Lawmakers Push Back Against Controversial Plan to Kill Barred Owls: Is There a Better Solution?

A bipartisan group of federal lawmakers is urging the Trump administration to cancel a controversial plan to kill up to nearly half a million barred owls in order to protect the vulnerable northern spotted owl population. Last year, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service approved a plan to shoot the owls in California, Oregon, and Washington over a span of three decades, with an estimated cost of $1.35 billion.

In a letter dated March 7 addressed to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, 19 U.S. representatives, including Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-Los Angeles) and Rep. Troy E. Nehls (R-Texas), called for a halt to all spending on the mass killing of the native barred owls. Supporters of the strategy, which includes federal wildlife officials and prominent scientists, argue that failing to implement the plan could have disastrous consequences for the northern spotted owl population, which has been declining due to competition from barred owls.

Noah Greenwald, the endangered species director for the Center for Biological Diversity, emphasized the importance of protecting the northern spotted owl, a signature species of Pacific Northwest old-growth forests. Barred owls, originally from the eastern U.S., have been outcompeting spotted owls due to their aggressive nature and faster reproduction rates.

However, some animal welfare groups and legislators, including Rep. Kamlager-Dove, have raised concerns about the ethical implications of killing one species to save another. They argue that shooting thousands of barred owls is not a viable solution and could have unforeseen consequences.

Legislators also questioned the feasibility of the plan, citing limited success in previous wildlife control programs and the lack of precedent for such a large-scale operation. Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy have filed lawsuits to stop the owl-killing plan, highlighting the moral and financial concerns associated with the strategy.

While the estimated cost of the plan is $1.35 billion, a recent research paper suggested that the cost could range from $4.5 million to $12 million per year during the initial stages, with a total cost of $360 million over 30 years. Proponents of the plan, such as Tom Wheeler from the Environmental Protection Information Center, emphasized that the costs would be shared among various private, state, federal, and tribal entities.

Recent federal job cuts have disrupted surveys for the northern and California spotted owls, which are crucial for their protection. With as few as 3,000 northern spotted owls remaining on federal lands and the California spotted owl population also in decline, conservationists are calling for urgent action to safeguard these threatened raptors.