So government agencies review the available science and determine how the recovery should be undertaken. But, these agencies do not consider creative alternatives for recovery of these species nor consequences of their strategies. When scientists suggested that government agencies look at creative management strategies for recovery of the northern spotted owl, they were told that there will be only one strategy and the government will determine it. Once government strategies are adopted, there is little incentive to experiment with alternative approaches. This will also create an opportunity to analyze the impacts of recovery strategies and to consider which strategies may lessen the more serious impacts of species recovery on society, the economy and the environment.
Alternatives allow testing of promising strategies.
This is called the rotation period and in some cases may be as long as 80 or 100 years. As the landowner, you are willing to consider alternatives as to how your land might be managed, if you receive the certainty that the business decision you make today will be constant over the rotation of the managed trees. Indeed, you might be willing to adjust your management in return for more certainty. Prior to 1993, a landowner had no certainty with respect to the Endangered Species Act. In other words, landowners could rely on the fact that the lands they set aside for species habitat would remain constant over the life of a plan.