20, 2022 (87 FR 23453; April 20, 2022).

Background
Spotted owls are native to western North America. Competition from nonnative
and invasive barred owls has been identified as a primary threat to the northern spotted
owl, which is listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA; 16 U.S.C.
1531 et seq.), as well as a threat to the persistence of California spotted owl, which the
Service has proposed for listing (88 FR 11600; February 23, 2023). Additional primary
threats include the loss of habitat to timber harvest on non-Federal lands and to wildfires
on Federal and non-Federal lands.
Barred owls, native to eastern North America, began to expand their range around
1900. Barred owls are larger and more aggressive than the northern spotted owl and the
California spotted owl. Upon reaching the Pacific Northwest, barred owls quickly
displaced spotted owls from their historic territories. Without management of barred
owls, extirpation of northern spotted owls from major portions of their historic range is
likely in the near future. While barred owls have not substantially impacted California
spotted owl populations to date, the establishment of a small barred owl population in the
northern Sierra Nevada mountains, and the history of the invasion and impacts on
northern spotted owls following such expansion, demonstrates that barred owls are also a
significant threat to the persistence of California spotted owls.
The barred owl is protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA; 16
U.S.C. 703–712), which prohibits take of protected migratory bird species unless
authorized by the Service through permit or regulation (50 CFR 21.10).
Purpose and Need for the Proposed Action
The purpose of this proposed action is to reduce barred owl populations to
improve the survival and recovery of northern spotted owls and to prevent declines in
California spotted owls from barred owl competition. Relative to northern spotted owls,
the purpose is to reduce barred owl populations within selected treatment areas in the

short term and to increase northern spotted owl populations in those treatment areas.
Relative to the California spotted owl, the purpose is to limit the invasion of barred owls
into the range of the subspecies and to provide for a rapid response to reduce barred owl
populations that may become established.
As described in the FEIS, these actions are needed because barred owls compete
with northern and California spotted owls. Competition from the barred owl is a primary
cause of the rapid and ongoing decline of northern spotted owl populations. Due to the
rapidity of the decline, it is critical that we manage barred owl populations to reduce their
negative effects before northern spotted owls are extirpated from large portions of their
native range. There is also a need to focus on limiting the invasion of barred owls into the
California spotted owl range, as we expect that additional impacts to California spotted
owl populations would be inevitable without barred owl management, and invasive
species are very difficult to remove once established.
Proposed Action and Alternatives
The proposed action, identified as the preferred alternative in the FEIS, is the
issuance of a Migratory Bird Special Purpose permit under the MBTA (50 CFR 21.95)
and implementation of the management strategy. The FEIS analyzed the proposed action,
a no action alternative, and four alternatives to the proposed action, including the
environmental consequences of each alternative. All action alternatives include issuance
of an MBTA permit for management to reduce barred owl populations in areas within the
northern spotted owl’s range, and prevent establishment of barred owl populations within
the California spotted owl’s range. The locations and relative priorities for removal
would vary by action alternative. None of the alternatives would require any entity to
implement barred owl management; rather, they outline various combinations of
management approaches, geographic areas, and other components that would allow for
and guide management actions and the ability to prioritize areas of greatest need.

Six alternatives are analyzed in detail in the FEIS:
Alternative 1 – No Action: Under the no action alternative, a comprehensive
management strategy would not be finalized or implemented, and the Service would not
issue an MBTA permit for systematic management of barred owls. Ongoing barred owl
removal as part of research efforts in California would still occur, and future efforts that
may be proposed anywhere in the range of the spotted owl could still occur.
Alternative 2 – Management Strategy Implementation (Preferred Alternative):
Under the preferred alternative, the proposed strategy would include three approaches to
barred owl management within the northern spotted owl’s range: spotted owl site
management, General Management Areas with associated Focal Management Areas, and
Special Designated Areas. In the California spotted owl’s range, where we are focused on
early detection and rapid response at the invasion front, the proposed action focuses on
surveys, inventory, and monitoring to detect invading barred owls, and rapid removal of
any barred owls detected.
Alternative 3 – Management Across the Range: Under this alternative, barred
owl management could be implemented anywhere within the range of the northern or
California spotted owls or within 15 miles of the range of the subspecies on up to 50
percent of the area.
Alternative 4 – Limited Management by Province/Population: Within the
northern spotted owl’s range, this alternative would focus barred owl management on a
single large General Management Area within each physiographic province. In the
California spotted owl’s range, barred owl management would be delayed until detections
reached 10 percent of surveys in areas within the Sierra Nevada portion of the population,
or 5 percent within the Coastal-Southern California portion of the province.
Alternative 5 – Management Focused on Highest Risk Areas: In the northern
spotted owl’s range, this alternative would focus barred owl management in the northern

