RE: Request for 90 Day Extension of Public Comment Period on Spotted Owl Critical Habitat to October 7 th 2012

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1 Senator Maria Cantwell 311 Hart Senate Office Building Washington, DC May 7 th, 2012 RE: Request for 90 Day Extension of Public Comment Period on Spotted Owl Critical Habitat to October 7 th 2012 Dear Senator Cantwell, On behalf of the National Forest Counties in Washington State we wish to take this opportunity to thank you for your continued help and support for the resource dependent counties, communities and school districts in our State. As you are aware, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) is preparing a revised designation of Critical Habitat for the northern Spotted Owl. The revised designation under consideration will double the current Critical Habitat area, include private lands and have an enormous impact on 17 counties: including the designation of over 4 ½ million acres in Washington State. In a memorandum to the Secretary of the Interior, Ken Salazar, (copy attached) President Barack Obama made clear his concerns about the economic impact of Critical Habitat on rural areas already hard hit with federal regulations. In the case of rural Washington, we have experienced over two decades of precipitous economic decline due to the rules and restrictions put in place under just the simple listing of the Spotted Owl, without any Critical Habitat designation. Our Counties have experienced enormous limitations on our ability to manage our Federal Forests. Since designation of Critical Habitat in 2007, emerging science, as well as the current proposed Critical Habitat Executive Summary, indicates that the Barred Owl poses as great a threat to the persistence of the Spotted Owl as modification of habitat. This, and other contributing factors that have led to the decline in the Spotted Owl population, need to be fully explored and accounted for in the current proposal. Minus an honest assessment, rural communities in Washington will incur additional economic losses, as well as loss of multiple uses on these lands, as restrictions to economic activities are further applied on the proposed more than 4 ½ million acres. Based on the President s memorandum and the short time frame involved to review the economic analysis by the USFW, we are asking that you request on our behalf, a ninety day extension for public input. We are in the process of preparing an in-depth review of the aggregated impacts of the Owl listing and Critical Habitat over the last 20 years. It is only with this information that the true cumulative and connected effects on the economic infrastructure and education opportunities in our State and region can be understood. Our review will not be limited to economic impacts only, but will also demonstrate the related deterioration of the region s physical and social infrastructure. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely, Paul J. Pearce, WSAC President Skamania County Commissioner pearce@co.skamania.was.us Washington Counties Building 206 Tenth Ave SE Olympia, Washington Phone: Fax:

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5 Ken Salazar, Secretary of the Interior Department of the Interior 1849 C Street, N.W. Washington DC May 7 th, 2012 RE: Request for 90 Day Extension of Public Comment Period on Spotted Owl Critical Habitat to October 7 th 2012 Dear Secretary Salazar, As you are aware, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFW) is preparing a revised designation of Critical Habitat for the northern Spotted Owl. The revised designation under consideration will double the current Critical Habitat area, have an enormous impact on 17 counties and will include over 4 ½ million acres in Washington. In President Barack Obama s February 28th memorandum to you, he made clear his concerns about the economic impact of Critical Habitat on rural areas already hard hit with rules, restrictions, and requirements. In the case of rural Washington, we have experienced over two decades of economic decline as rules and restrictions put in place under just the listing of the Spotted Owl, without Critical Habitat designation, have greatly limited our ability to manage our Federal Forests. Since the last designation of Critical Habitat in 2007, emerging science, as well as the current proposed Critical Habitat Executive Summary, indicates that the Barred Owl poses as great a threat to the persistence of the Spotted Owl as modification of habitat. The Barred Owl and other contributing factors that have led to the decline in the Spotted Owl population, needs to be fully explored and accounted for. Minus an honest assessment, rural communities in Washington will incur additional economic losses on the proposed more than 4 ½ million acres. On behalf of Washington s National Forest Counties; based on the President s memorandum, as well the short time frame involved to review the economic analysis by the USFW, we are requesting a ninety-day extension for public input. We are in the process of preparing an in-depth review of the aggregated impacts of the Owl listing and Critical Habitat over the last 20 years. It is only with this information that the true cumulative and connected effects on the economic infrastructure and education opportunities in our State and region can be understood. Our review will not be limited to economic impacts only, but will also demonstrate the related deterioration of the regions physical and social infrastructure. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely, Paul J. Pearce, WSAC President Skamania County Commissioner pearce@co.skamania.was.us Cc; Governor Chris Gregoire Washington Senate and House Delegation Rachel Jacobson, Acting Assistant Secretary for Fish Wildlife and Parks Daniel M.Ashe Director, US Fish and Wildlife Service Paul Henson, State Supervisor, USFWS Washington Counties Building 206 Tenth Ave SE Olympia, Washington Phone: Fax: