South Fork Sacramento Fuel Management Zone Work Proceeds

Work is proceeding on the South Fork Sacramento (SFS) project, with tree thinning along W. A. Barr Road above the second bridge. Unfortunately, this is in mapped Northern Spotted Owl (NSO) territory and may have a deleterious effect on the resident pair. This species is currently listed as threatened, but is a candidate for listing as endangered, as its population is in steep decline. Overall, NSO territory is extremely fragmented, and it is well understood that logging in their territories may likely cause them to leave (LINK), while also opening the forest to their Barred Owl competitors. This action violates the US Fish and Wildlife Service’s Recovery Plan for the NSO. A court case seeking to protect the NSO and their territories in the SFS project is currently being adjudicated.

W.A.T.E.R. submitted a comment to the Forest Service (LINK), purportedly about proposed recreational facilities in the SFS project, which also discussed this issue.