provinces, where the subspecies is at greatest risk of extirpation from barred owl
competition. In the California spotted owl’s range, barred owl management would be
limited to the northern Sierra Nevada portion of the subspecies’ range.
Alternative 6 – Management Focused on Best Conditions: This alternative
would focus barred owl management in the southern portion of the northern spotted owl’s
range. In the California spotted owl’s range, barred owl management would be focused
on areas with the best remaining habitat and areas with higher fire resiliency.
Lead and Cooperating Agencies
The Service is the lead agency for the NEPA process, including development of
the FEIS. The following agencies were cooperating agencies in the NEPA process and
provided input and assistance with the development of the FEIS: U.S. Forest Service
(Regions 5 and 6), Bureau of Land Management (Oregon), Bureau of Land Management
(California), National Park Service (Interior Regions 8, 9, 10, 12), Animal and Plant
Health Inspection Service–Wildlife Services (U.S. Department of Agriculture),
Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife, Washington State Department of
Natural Resources, Oregon Department of Forestry, Oregon Department of Fish and
Wildlife, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and California Department of
Forestry and Fire Protection.
Anticipated Permits and Authorizations
As described above, if an action alternative is selected, the Service expects to
obtain a Migratory Bird Special Purpose permit under the MBTA to implement the
selected management strategy. Depending on the location and landowners involved in
implementation of the management strategy, barred owl management could require
additional Federal and State permits. We anticipate the potential need for implementors
to acquire permits from the States of Washington, Oregon, and California to carry out the
proposed barred owl removal actions under the proposed management strategy.

Public Involvement
The Service published a notice of intent to prepare an EIS, opening a public
scoping period on July 22, 2022 (87 FR 43886), which closed on August 22, 2022. A
virtual public scoping meeting was held July 28, 2022. The Service prepared a DEIS and
opened a 60-day public comment period on the DEIS and draft management strategy on
November 17, 2023 (88 FR 80329). Two virtual public meetings were held, on December
4, 2023, and December 14, 2023, during the comment period, which ended on January
16, 2024. A total of 8,613 public comments were received during the DEIS comment
period, including duplicates.
In preparing the FEIS, the Service considered all of the public comments on the
DEIS and draft strategy in accordance with the requirements of NEPA (42 U.S.C. 4321 et
seq.) and pursuant to the CEQ’s implementing NEPA regulations at 40 CFR parts 1500–
1508.
Environmental Protection Agency’s Role in the EIS Process
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is charged under section 309 of the
Clean Air Act with reviewing all Federal agencies’ EISs and commenting on the
adequacy and acceptability of the environmental impacts of proposed actions. Under the
CEQ NEPA regulations, EPA is also responsible for administering the EIS filing process.
EPA is publishing a notice in the Federal Register announcing this FEIS. EPA serves as
the repository (EIS database) for EISs prepared by Federal agencies. You may search for
EPA comments on EISs, along with EISs themselves, at https://cdxapps.epa.gov/cdxenepa-II/public/action/eis/search.
Next Steps and Decision to Be Made
The Service will evaluate the associated documents and public comments
received during the public comment periods in reaching a final decision on the proposed
management strategy and issuance of an MBTA permit. At least 30 days after the FEIS is

published, the Service expects to complete a record of decision pursuant to 40 CFR
1505.2, in accordance with applicable timeframes established in 40 CFR 1506.11. The
Service expects to issue a record of decision in August 2024.
Authority
We provide this notice in accordance with the requirements of NEPA and its
implementing regulations (40 CFR 1503.1 and 1506.6).

Hugh Morrison,
Regional Director, Pacific Region.
[FR Doc. 2024-14724 Filed: 7/3/2024 8:45 am; Publication Date: 7/5/2024]