Yet ever since issuance of that report, federal agencies have proposed reductions in logging and protection of large trees all in the name of saving the owl. It is time to end the political agendas. Full Crowns Or Multi-Storied Stands Support Owls Owls prefer canopy layers above and below nesting and roosting sites according to Dr. Jared Verner, foremost expert on California spotted owls. A second canopy layer is needed to protect owls from below.
Large crowns make second canopy layers unnecessary.
Forest management, if begun in young forests while canopy ratios are still high, would increase owl habitat in a fire-safe, healthy environment. Science experts found closer associations with weather patterns and cyclic reproduction trends. In a comparison between spotted owls in the Sequoia National Park and the neighboring Sierra National Forest, Dr. Verner reported the numbers of individuals in the study areas declined about the same rate. The only nearby owls did not nest in 1997 or 1998, but they initiated nesting in 1999 and were nearly at the point of fledging nestlings when the violent storm of 2 June dropped 5 inches of snow over their home range. Their nesting attempt failed immediately after that.