Oregon Department of Forestry; Proposed Safe Harbor Agreement for the Northern Spotted Owl and Draft Environmental Assessment

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), have received an application from the Oregon Department of Forestry for an Endangered Species Act (ESA) Enhancement of Survival Permit (Permit) for take of the federally threatened northern spotted owl. The Permit application includes a draft Safe Harbor Agreement (SHA) addressing Service access to Oregon Department of Forestry lands for the survey and removal of barred owls as part of the Service's Barred Owl Removal Experiment (Experiment) in Lane County, Oregon. In response to the permit application, the Service has prepared a draft Environmental Assessment (EA) addressing the permit action. We are making the Permit application, including the draft SHA and the draft EA, available for public review and comment.