Washington Forest Protection Association

Northern Spotted Owl Conservation in Washington State


Comprehensive Landscape of Regulatory Protection for the Northern Spotted Owl

Washington’s system complements federal conservation and recovery efforts

The Northern Spotted Owl is listed as a threatened species under the federal Endangered Species Act. Presently, there are about 11,000 spotted owls, more than half of which live in Oregon. About one-third of the sites are in California, and about 15% of the owls reside in Washington State. Although population densities of the Northern Spotted Owl have always been lower in Washington than in Oregon and California, forest managers of federal, state, private, and tribal forestland in Washington have been actively developing management plans to help conserve the Northern Spotted Owl in our State. The more dominant barred owl has migrated throughout the range of the Spotted Owl and is posing a major threat to Spotted Owl populations. Learn about their conservation efforts and the most recent information about the Northern Spotted Owl.