How to Protect Our Environment
In 1990, the federal government put the northern spotted owl on the endangered species list. Then it proceeded to make virtually untouchable 24.5 million acres of federal land across three states: Washington, Oregon, and California.1 The stated idea was to preserve old growth forests where the owls — believed to number between 7,000 and 10,000 — could thrive. With many forests off-limits to logging, the timber industry went into a tailspin and tens of thousands of logging-related jobs were lost, yet the species has not been saved. The spotted owl is being killed off, and the culprit is — another owl, actually other owls. The barred owl, which desires similar food and habitat as the spotted owl, is more aggressive than the spotted owl and is pushing the spotted owl out of its territory, or killing it. Also, great horned owls are said to enjoy snacking on baby spotted owls.
The barred owl is native to the East Coast of the United States, but has moved west — presumably as a result of humans changing the landscape in the East. So, although it is illegal to kill a barred owl under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has given permission to a limited number of biologists to shoot barred owls, and is beginning a four-year experiment to kill thousands of the birds because the Fish and Wildlife Service is required under the Endangered Species Act to protect spotted owls. That is, the federal government is enforcing one federal law by ignoring another. If the spotted owls make a comeback in the areas where the barred owls are shot, more barred owls will be killed.2
If the barred owls are not controlled, some believe that they will literally drive the northern spotted owl extinct.
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