Many barred owls could die so that northern spotted owls may thrive under a management strategy finalized this week by the Fish and Wildlife Service.
With the larger and more aggressive barred owls deemed an existential threat to the northern spotted owl, the federal agency’s strategy calls for certified “removal specialists” to deploy lethal force across three Western states.
All told, the “Barred Owl Management Strategy” anticipates that up to 2,450 barred owls would be “removed” — which means killed — in Washington state, Oregon and California during the first year of the plan taking effect. An estimated maximum of 11,309 barred owls could be targeted in the second year, and an estimated maximum of 15,623 could go in the third year.
“As wildlife professionals, we approached this issue carefully and did not come to this decision lightly,” FWS Oregon State Supervisor Kessina Lee said in a statement Wednesday.
