US Fish and Wildlife Service, Utah Ecological Services Field OfficeThe Willey and Spotskey (1997) model was developed to help biologists identify potential Mexican spotted owl habitat in Utah. This data is intended to aid in the analysis of effects to Mexican spotted owl from proposed project-related disturbance and should be used in consultation with the USFWS Utah Ecological Services Field Office ( URL ). Based on the habitat requirements stated in the 2012 Recovery Plan ( URL ), this model uses slope, aspect, curvature, and vegetation to identify potential habitat. It relies on a slope curvature index that is valuable for predicting surface ruggedness. The 1997 model likely overestimates the extent of owl habitat throughout the state and includes foraging, wintering, and dispersal habitat. For project-planning, we recommend its use in concert with an analysis of aerial imagery to eliminate non-canyon habitat, such as mountain ridges or straight cliff edges. Additionally, field assessments should be conducted to identify suitable habitat that requires occupancy surveys.ArcGIS FeatureLayerhttps://hub.arcgis.com/datasets/e42ac3d6226b4308a26062b60293ab51_0engU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Open DataPublicUSFWS Utah Mexican Spotted Owl Willey 1997 Habitat Model [United States]Web servicesUnited States1997