Feds, conservationists take ‘step forward’ with talks to protect endangered Mexican spotted owl

Albuquerque, N.M. • Negotiations among environmentalists and state and federal officials in Arizona and New Mexico have resulted in a set of recommendations and other provisions that environmentalists say will help protect the threatened Mexican spotted owl while allowing forest thinning projects to move forward.Regional officials with the U.S. Forest Service say the new understanding made public Wednesday marked a positive step in an ongoing battle over the Mexican spotted owl. Environment