American Notes THE NORTHWEST

The timber industry took a blow last week when the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service finally added the northern spotted owl to the federal list of threatened species. Protecting the bird could mean preserving an additional 3 million acres of the old-growth forest it inhabits, which loggers say will threaten 28,000 jobs over the next decade.

But existing timber contracts will not be affected, which means thousands of acres of forest will fall. Then, it may take up to a year before the Federal Government completes its recovery plan for the owl, which leaves ample time for political maneuvering. If the Administration yields to industry pressures, the listing of the owl could amount to little more than paying lip service to the Endangered Species Act.