A tale of two owls and lessons for the reauthorization of the Endangered Species Act

Abstract

John Loomis is an associate professor in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Colorado State University. Gloria Helfand is an assistant professor in the Department of Agricultural Economics at University of California, Davis. To many, the Northern spotted owl of the Pacific Northwest symbolizes much of what is wrong with the Endangered Species Act. Forest workers accuse environmentalists of destroying their way of life to protect a worthless bird, while environmentalists accuse federal agencies of sacrificing an ecosystem for short-term economic gain. In contrast, land management agencies moved early and quickly to protect the habitat of the California spotted owl (a separate sub-species) so that it would not need to be listed as a threatened species. Although both owls will probably be protected in the end by similar land management strategies, the paths by which they have ended up there provide valuable lessons in how to (and how not to) protect potentially endangered species and ecosystems. This article compares public agency activity to protect these two species of owl. The comparison emphasizes the importance of ecosystem management and economic considerations under the Endangered Species Act.