VANCOUVER, Wash. – Washington State University Vancouver and the Sustainable Ecosystems Institute will co-sponsor a Dec. 12 public meeting on the northern spotted owl from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Student Services Building auditorium.
SEI is assisting the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in preparation of the five-year status review for the northern spotted owl.
“Over the course of the next few months, we will be collating a large amount of material, under the guidance of an independent panel of experts,” said Steven Courtney, vice president for research at SEI. “Our final goal is a comprehensive and impartial evaluation of the scientific information that has been developed since the time of the northern spotted owl’s listing as threatened under the Endangered Species Act.”
The owl was designated as threatened in July 1990 by the USFWS, which says the owl is threatened throughout its range by the loss and adverse modification of suitable habitat. This comes as a result of timber harvesting and is exacerbated by catastrophic events such as fire, volcanic eruption and wind storms.
The event is free and open to the public. Those planning to attend the event are asked to contact SEI at sei@sei.org. For more information on the public meeting, contact Lisa Sztukowski at (503) 246-5008.
WSU Vancouver is located at 14204 N.E. Salmon Creek Ave., east of the 134th Street exit from either I-5 or I-205. Parking is available for a fee of $1.50 in the blue lot or at parking meters.
