Save the Spotted Owl- Sierra Club

Did you know that forest managers in the Northwest are pushing a plan that would destroy ancient forests and imperil the Spotted Owl?
The Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest of the North Cascades is home to majestic old-growth forests and endangered species like the Spotted Owl. But right now, the Forest Service is considering changes that would put these forests and species at risk.¹
Environmental champions have worked for decades to protect the Spotted Owl and the ancient, pristine forests of the Northwest. In fact, this was one of my first fights as a young environmental activist -- I collected comments in Minnesota for a plan to protect the Spotted Owl. Even though I'd never been to the Northwest, it seemed like environmentalists all across the nation were working to protect these forests. We were successful in winning protection for the owls and their forest habitats.
Rolling back these protections now would be devastating for the wildlife of the North Cascades. But even worse, it could start a dangerous domino effect. Once the protections of the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest are removed, it will be easier for other National Forests in the Spotted Owl region to roll back protections for their ancient forests as well.
As a result of efforts by activists around the nation, the Clinton Administration established the Northwest Forest Plan two decades ago, which set aside most ancient forests from the Canadian border to Northern California to be protected from logging and other industrial development. This plan was intended to provide a refuge for the Spotted Owl, which relies on old-growth forests for its survival.
This plan was groundbreaking because it was the first plan that protected an entire ecosystem, the ancient forests of Washington, Oregon and Northern California – not just a single National Forest.
But now the managers of the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest turning their back on this legacy of smart forest preservation. They are trying to open up some of these protected areas of old-growth forests for road-building and commercial logging.
Right now, the wildlife of the Northwest needs the protection more than ever. The effects of climate change means that species need large, unbroken core habitat areas coupled with wildlife corridors for migration in order to survive. The Northwest Forest Plan's late-successional reserves provide an essential foundation for this type of protection and climate planning.
Take a moment to urge the Forest Service not to roll back its protections for the ancient forests and wildlife of the Northwest.
Thank you for all you do for our wild places.

Sincerely,

Sarah Hodgdon
Sierra Club Conservation Director