A complete meta-analysis of every published study that examined Spotted Owl (Strix occidentalis) responses to wildfire was recently published. Contrary to current perceptions and recovery activities, mixed-severity forest fire does not appear to be a serious threat to owl populations. On the contrary, wildfire was found to create more benefits than costs for Spotted Owls.
In the 1980s, the Spotted Owl became a symbol of the extraordinary biodiversity found in old-growth forests. When the northern subspecies of Spotted Owl was listed as threatened in 1990 under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA), about 90% of America’s old-growth forest had already been
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