Rollback of Trump administration’s spotted owl protections delayed

SALEM, Ore. — The U.S. Interior Department is delaying the Trump administration’s last-minute rollback of federal protections for the northern spotted owl.

On Monday, federal officials said the changes will be reviewed, delaying their effective date from March 16 to April 15.

Oregon Public Broadcasting reports that on Jan. 15, just days before leaving office, the Trump administration published a final rule revising protections for the northern spotted owl.

The rule lifted critical-habitat protections for the bird from 3.4 million acres in Oregon, Washington and California.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife had proposed a more modest revision, seeking to remove critical habitat status from a little over 200,000 acres in 15 counties in Oregon.

Cox Media Group