Seven Federally Protected Mexican Spotted Owl Chicks Hatch On Los Alamos National Laboratory Property

Biologists located a record seven federally threatened Mexican spotted owl chicks on Los Alamos National Laboratory property during nest surveys last month. “We’ve never found this many chicks,” said Chuck Hathcock, wildlife biologist with the Environmental Stewardship Group at Los Alamos National Laboratory. “It’s encouraging to see successful nests because it’s an indication that our efforts to protect these species are making an impact.” Under its Habitat Management Plan, the Laboratory protects and manages species that are federally listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act, including the Mexican spotted owl and Jemez Mountain salamander. The Laboratory’s plan was originally approved in 2000 and requires surveillance and protection of endangered species and their habitats. Much of the owls’ primary habitat in the Jemez Mountains was destroyed during the Las Conchas Fire in 2011, making the protection of the remaining habitat on Laboratory property even more crucial...more

The endangered Mexican Spotted Owl was one of the primary reasons for the demise of the timber industry in significant parts of NM.

But a federally-funded lab?  Now that's a different story.