Government

Gov’t Announces New Way to Protect Spotted Owls: Kill Their Competition

Govt Announces New Way to Protect Spotted Owls: Kill Their CompetitionThe northern spotted owl is a beautiful bird. It’s also threatened under the Endangered Species Act. And now, the government is taking drastic measures to ensure it’s survival by advocating the “removal” of the bird’s major competition, while also seemingly targeting loggers.

“Removal” of the birds is really just another way to say shooting the barred owl, the spotted owl’s rival. And it’s part of a group of recommendations announced by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to help revitalize the spotted owl population:

Management of the encroaching barred owl to reduce harm to spotted owls. Most of the recovery actions the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has carried out since finalizing the spotted owl’s 2008 recovery plan deal with the barred owl threat. A major part of this is developing a proposal for experimental removal of barred owls in certain areas to see what effect that would have on spotted owls, and then to evaluate whether or not broad scale removal should be considered. This portion of the 2008 plan was not significantly revised.

The Seattle Weekly explains how “removal” has worked in the past:

Though the USFWS policy hasn’t officially been released yet, The Oregonian reports that it’s likely to include a strategy to kill off between 1,200 and 1,500 barred owls from northern California through Oregon and Washington.

[...]

Killing off invasive species is a common practice in wildlife management, but barred owls aren’t invasive–they’re native. And several environmental groups are arguing that killing them won’t help the problem unless people are prepared to shoot the owls by the thousands every single year.

One biologist estimates the cost of such a plan to be $1 million annually.

Plus, by seemingly all accounts, the barred owl is simply a stronger and better-adapted species. It eats a wider variety of food and nests in a wider variety of places than the spotted owl.

While the wisdom behind killing one species to save another is part of the debate, there’s also controversy surrounding another aspect of the recommendations — protecting the spotted owl’s habitat. But there’s just one problem: that conflicts with local logging.

The Weekly reports that loggers are skeptical of the idea:

Under the new plan, both the elimination of barred owls and the preservation of forest land are used.

Jerry Bonagofsky, CEO of the Washington Contract Loggers Association, says that protecting spotted-owl habitat at this point is useless, and that the Obama plan will hurt the economy and kill jobs.

“Given that the barred owl is now part of the equation, it’s not clear that protecting habitat will help at all,” Bonagofsky tells us. “I think the Bush plan, given time, could have worked. In the present economy, locking up more timber land will have a huge effect on rural communities, jobs, and families.”

All told, it would appear that environmentalists did get a bigger bone thrown to them under the new plan than the loggers did.

Another argument, it seems, is that environmentalists and anti-loggers can fight the industry under the guise of protecting the owls. For example, one environmentalist expressed his excitement that the plan opens the door to regulate private land.

“In some regards [the plan] takes important steps forward,” Shawn Cantrell, executive director of the Seattle Audubon Society, told the Weekly. “It talks about the need for non-federal land owners to do more and it points at gaps in the regulatory structure of non-federal lands. It also recognizes the importance of protecting the remaining high-quality forest we still have. But on the downside, in some places, particularly on the east side of the Cascades, they seem to open the door to much more logging, saying we have to cut down the forest in order to save the forest.” [Emphasis added]

Is it ironic that in a story on owls, the proposals to protect them don’t seem so wise?

Comments (203)

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  • IMCHRISTIAN
    Posted on July 1, 2011 at 9:54am

    Looks like they want to kill another industry off. First the farmers in California by a little fish. Now they (the current president and his cohorts) couldn’t give a hoot about the timber industry. We can all live together if government regulations would fly away.

    Report Post »  
  • dumhick
    Posted on July 1, 2011 at 9:51am

    Last week, when I had little to do, I SPOTTED 10 OWLS. Then, unfortunately, I ran out of paint. :-(

    Report Post »  
  • lovenfl3
    Posted on July 1, 2011 at 9:51am

    Here is full blown liberalism on display. They decide who and what should, and who and what should not live. This is why they hate God so much. They kind of feel like God is stealing their job.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_68oow06Nw

    Report Post » lovenfl3  
  • Charles
    Posted on July 1, 2011 at 9:51am

    The problem with “higher education” is that these morons start losing any hint of humility and think they know how to direct nature better than nature knows how to direct itself. The same way these highly educated morons who become progressives think they know better how to direct my life than I do.
    If anything needs its “population numbers reduced” its these morons who come out of college and think they are qualified to take over for God. How many times did I say moron in that paragraph? Not often enough.

