Spotted owl forest protection rollbacks reconsidered

SALEM, Ore. (AP) — The U.S. Interior Department is delaying the Trump administration’s last-minute roll-back of federal protections for the northern spotted owl.

On Monday, federal officials said the changes will be reviewed, delaying their effective date from March 16 to April 15.

Oregon Public Broadcasting reports that on Jan. 15, just days before leaving office, the Trump administration published a final rule revising protections for the northern spotted owl. The rule lifted critical-habitat protections for the bird from 3.4 million acres in Oregon, Washington and California.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife’s had proposed a more modest revision, seeking to remove critical habitat status from a little over 200,000 acres in 15 counties in Oregon.

Earlier this month, Western Democrats led by Oregon Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley requested an immediate federal review into the decision.