As I reported in Friday’s Times, the release this week of a
final recovery plan for the northern spotted owl came more than
20 years after the bird was first listed as a threatened
species. It so happens that over that same period of time, a
stand of evergreens in a remote forest in the Cascade Range
could grow from being a relatively young 45 years old to a more
mature 65 years old. Experts say that window of growth could be
just enough time for the stand to evolve into habitat that
attracts spotted owls. While some federal and state forests are
managed to achieve that goal, owners of private forest land are
less likely to do the same. The average growth cycle before many
private timber stands are harvested in the Northwest is often
closer to 45 years, to maximize the commercial value of the
land. Besides, if private timberlands grow to where they attract
spotted owls, protections for the owl might kick in and the
landowner could lose the ability to harvest timber. “It’s one of
those ‘build it and they will