'Center of Controversy': OSU Study Finds Balance Between Forest Management, Spotted Owl Aid

OSU researcher: spotted owl protection and forest management don’t have to be in conflict

Oregon researchers say forest thinning practices don’t have to clash with efforts to protect the northern spotted owl.For decades, the northern spotted owl has been either heralded or scorned, depending on your view of timber clearing and forest management. Timber advocates have singled out the owl for diminished harvests, while conservationists have championed protecting it, a debate that peaked in the 1980s and was—more or less— settled in 199…

'Center of controversy': OSU study finds balance between forest management, spotted owl aid

Once a point of controversy in Oregon history, a new study from Oregon State University found a way to restore forests while conserving the spotted owl population.

Forest restoration, spotted owl conservation can work together, study finds

Restoring dry forests in the Pacific Northwest, shaped by frequent low-intensity fire and widely spaced trees, often means thinning dense stands that accumulated after decades of fire suppression.