This report describes options for effectiveness monitoring of long-term status and trends of the northern spotted owl to evaluate the success of the Northwest Forest Plan in arresting downward population trends, and in maintaining and restoring the habitat conditions necessary to support viable owl populations on Federal lands. It describes options to address monitoring questions, profiles population and habitat status, and points out areas of progress and concern. How population and habitat data from demographic studies would be integrated in the development of predictive models is described. A process to report status and trend results is presented that could provide a reference document for decisionmakers during periodic land use plan reviews.Keywords: Northwest Forest Plan, effectiveness monitoring, northern spotted owl, suitable habitat, demographic study, remote sensing, GIS, landscape, stand scale, predictive model. PrefaceThis report is part of a series describing the approach for monitoring effectiveness of the Forest Plan that have been approved by the Intergovernmental Advisory Committee. Other reports present the plans for monitoring late-successional and old-growth forests, marbled murrelet, and aquatic and riparian ecosystems. Future reports may address survey-and-manage species, biodiversity of late-successional and aquatic ecosystems, socioeconomics, and tribal resources. These reports follow the framework for effectiveness monitoring described in "The Strategy and Design of the Effectiveness Monitoring Program for the Northwest Forest Plan." The purpose of this report is to present a range of options for monitoring the northern spotted owl from which the Federal agencies responsible for the Forest Plan can select an approach meeting their respective information needs given current and expected resource availability. This report responds to the assignment from the Federal resource agencies through the Intergovernmental Advisory Committee and incorporates responses to all comments and peer reviews, as requested. The options, recommended by the authors and the interagency Effectiveness Monitoring Team, have been selected for implementation in fiscal year 1998. Manuals, protocols, specific tasks, and annual funding allocations will be provided in individual agency work plans. All these documents, including manuals and work plans, will comprise the full set of guidance for conducting the effectiveness monitoring program for the Forest Plan. Executive SummaryThe purpose of the northern spotted owl effectiveness monitoring plan is to assess trends in spotted owl populations and habitat. Monitoring data will be used to evaluate the success of the Forest Plan in arresting the downward trends in spotted owl populations and in maintaining and restoring the habitat conditions necessary to support viable owl populations on federally administered lands throughout the range of the owl. Data from population and habitat monitoring in selected demographic study areas would be integrated in the development of pred...

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We compared survival, reproduction, and body mass of radio-marked and non-radio-marked spotted owls (Strix occidentalis) to determine if backpack radios influenced reproduction or survival. In most study areas and years, there were no differences (P > 0.05) in survival of males and females or in survival of radio-marked versus banded owls. There was no difference (P = 0.31) in mean mass of owls before and after they had worn radio transmitters. Radio-marked owls produced fewer (P < 0.01) young than did owls that were not radio-marked. Because of the possible relationship between lower productivity and large (>19g) backpack style transmitters, we recommend that researchers consider the use of smaller transmitters mounted on the tail.

For convenience, "spotted owl" or "owl" means the northern spotted owl (Strix occidentalis caurina). Full common names are used for all other owls, including other subspecies of the spotted owl. Scientific names of all organisms named in this report are given in appendix V, table VI.