AP

Northern Spotted Owl

GRANTS PASS, Ore. - The Bush administration proposed Tuesday cutting 1.5 million acres from Northwest forests considered critical to the survival of the northern spotted owl.

The proposal reopens the 1990s battle between timber production and wildlife habitat on public lands.

The owl became a symbol of the decline of the Northwest's timber industry. It was declared a threatened species in 1990. This was due primarily to heavy logging in the old growth forests where it nests and feeds.

Since taking office in 2000, the Bush administration has been working to change the Northwest Forest Plan to allow more timber production. But it has been largely stymied by court rulings, including several that tossed out plans to log in critical habitat for the owl.