Plan to Kill Half a Million Barred Owls Advances
The Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) is moving forward with a proposal to kill approximately 453,000 barred owls across Washington, Oregon, and California. The goal is to protect the northern spotted owl, a species whose population is rapidly dwindling due to competition with barred owls.
Legislative Status
The Senate rejected a resolution aimed at blocking the controversial program, according to The Center Square.
Program Details
- The cost of the program is estimated to exceed $1 billion.
- The targeted removal represents less than 0.5% of the entire North American barred owl population.
Rationale
FWS explained in a July 2024 news release that barred owls outcompete northern spotted owls for resources, threatening the latter’s survival.
“Barred owl management is not about one owl versus another,” said Kessina Lee, Service Oregon Office state supervisor. “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.”
Opponents criticize the plan as cruel, costly, and ineffective in the long term.
Visual Reference
A female barred owl was photographed on December 13, 2017, outside Philomath, Oregon (Photo: Don Ryan, AP).
Author’s summary: The Fish and Wildlife Service proposes a costly barred owl removal program to save the endangered northern spotted owl, despite controversy and Senate opposition.