Designated Critical Habitat for the Mexican Spotted Owl

Designated Critical Habitat for the Mexican Spotted Owl

The Mexican spotted owl (Strix occidentalis lucida) (owl) inhabits canyon and montane forest habitats across a range that extends from southern Utah and Colorado, through Arizona, New Mexico, and west Texas, to the mountains of central Mexico. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service listed the owl on March 16, 1993 (58 FR 14248) without critical habitat. A final rule designating critical habitat for the owl was published on June 6, 1995 (60 FR 29914). As a result of several court rulings, the Service removed critical habitat designation for the owl on March 25, 1998 (63 FR 14378). On March 13, 2000, the Service was again ordered to propose critical habitat within 4 months of the court order and to complete a final designation by January 15, 2001. Thus, the Service has now designated approximately 4.6 million acres of critical habitat for the owl in Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah, on Federal Lands.

Critical habitat refers to specific geographic areas that are essential for the conservation of a threatened or endangered species and that may require special management considerations. A critical habitat designation does not set up a preserve or refuge and only applies to situations where Federal funding, authorization or permits are involved. Since no private, state or tribal lands are being designated, the designation will only affect activities on Federal lands.

Additionally, not all the areas within the mapped boundaries have habitat elements important to the owl. The Service will require consultations only on the activities that affect those areas that contain the primary constituent elements (physical and biological features necessary for the species’ survival). Private inholdings may appear in the mapped areas but are not included in the designation. The primary constituent elements identified in the rule were based on information within the Mexican Spotted Owl Recovery Plan.

Critical Habitat Designated for the Mexican Spotted Owl News Release - August 31, 2004

Frequently Asked Questions About the Mexican Spotted Owl Critical Habitat Designation - August 31, 2004

Mexican Spotted Owl Critical Habitat Designation Archive

DESIGNATED CRITICAL HABITAT UNIT MAPS

Select the desired unit map by placing the mouse pointer over the desired habitat unit then click the mouse once.

Click Here for a Large Size Unit Overview Map (504 KB)

CRITICAL HABITAT ACREAGE BY LAND OWNERSHIP AND STATE

Agency	Arizona	New Mexico	Colorado	Utah	Total
Forest Service	3,228,145	2,056,536	263,026	156,732	5,704,438
Bureau of Land Management	1,541	2,171	59,299	362,135	425,145
National Park Service	751,261	30,817	0	1,720,727	2,502,805
Department of Defense	2,041	0	0	0	2,041
Bureau of Reclamation	0	0	0	0	0
Other Federal *	55	0	0	13,264	13,319

Total	3,983,042	2,089,523	322,326	2,252,857	8,647,749
Critical Habitat Units	25	20	3	5	52 **
* Includes land identified in the current Utah land ownership file as Forest Service or BLM; Federal land ownership is unclear. ** Critical habitat unit UGM-7 is shared by Arizona and New Mexico.

CRITICAL HABITAT UNIT MAPS

To view more detailed maps, click on a specific Critical Habitat Unit Code below.


ARIZONA	Habitat Unit Code	NEW MEXICO	Habitat Unit Code
	BR-W-2		CP-1
	BR-W-3		CP-2
	BR-W-4		BR-E-1a
	BR-W-5		BR-E-1b
	BR-W-6		BR-E-3
	BR-W-7		BR-E-4
	BR-W-8		BR-E-5
	BR-W-9		BR-E-7
	BR-W-10		SRM-NM-1
	BR-W-11		SRM-NM-4
	BR-W-12		SRM-NM-5a
	BR-W-13		SRM-NM-5b
	BR-W-14		SRM-NM-11
	BR-W-15		SRM-NM-12
	BR-W-16		UGM-2
	BR-W-18		UGM-3
	CP-10		UGM-5a
	UGM-7 **		UGM-5b
	UGM-10		UGM-6
	UGM-11		UGM-7 **
	UGM-12	UTAH	Habitat Unit Code
	UGM-13		CP-11
	UGM-14		CP-12
	UGM-15		CP-13
	UGM-17		CP-14
COLORADO	Habitat Unit Code		CP-15
	SRM-C-1a
	SRM-C-1b
	SRM-C-2

** Critical habitat unit UGM-7 is shared by Arizona and New Mexico.

GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEM (GIS) MAP FILES

Digital versions of the Critical Habitat Units are available. These files are Geographic Information Systems (GIS) -ready, and contain Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) metadata.

To request Geographic Information System (GIS) files of the Critical Habitat Units, click here.

ADDITIONAL ELECTRONIC LIBRARY REFERENCE MATERIALS:

To download / view reference materials, click on the links below.

Title	Author(s)	Date	Digital Library Reference
Mexican Spotted Owl Critical Habitat Federal Register Cover Letter.	U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.	2004	Federal Register Cover Letter
Mexican Spotted Owl Critical Habitat Federal Register Rule.	U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.	2004	Federal Register Rule
Mexican Spotted Owl Critical Habitat Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI).	U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Federal Register	2004	Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI)
Mexican Spotted Owl Critical Habitat Final Economic Analysis.	U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Federal Register	2004	Final Economic Analysis
Mexican Spotted Owl Critical Habitat Final Environmental Assessment.	U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Federal Register	2004	Final Environmental Assessment
Final Draft Economic Analysis of Critical Habitat Designation for the Mexican Spotted Owl.	U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.	2004	Draft Economic Analysis 2004
Draft Environmental Assessment of Critical Habitat Designation for the Mexican Spotted Owl.	U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.	2004	Draft Environmental Assessment 2004
Mexican Spotted Owl Critical Habitat: Proposed rule; reopening of public comment period, notice of availability of draft economic analysis and draft environmental assessment, and notice of a public meeting.	U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Federal Register	2004	Federal Register: Proposed Rule
Proposed Designation of Critical Habitat of the Mexican Spotted Owl - Federal Register.	U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Federal Register	2000	Federal Register: Proposed Rule
Proposed Determination of Critical Habitat Designation of the Mexican Spotted Owl - Federal Register.	U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Federal Register	1994	Federal Register: Proposed Rule
Final Designation of Critical Habitat of the Mexican Spotted Owl - Federal Register.	U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Federal Register	2001	Federal Register: Final Rule
Draft Economic Analysis of Critical Habitat Designation for the Mexican Spotted Owl.	Robert E. Unsworth, Sarah J. Malloy, and Matthew M. Engler.	2000	Draft Economic Analysis
Final (Addendum to Draft) Economic Analysis of Critical Habitat Designation for the Mexican Spotted Owl.	U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.	2001	Final Economic Analysis
Draft Environmental Assessment - Title Page and Table of Contents: Designation of Critical Habitat for the Mexican Spotted Owl.	U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.	2000	Draft Envir Assess-Title Page ToC
Draft Environmental Assessment: Designation of Critical Habitat for the Mexican Spotted Owl.	U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.	2000	Draft Environmental Assessment
Final Environmental Assessment: Designation of Critical Habitat for the Mexican Spotted Owl.	U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.	2001	Final Environmental Assessment
Recovery Plan for the Mexican Spotted Owl by FWS, Albuquerque, NM.	U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.	1995	Recovery Plan


privacy disclaimer statement	contact us: (feedback / inquiries)