[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3089 Introduced in House (IH)]







106th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3089

    To provide for a comprehensive scientific review of the current 
    conservation status of the northern spotted owl as a result of 
  implementation of the President's Northwest Forest Plan, which is a 
  national strategy for the recovery of the species on public forest 
                                 lands.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 18, 1999

 Mrs. Chenoweth-Hage (for herself, Mr. Walden of Oregon, Mr. Metcalf, 
Mr. Doolittle, Mr. Herger, Mr. Radanovich, Mr. Pombo, and Mr. Hastings 
of Washington) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
      Committee on Resources, and in addition to the Committee on 
Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, 
 in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the 
                jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To provide for a comprehensive scientific review of the current 
    conservation status of the northern spotted owl as a result of 
  implementation of the President's Northwest Forest Plan, which is a 
  national strategy for the recovery of the species on public forest 
                                 lands.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. REVIEW AND REPORT ON CONSERVATION STATUS OF NORTHERN SPOTTED 
              OWL.

    (a) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) President's northwest forest plan.--The term 
        ``President's Northwest Forest Plan'' refers to the Record of 
        Decision for Amendments to Forest Service and Bureau of Land 
        Management Planning Documents Within the Range of the Northern 
        Spotted Owl, dated April 13, 1994, and the accompanying Final 
        Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement.
            (2) Federal land management agencies.--The term ``Federal 
        land management agencies'' refers to the Bureau of Land 
        Management and the Forest Service.
            (3) Conservation strategy for the northern spotted owl.--
        The term ``conservation strategy for the northern spotted owl'' 
        refers to the strategy adopted in the President's Northwest 
        Forest Plan.
    (b) Review Required.--
            (1) Contract for review.--The Secretary of the Interior, in 
        consultation with the Secretary of Agriculture, shall enter 
        into a contract with the National Research Council of the 
        National Academy of Sciences to conduct a comprehensive review 
        of the available scientific and commercial data regarding the 
        northern spotted owl (Strix occidentalis caurina) and the 
        current conservation status of the species.
            (2) Time for contract.--The contract shall be entered into 
        within 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act.
            (3) Delegation.--The heads of the Federal land management 
        agencies shall carry out this section.
    (c) Specific Matters To Be Assessed.--In the review conducted 
pursuant to subsection (a), the National Research Council shall answer 
the following questions:
            (1) What is currently known about the geographic 
        distribution, population size, and population trend of the 
        northern spotted owl?
            (2) What vegetation features and environmental factors 
        result in suitable habitat for the northern spotted owl?
            (3) Can the demographic rates and population trends of the 
        northern spotted owl be linked statistically to habitat and 
        environmental conditions?
            (4) What is the status of the adaptive management and 
        monitoring programs contained in the President's Northwest 
        Forest Plan that were intended to evaluate the conservation 
        strategy for the northern spotted owl and to develop 
        silvicultural programs compatible with the recovery of the 
        species?
            (5) What programs are in place to inform Federal land 
        management agencies of new scientific and commercial data 
        regarding the northern spotted owl and to apply this data to 
        recovery efforts for the species?
            (6) Is the current conservation strategy for the northern 
        spotted owl likely to lead to recovery of the species in the 
        foreseeable future?
            (7) Do any of the public forest and other land areas that 
        were identified as critical habitat in the initial listing of 
        the northern spotted owl contain adequate numbers of breeding 
        pairs to maintain the population?
            (8) With the President's Northwest Forest Plan being used 
        as the recovery plan for the northern spotted owl, should 
        milestones be developed and adopted as benchmarks to be used in 
        delisting decisions?
    (d) Reports.--
            (1) Final report.--The National Research Council shall 
        submit to the Secretary of the Interior, the Secretary of 
        Agriculture, and Congress a final report containing the results 
        of the review conducted pursuant to subsection (a), including 
        answers to the questions specified in subsection (c), within 18 
        months after the date the contract was entered into under 
        subsection (a).
            (2) Interim reports.--The National Research Council shall 
        also provide the following interim reports and progress updates 
        to the Secretary of the Interior, the Secretary of Agriculture, 
        and Congress:
                    (A) Not later than 30 days after the contract is 
                entered into, the National Research Council shall 
                submit an outline of the review plan, including 
                information regarding the persons who will be involved 
                in the review, the schedule for the review, and other 
                necessary information concerning the review.
                    (B) Not later than 9 months after the contract is 
                entered into, the National Research Council shall 
                submit a midpoint status report on its findings to 
                date.
    (e) Interagency Cooperation.--All departments and agencies of the 
Federal Government that have a mandate under law associated with the 
listing or recovery of the northern spotted owl or the management of 
public forest or other lands containing suitable habitat for the 
northern spotted owl shall cooperate fully with the National Research 
Council in its activities in conducting the review under this section.
    (f) Funding.--Of the amounts available for the management of public 
forest lands under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Land Management 
and the Forest Service, $250,000 shall be available for the review 
under this section.
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