A controversial federal plan to shoot up to 450,000 barred owls to save the threatened northern spotted owl has united strange political allies across the Pacific Northwest. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service approved the culling strategy last year, aiming to reverse the decline of the native species over the next three decades.
Timber companies and environmental groups now share common ground in supporting the owl removal effort, arguing it is essential to prevent extinction and sustain local economies. Travis Joseph of the American Forest Resource Council warned that canceling the plan could delay timber harvests across 2.6 million acres in western Oregon, threatening jobs and revenues.
Opposition, however, spans ideological lines. Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) introduced a resolution to block the cull, calling it unnatural and inhumane. “I don’t think the federal government ought to be telling God or nature which species can exist,” he said. Animal rights organizations, including Animal Wellness Action, contend that killing barred owls will fail because new populations will simply move into vacated areas.
Native American tribes such as the Hoopa Valley Tribe support the effort, citing ecological harm caused by barred owls and risks to traditional food systems.
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