    Report Post »  
    • kramh
      Posted on July 1, 2011 at 11:22am

      @ Charles,
      Yes they are morons. This policy reeks with Agenda 21. I live in the middle of this ongoing war on freedom of landowners. Their ideas always take away my right to use my land, but continue to pay property tax to pay for the new rules. Here is an example for you: The morons want us to fence off streams, with the fences being 60feet from the center of the creek. They wish to establish wildlife corridors so that wildlife can move form area to area. They think that I should repair the fence when elk or bears crush it. This removes a120 foot wide piece of bottom ground from my hay field. Just think about it as I have a one mile length of creek in my hay field. And of course these morons do not understand the damage they will also create with idea. We have alot of rain runoff in the winter. The grass filters the water as it passes through to the creek and removes silt from the surrounding mountains. In this fenced in area the grass will be taken over by blackberries that have bare dirt under the canes and you will end up with lots silt in the water. Morons. This new owl plan will now control private property. If a spotted owl is found to be on your place something like a 60 acre circle would be off limits for use. This would preclude me from even cutting firewood. This is just one more step towards rewilding. That is an interesting topic, you should look into that one. Our freedom is leaving us one rule at a time.

      Report Post »  
    • Pokerjoe
      Posted on July 1, 2011 at 12:58pm

      Well you hve said it all. Very good.

      Report Post »  
  • wewantchillywilly
    Posted on July 1, 2011 at 9:49am

    This is the result of putting hippies in charge.

    Report Post »  
  • Shellback
    Posted on July 1, 2011 at 9:47am

    I thought progressives were all about “EVOLUTION”, you know, the survival of the fittest. Me thinks the gummit speak with forked toungue.

    Report Post » Shellback  
  • Anonymous T. Irrelevant
    Posted on July 1, 2011 at 9:46am

    Leave the barred owls alone. They are beautiful birds, too. Typical government response: kill the competition.

    Report Post » Anonymous T. Irrelevant  
  • brntout
    Posted on July 1, 2011 at 9:45am

    Besides that,you all may want to look up Agenda 21,remember that pesky U.N. bill that so little was reported on in 1992 and signed by Clinton and the following presidents and all will become a bit clearer.

    Report Post »  
  • Aaron in Polk County
    Posted on July 1, 2011 at 9:45am

    Bwaahahahaha, this is so roll on the floor hilarious, I had to catch my breath just to point out how dumb these U.S. Fish and Wildlife people are.

    Report Post » Aaron in Polk County  
  • let us prey
    Posted on July 1, 2011 at 9:43am

    Future plans fromTrumka and the administration:
    In order to cut down on competition for union employees and jobs , we have come up with new plan. We will eradicate small business owners and workers to ensure the endangered union employees will thrive.
    Autopen signature
    The baby dictator

    Report Post » let us prey  
  • TRILO
    Posted on July 1, 2011 at 9:43am

    And we wonder why our country is in such a mess. Zero common sense.

    Report Post » TRILO  
  • streetrodder
    Posted on July 1, 2011 at 9:43am

    These people are nuts. Why don’t they just make it a crime for the barred owl from attacking the spotted owl. If it happens the owls can take it to court and the lawyers can try the case and a jury can decide. Thats no dumber than some of the other laws they pass. LOL

    Report Post »  
    • RebelSon
      Posted on July 1, 2011 at 12:13pm

      The ATF is preparing to issue Uzi’s to the spotted owl as we speak.

      Report Post » RebelSon  
  • jeff.cooper
    Posted on July 1, 2011 at 9:41am

    As I read this, I could have sworn this was straight out of the “Early April Fools Day” list of articles. But after reading it again, everything made sense. Controlling the stronger species so the weaker survives is straight out of the Progressive bible.

    Report Post » jeff.cooper  
  • rumple
    Posted on July 1, 2011 at 9:41am

    I believe this is called affirmative action for spotted owls.
    Only in america, where common sense has left the building.

    Report Post »  
  • Peacemaker 44
    Posted on July 1, 2011 at 9:40am

    The point of the matter seems to be the government will continue to protect what it wants to, kill off what it wants to and take bribes from whatever is left over.

    Report Post » Peacemaker 44  
  • brntout
    Posted on July 1, 2011 at 9:39am

    I thought the left believed in evolution.In this case it’s called survival of the fittest.But i digress ,always have to level the playing field just to make it fair.

    Report Post »  
    • LadyLibertykicksASS
      Posted on July 1, 2011 at 4:13pm

      We could catch all the Barred Owls and tie weights to their little feet so they can’t fly, and they’ll only be able to walk……probably be able to run like deer.!!!!!…
      Better idea…….LEAVE all the owls alone, they will work it out…..

      Report Post »  
  • vtxphantom
    Posted on July 1, 2011 at 9:39am

    This gives me an idea of how to protect the endangered conservatives in the US

    Report Post »  
  • nomercy63
    Posted on July 1, 2011 at 9:35am

    When ever the Government plays with nature it is not good for nature or people!!

    Report Post »  
  • Rickfromillinois
    Posted on July 1, 2011 at 9:34am

    How does this actually make sense to anyone? This is a native species who is better adapted then the spotted owl so their answer is to kill them for it? How is the spotted owl more important then the barred owl? From this article is sounds like the decline in the number of spotted owls has more to do with the barred owls then from man. If that is the case then I say let nature take it’s course.

    Report Post » Rickfromillinois  
    • sWampy
      Posted on July 1, 2011 at 10:32am

      To liberals only since-less things make since.

