The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's listing of the northern spotted owl (Strix occidentalis caurina) as threatened prompted the California Board of Forestry (BOF) to prepare a Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) to support an incidental take permit for timber harvesting activities on private and state lands pursuant to Section 10(a)(1)(B) of the federal Endangered Species Act of 1973 as amended The BOF directed Steering and Scientific Committees to develop a plan that maintains the owl's range, considers other forest species of concern, supports recovery of the owl, and reduces current Timber Harvesting Plan preparation costs. A programmatic process was developed for the HCP that provided a framework for more site-specific planning and implementation Several observations and suggested improvements in a planning process of this type and scale are presented. These include the need for adequate staffing and funding to be secured in advance, development of the plan through consensus, and the need to stratify implementation of planning effort.
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