
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, June 27, 1990                   TAG: 9006270052
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A10   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: WASHINGTON                                LENGTH: Medium

PLANS AIMED AT SAVING OWLS, PRESERVING JOBS

The Bush administration announced preliminary plans for saving the threatened northern spotted owl Tuesday, contending it can be done with a far-less-drastic reduction in timber cutting than government scientists say. Even so, 1,000 Northwest logging jobs would be lost.

For the second time in a week, officials delayed issuing a complete proposal to support their public hopes that the bird can be saved without economically devastating the region by greatly restricting timber cutting.

Tuesday's outlook from Agriculture Secretary Clayton Yeutter and Interior Secretary Manuel Lujan was in stark contrast to estimates by government scientists that timber-cutting reductions that would cost 28,000 jobs by the end of the decade would be necessary to save the owl's habitat.

Environmental groups said in advance they would likely challenge in court any action short of that.

"Today we have set into motion a process to balance our responsibility in preserving the owl and forests while protecting the economic lives of American men and women who live and work in the region," Yeutter said.

He said he will chair a new timber task force that will present to President Bush no later than Sept. 1 a comprehensive proposal for protecting the owl while pursuing maximum timber harvests.

At the same time, the Cabinet secretaries also called on Congress to broaden provisions of the Endangered Species Act so that an exemption committee will have more latitude to consider the economic and social impact of protecting such wildlife.

The estimated 6,000 remaining owls were declared a threatened species under the act last week.

Under the act, federal agencies are prohibited from harming the owl or its critical habitat without first receiving permission from the Fish and Wildlife Service.

Lujan and Yeutter said the Bureau of Land Management will put into effect a plan that will result in the eventual loss of 1,000 jobs because of reduced timber harvests on BLM lands in Oregon and northern California.

An earlier proposal by government scientists would have resulted in the loss of 7,600 jobs as a result of cutting reductions on BLM land and the loss of an additional 20,000 jobs by the end of the decade.

by CNB