Wildlife officials plan to kill hundreds of thousands of barred owls to save spotted owls
![Wildlife officials plan to kill hundreds of thousands of barred owls to save spotted owls](https://thehill.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/07/AP18355607371781-e1720028280219.jpg?w=900)
The federal government issued a plan Wednesday that could eliminate 400,000 barred owls, an invasive species, to protect threatened spotted owls in the western U.S.
Barred owls, those that will be killed if the plan is finalized, are native to the eastern U.S., but likely migrated west due to man-made changes to the Great Plains and northern boreal forest. In doing so, these striped birds displaced local spotted owls, interrupting their nesting and creating competition for food.
Officials say that without a plan to address the more aggressive barred owl, the spotted owl could disappear from most of their habitat.
“Barred owl management is not about one owl versus another,” Kessina Lee, supervisor of the Fish and Wildlife Service's Oregon office, said in a written statement.
“Without actively managing barred owls, northern spotted owls will likely go extinct in all or the majority of their range,” Lee added.
The Fish and Wildlife Service’s press release notes that the number of barred owls that will be killed amounts to less than 0.5 percent of their current North American population.
Nevertheless, the plan has received at least some pushback from those who say it’s cruel to the barred owl.
“The Fish and Wildlife Service is turning from protector to persecutor of American wildlife,” Wayne Pacelle, president of Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy, said in a written statement.
“Its plan is wildly expensive without protecting a single acre of forest habitat," Pacelle wrote, adding that the plan "is doomed to fail because there’s no way for the agency to prevent surviving owls from recolonizing nest sites."
Date: |
Filter
-
ABC News - Tech
To save West Coast spotted owls, US officials plan to use trained shooters to kill hundreds of thousands of barred owls
To save West Coast spotted owls, US officials plan to use trained shooters to kill hundreds of thousands of barred owls -
ABC News - Tech
To save spotted owls, US officials plan to kill hundreds of thousands of another owl species
U.S. wildlife officials are embracing a contentious plan to deploy trained shooters into dense West Coast forests to kill almost a half-million barred owls in coming decades -
NBC News - Top stories
Federal agency plans to cull 450,000 barred owls to boost another species
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is keeping its aim trained on the barred owl, hoping an effort to cull the species could save its close genetic relative. -
The New York Times - Top stories
They Shoot Owls in California, Don’t They?
An audacious federal plan to protect the spotted owl would eradicate hundreds of thousands of barred owls in the coming years.California -
MarketWatch - Business
Open Text to cut 1,200 jobs as part of cost-saving plan
Open Text’s stock rallied Wednesday, after the enterprise-software company disclosed that it was cutting 1,200 jobs as part of a “business optimization” plan aimed at saving about $200 million a year. -
MarketWatch - Business
My spouse and I are 60 and receive $145,000 a year in pensions. Do we need to worry about inflation killing our retirement plans?
“Our annual expenses are $105,000 and that includes travel, entertainment and maintenance.” -
BBC News - Top stories
An iconic wildlife park has banned koala cuddles. Will others follow?
Advocates say the practice is "cruel" to koalas and are pushing for it to be outlawed nation-wide. -
The Hill - Politics
Trump challenges Biden to 'no holds barred' debate
Former President Trump challenged President Biden late Thursday to another “no holds barred” debate. “I have the answer to the Crooked Joe Biden Incompetence Puzzle — Let’s do another Debate, but this time, no holds barred - An all on discussion, ...Joe Biden -
The New York Times - Science
Bigheaded Salamander-like Fossil Turns Up in a Place No One Expected it
An ancient aquatic predator resembling a giant salamander turned up in an African fossil deposit, suggesting unwritten chapters of how animals moved onto land.
More from The Hill
-
The Hill - Politics
Here's how the process to replace Biden works if he withdraws
Amid rising pressure for President Biden to withdraw from the race, questions are looming over the mechanics of getting another Democrat on the ballot ahead of November. Democrats do have a path forward: The filing deadline for the party to get ...Joe Biden -
The Hill - Politics
Heritage faces blowback after 'bloodless' revolution comment
The Heritage Foundation and its president, Kevin Roberts, are facing blowback in the wake of his comment about an ongoing second American revolution that will “remain bloodless if the left allows it to be.” President Biden’s campaign jumped on the ... -
The Hill - Politics
Law schools left reeling after latest Supreme Court earthquakes
The Supreme Court isn't making it easy to be a law professor these days. After overturning the 40-year-old Chevron deference last week, the justices threw law curricula for another major loop on Monday with their earth-shaking ruling on ... -
The Hill - Politics
Democrats take aim at Supreme Court with eyes on November
Democrats are aiming their fire at the Supreme Court after this week’s monumental ruling that granted former President Trump broad immunity from criminal prosecution, hoping that a messaging blitz focused on the bench could turbocharge campaigns ... -
The Hill - Politics
Trans state legislators slam White House opposition to gender-affirming surgery for minors
A group of transgender and nonbinary state legislators sent a letter to the Biden administration criticizing its decision to oppose gender-affirming surgery for minors. In the letter, the lawmakers said transgender youth in America have been under ...