Follow up actions on access to Private Land by UC Owl Science Team

After the SNAMP Annual meeting in November 2008, the issue of identifying private landownership and obtaining permission to access private lands by the owl science team was raised. The importance of obtaining permission to survey on private lands was agreed upon, as well as needing to know the types and amounts of activities that occur on private lands within owl territories so that the owl team can account for it in their modeling.

Since the November meeting, the owl team has obtained current, private landowner spatial data from Placer and El Dorado County Assessors Offices for both the Last Chance Owl Study Area and the El Dorado Study Area (ESA). The largest, private landowner in the ESA is Lone Star Timber; managed by Mason, Bruce & Girard, Inc. Representatives of Mason, et al have worked with the owl team to supply them with spatial data for timber harvests conducted on Lone Star Timber lands for 2007 and 2008. Obtaining spatial data for subsequent years, after the conclusion of each year’s activity, should be forthcoming. The owl team has also requested spatial data for timber harvests on SPI land and is awaiting a response.

Generally, the owl team does not have the need to access private lands as owl territories have been found on Forest Service lands. However, upon review of the landowner spatial data, the owl team found one owl territory in the ESA that is located on SPI land. In addition, an owl was detected last summer in Last Chance on the border of SPI and Lone Star lands. Further surveying this summer will be necessary to determine if this is a legitimate territory. The owl team has obtained permission from Mason, et al to surveying on Lone Star land at this location and has requested permission to survey on SPI land at both locations. The owl team has offered to share all data with the landowners. Procedures have been put in place for obtaining access permission for any future owl territories that may be located on private lands.