California Spotted Owl Project-Specific Plan Amendments

June 2024 - The Pacific Southwest Region has developed project-specific plan amendment components for projects in Sierra Nevada forests that may impact California spotted owl habitat.

The new amendment components incorporate updated scientific information based on the 2019 California Spotted Owl Conservation Strategy and the need to adapt our management approaches due to wildfire threats to spotted owl habitat. The amendment components were developed collaboratively based on forest plan content in the 2023 Sierra and Sequoia Forest Plans and input from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The components were modified based on lessons learned from recent project-specific forest plan amendments, along with feedback from internal and external engagement.

The June 2024 document entitled “Project-specific Plan Amendments for California Spotted Owl Habitat” provides regional guidance created for internal agency management and is not intended to establish fixed legal direction enforceable by third parties. The plan amendment components set forth in the document are expected to be “living” components that will evolve based on feedback from forest managers and evolving scientific understandings.

Additional information is available in the project specific amendment fact sheet.