HikeArizona.COM

So I was gonna put this in "Fauna" but somehow figured it would end up being more of a political discussion.

For decades, the endangered spotted owl has been the center of logging and other controversies.

Now, the US Dept. of the Interior will be engaging in an "ethical dilemma" by eliminating barred owls, a competitor to the spotted owl.

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar called the draft plan “a science-based approach to forestry that restores the health of our lands and wildlife and supports jobs and revenue for local communities.”

The plan affects more than 24 million acres of forest land in Washington, Oregon and Northern California. The Interior Department will accept public comments for 90 days on both the areas proposed as critical habitat and the plan to remove barred owls.

By removing selected barred owls and better managing forests, Salazar said, officials can give communities, foresters, and land managers important tools to promote healthier and more productive forests.

Officials acknowledge that the plan to kill barred owls creates an ethical dilemma, but say an experiment on private land in northern California has shown promising results. Spotted owls have returned to historic territories after barred owls were removed.

Yay government! Looking out for people's jobs AND spotted owls!

Full story from the Washington Post here:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/ ... story.html

Maybe they could market the barred owls....

this topic just might become the next "feral cats thread".

It's smoke-and-mirrors again....
It's a thinly disguised 'land-grab' actually, as it spells out near the end of the article.

Barred Owls pose not just a competitive threat to Spotted Owls, but they are also capable of hybridizing, making the endangered Spotted Owl that much more endangered.

We can’t ignore the mounting evidence that competition from barred owls is a major factor in the spotted owl’s decline, and we have a clear obligation to do all we can to prevent the spotted owl’s extinction and help it rebound,” said Fish and Wildlife Service Director Dan Ashe.

I guess I am confused, earlier they introduced the Spotted Owl as the "Meeker Cousin", nobody is saying that the Barred Owl is an introduced or exotic species, and they also stated that habitat loss is not currently a factor in it's decline. I am a believer that humans have an obligation to protect wildlife from human activity but as a firm believer in "Natural Selection" and evolution I think the statement that we have "Clear Obligation" needs bit more assessment. It sounds like so many people have been trying to protect this bird for so long that they can't let it go... If Rob is right then they aren't truly gone they've just evolved, to me it's evolution that is in jeopardy here. I am not an expert on the history here so I guess I need to ask is this predicament a direct result of human activity? This article seems to say no? If not then this is a land grab, I will see more of my tax money wasted, and in 10 years I will be reading articles on how we have to save the Barred Owl from Wildlife over-protection.

Maybe there's room for them at the Gilbert Riparian Preserve... I'm sure the cats would welcome them... :STP:

PLC92084 wrote:aybe there's room for them at the Gilbert Riparian Preserve... I'm sure the cats would welcome them...

Or they would the kittens. Sounds like a win win

WilliamnWendi wrote:

PLC92084 wrote:aybe there's room for them at the Gilbert Riparian Preserve... I'm sure the cats would welcome them...

Or they would the kittens. Sounds like a win win

The circle of life...