------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Aerial photography is used to delineate the core area. Acreage for the entire core area is identified on national forest lands. Core areas encompass the best available California spotted owl habitat in the closest proximity to the owl activity center. The best available contiguous habitat is selected to incorporate, in descending order of priority, CWHR classes 6, 5D, 5M, 4D and 4M and other stands with at least 50 percent tree canopy cover (including hardwoods). The acreage in the 300-acre PAC counts toward the total home range core area. Core areas are delineated within 1.5 miles of the activity center.
When activities are planned adjacent to non-national forest lands, circular core areas are delineated around California spotted owl activity centers on non-national forest lands. Using the best available habitat as described above, any part of the circular core area that lies on national forest lands is designated and managed as a California spotted owl home range core area.
Desired Conditions: HRCAs consist of large habitat blocks that have: (1) at least two tree canopy layers; (2) at least 24 inches dbh in dominant and co-dominant trees; (3) a number of very large (greater than 45 inches dbh) old trees; (4) at least 50 to 70 percent canopy cover; and (5) higher than average levels of snags and down woody material.
FIELD DEFINITIONS:
AC - Availability Class - see FRDB Table @ <http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/rsl/projects/frdb/tables/table011.html>
REG - Timber Management Regulation Level - see FRDB Table @ <http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/rsl/projects/frdb/tables/table023.html>
LSC - TimberLand Suitability Class - see FRDB Table @ <http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/rsl/projects/frdb/tables/table028.html>
RX - Sierra Nevada Forest Plan Amendment Prescription Codes - see FRDB Table @ <http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/rsl/projects/frdb/tables/table171.html>
MASTEROWL1 - unique identifier of spotted owl nest tree site
SOURCECOVERAGE - Name of source dataset
ADMINFOR - Administrative Forest - see FRDB Table @ <http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/rsl/projects/frdb/tables/table001.html> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For further information about this layer, refer to: Sierra Nevada Forest Plan Amendment, Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement, USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region, Febuary 2004. Pacific Southwest Regional Office, 1323 Club Drive, Vallejo, CA 94592 or visit: <http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/snfpa/> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------