美聯邦地方法院法官蘇利文(Emmet Sullivan)1日下令，要求美國魚類暨野生動物管理局(FWS)在9個月內，修改布希主政時期一項瀕危北方斑點鴞(northern spotted owl)復育計畫。管理局則回應表示，將於9月第二週內提出修訂草案。
北方斑點鴞是中型的夜行性鳥類，居住在北美西部的原始林內，範圍涵蓋加州北部、太平洋西北地區以及英屬哥倫比亞。自從20年前鴞被列入生存受威脅的鳥類以來，其保育等級、以及民間對美國西北太平洋岸原始林的需求，兩者間的衝突一直處於爭議之中；因為對林木業來說，北方斑點鴞所棲息的原始林十分有價值，也是這一起裁決的背景因素。
此次的裁決中，法官蘇利文法官還下令修改「北班鴞重要棲地」的涵蓋範圍。因為在布希執政的最後一年，2008年，在華盛頓、奧勒岡以及加州北部的重要棲地面積削減了160萬英畝──這是由前助理國務卿麥克唐娜(Julie MacDonald)運用政治力介入所做的決定，而她已在2007年5月因為內政部監察長所發出的嚴厲糾舉報告而引咎辭職，該報告指出她在這當中濫權謀私。
麥克唐娜對FWS有管轄權，根據監察長的報告指出，她影響了20項瀕危物種法案的決定與行動，其中包含了對北方斑點鴞的復育計畫。
法官在判決書中指出，麥克唐娜身為北方斑點鴞復育小組監督委員會的成員，卻犯下以下錯誤：(1)對棲地的保存不力，並且讓復育計畫與西北森林計畫脫鉤，(2)所包含的第二替代方案，並沒有依據計有的棲地保留區設置，(3)低估北方斑點鴞因棲地減少所受到的威脅，並過度強調為達成保育目的所需的步驟，以及達成目標之成本。
審查麥可唐娜的行為以及監察長的報告之後，歐巴馬政府發現這「合法性的錯誤」，在2009年3月自發性的要求聯邦法院發回2008斑點鴞保育與棲地復育計畫。
蘇利文法官在判決書中強調，「聯邦被告承認《2008重要棲地設立計畫》以及《2008生物復育計畫》的法律錯誤。」
歐巴馬政府要求法院命令魚類暨野生動物管理局，發布新修訂後的復育計畫，並藉以評定1992年原始版的《重要棲地設立》是否洽當，如果是的話，就在公佈復育修訂計畫之後，完成新的重要棲地設立辦法。
魚類暨野生動物管理局2日表示，他們已經開始修訂復育計畫，將在9月第二周內公佈草案以徵求公眾意見，並在今年稍晚的時候完成草案。
不過，針對歐巴馬政府原本的要求──停止適用2008重要棲地計畫，並依照1992年版本的計畫為北斑鴞撥出688萬英畝的重要棲地；蘇利文法官則不予採納，仍保留了2008重要棲地設立辦法，僅要求將之修訂。
A federal judge has ordered the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to revise a Bush administration recovery plan for the threatened northern spotted owl, and the agency said today it intends to release a draft of the revision next week.
U.S. District Court Judge Emmet Sullivan ruled Wednesday that the Service must come up with a revised recovery plan within nine months.
The northern spotted owl is a medium-sized nocturnal bird that inhabits old-growth forests of western North America, including parts of northern California, the Pacific Northwest, and British Columbia.
The owl's conservation status and need for critical habitat in the Pacific Northwest has been contentious ever since the bird was listed as threatened 20 years ago because it nests in old growth forests prized by the timber industry.
Judge Sullivan also ordered revisions to the amount of land allowed to the owl as critical habitat. The area set aside for owl conservation had been cut in 2008 during the Bush administration by 1.6 million acres in Washington, Oregon and Northern California.
This decision was tainted by political influence by Former Deputy Assistant Secretary Julie MacDonald, who resigned in disgrace in May 2007 after a scathing report on her influence-peddling was issued by the Interior Department Inspector General.
MacDonald had jurisdiction over the Fish and Wildlife Service. The Inspector General's report noted the influence of MacDonald on 20 Endangered Species Act decisions and actions, including the recovery plan for the northern spotted owl.
The judge noted in his ruling that MacDonald was a member of an Oversight Committee that advised the northern spotted owl Recovery Team to (i) "put less focus on habitat preservation and to de-link the recovery plan from the Northwest Forest Plan"; (ii) "include a second alternative that did not rely on fixed habitat reserves"; and (iii) "minimize the threat to northern spotted owls from the loss of habitat and emphasize the threat cost to carry out those measures needed to achieve the plan's goal and to achieve intermediate steps toward that goal."
After reviewing records of MacDonald's activities and the Inspector General's report, the Obama administration in March 2009 voluntarily asked the federal court to send back the 2008 spotted owl recovery and habitat plans, after it determined they were "legally erroneous."
Judge Sullivan acknowledged in his ruling, "the federal defendants confess legal error as to the 2008 Critical Habitat Designation and the 2008 Recovery Plan..."
The Obama administration asked the court to order the Service, "after issuance of a revised recovery plan, to evaluate whether revision of the 1992 Critical Habitat Designation is appropriate, and if so, to complete rulemaking for a new critical habitat designation after issuance of a revised recovery plan."
The Service said Thursday it had already begun a revision of the recovery plan and intends to release a draft plan for public comment next week and finalize it later in the year.
The Obama administration had asked the court to vacate the 2008 critical habitat designation and revert to a 1992 plan that set aside 6.88 million acres, a lot larger area, for northern spotted owls. Judge Sullivan denied that request Wednesday, instead leaving the 2008 critical habitat designation in place while ordering its revision.
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