Biden U.S. Fish and Wildlife propose killing half a million of one species to save another

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) is proposing killing half a 
million barred owls across Washington, Oregon and California to save the 
region’s northern spotted owls.

A news release from FWS on Wednesday said the northern spotted owls’ 
population is rapidly declining because it has to compete with the barred 
owls. The removal would take out less than one-half of 1% of the current 
North American barred owl population, according to officials.

“Barred owl management is not about one owl versus another,” Service 
Oregon Office state supervisor Kessina Lee said via the news release. 
“Without actively managing barred owls, northern spotted owls will likely 
go extinct in all or the majority of their range, despite decades of 
collaborative conservation efforts.”

According to the Associated Press (AP), past efforts to save spotted owls 
focused on protecting the forests where they live, sparking bitter fights 
over logging but also helping slow the birds’ decline. Some wildlife 
advocates said the removal plan is a diversion from needed forest 
preservation.

On WSF’s website, barred owls are referred to as an invasive species. WSF 
stated the new strategy will stop the decline of northern spotted owls 
before it’s too late, adding that action needs to be taken quickly.

Tom Wheeler, director of the Environmental Protection Information Center, 
a California-based conservation group, told The AP that because barred 
owls are aggressive hunters, removing them could also help other West 
Coast species that they’ve been preying on such as salamanders and 
crayfish.

Washington’s Commissioner of Public Lands opposes federal plan
However, Washington’s Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz is 
questioning the federal plan. Franz spoke virtually to a group of wildlife 
advocates highlighting her concerns.

“How can the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service guarantee that only barn owls 
will be targeted? How could we prevent the surviving barn owls from simply 
recolonizing and repopulating the very areas were trying to preserve?” 
Franz said.

Franz added the proposal pours too many resources into saving one species.

“How can we justify spending nearly a quarter of a billion dollars on one 
species when our funding and resources are limited and so many other 
species are struggling to survive like our salmon,” she said.

Franz also had ethical concerns.

“Killing off one species to safeguard another can’t be the only solution, 
especially considering that barn owls are also protected under the 
Migratory Bird Treaty Act,” she said.

More animal news: Local zoo welcomes baby gorilla to first time mother

According to the news release, if the proposal is adopted, WSF would 
receive a permit under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. It would then 
designate trained professionals to shoot down the barred owls in less than 
half of the areas where spotted and barred owls co-exist. Public hunting 
would not be allowed but interested Tribes, federal and state agencies, 
companies and specific landowners would be considered.

“Barred owl removal, like all invasive species management, is not 
something the service takes lightly,” Lee said. “The service has a legal 
responsibility to do all it can to prevent the extinction of the federally 
listed northern spotted owl and support its recovery, while also 
addressing significant threats to California spotted owls.”

Opponents, as reported by The AP, said the mass killing of barred owls 
would cause severe disruption to forest ecosystems and could lead to other 
species — including spotted owls — being mistakenly shot.

Contributing: Aaron Granillo, KIRO Newsradio and Matthew Brown, The 
Associated Press

https://mynorthwest.com/3963721/u-s-fish-and-wildlife-propose-killing-
half-million-species-to-save-another/