      Report Post »  
    • 123gone
      Posted on July 1, 2011 at 11:12am

      I seriously doubt it was EVER about the Spotted Owl, but rather about using the Endangered Species Act to further another land grab by the US Government in agreement with the UN’s Communist Agenda 21 & ICLEI.

      Now that the Barred Owl takeover has been shown to be a naturally occurring event, they are prepared to kill off this glitch in their plans to eliminate / regulate private property rights in this and other areas.

      Toads & frogs, mice, numerous birds and small fish, salamanders, lizards, and untold other species are all being used as an excuse to control and regulate human growth and their means of a livelihood by taking away public and private property ownership rights.

      Again I say, it is NOT about the critters, it’s about Government control of our rights and our liberty.
      Like Glenn says: Do your homework. Suggest you start at http://www.freedomadvocates.org

      Report Post »  
    • Joshua7
      Posted on July 1, 2011 at 4:52pm

      My thoughts exactly. I don’t remember anything in the constitution about the government controlling nature.

      Report Post » Joshua7  
  • RepubliCorp
    Posted on July 1, 2011 at 9:33am

    We need a remove the tree hugger program

    Report Post » RepubliCorp  
    • Wino911
      Posted on July 1, 2011 at 1:12pm

      Amen! I am surrounded by them here in Oregon

      Report Post »  
    • ICEDRAGONNITE
      Posted on July 1, 2011 at 2:01pm

      Along with EPA, IRS, D.O.E. and any other federal agency that irks my soul.

      Report Post » ICEDRAGONNITE  
  • Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
    Posted on July 1, 2011 at 9:30am

    @TexasCommonSense:

    Indeed it is, I still recall the arguing the Agriculture and others departments argued with him about his landscape business, as part of it was a tree farm. They demanded he go along with their rules, and he refused their money and offers – they even threatened once to force him to do so, the only answer he gave them was to unclip his gun holster on his hip (for snakes).

    When I first seen the title of this article I thought the Fed’s were going to start eliminating their own to save the owls: no feds’ no problems for anyone.

    Report Post » Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}  
  • Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
    Posted on July 1, 2011 at 9:27am

    Okay they want to endanger another owl species to save one already endangered? Where is PETA and the other eco wackos screaming agenda at?
    http://artinphoenix.com/gallery/grimm

    Report Post » Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}  
  • TexasCommonSense
    Posted on July 1, 2011 at 9:23am

    Is this anything like not growing crops to control prices? More stupidity from your government?

    Report Post » TexasCommonSense  
    • 13th Imam
      Posted on July 1, 2011 at 10:09am

      Why don’t we grow as much as we can and export it at the going rate of a barrel of oil. If oil is a commodity , why can‘t we sell our commodity’s (Food) at a profit? Or would that just be old fashioned Capitalism.
      Anybody but Barry 2012

      Report Post » 13th Imam  
    • flipper1073
      Posted on July 1, 2011 at 7:26pm

      Are you talking about eating Spotted Owls?
      I’m Lost

      Report Post » flipper1073  
    • MsMonsoon
      Posted on July 1, 2011 at 11:24am

      Competition and survival of the fittest is just not in their vocabulary. Never was, never will be.

      Report Post » MsMonsoon  
    • 4blackhorses
      Posted on July 1, 2011 at 6:13pm

      This reminds me of “Swamp People” on the History Channel. Alligators were once on the endgangered species list so these government tree hugging SOBs started raising them on farms and releasing them to the wild. Today there’s so dam many of them of that they have an alligator hunting season every year recovered for the meat and hides. Good paying too!!

      Report Post »  
  • TRONINTHEMORNING
    Posted on July 1, 2011 at 9:23am

    Libs will be libs..

    Report Post »  
    • 1proudAmerican
      Posted on July 1, 2011 at 10:54am

      “By seemingly all accounts, the barred owl is simply a stronger and better-adapted species. It eats a wider variety of food and nests in a wider variety of places than the spotted owl.”

      It’s called survival of the fittest! Why do dems/libs always feel the need to bail out something that is destined to expire?

      Report Post »  
  • SpankDaMonkey
    Posted on July 1, 2011 at 9:21am

    .
    Kill the rest of the Spotted Owls and move on…………..

    Report Post » SpankDaMonkey  
    • Obama Snake Oil Co
      Posted on July 1, 2011 at 9:29am

      Just put in some windmills and finish the owls off, thats the Obamas plan for energy. Whack…there goes another spotted owls head…….

      Report Post » Obama Snake Oil Co  
    • Jwmajic
      Posted on July 2, 2011 at 12:37am

      Have you been to eastern Washington lately theres more windmills than trees now. I wonder if thats whats killing them?????

      Report Post »  
    • Joanne
      Posted on July 2, 2011 at 2:41am

      Don’t know about that but I heard on TV that those massive windmills are killing Golden Eagles by the hundreds (perhaps thousands). That is SO SAD. They are so majestic and it saddens me to think that has become the fate of so many of them.

      Report Post » Joanne  
    • Beckofile
      Posted on July 1, 2011 at 9:36am

      Owl class warfare. I thought it was survival of the fittest? Why do we let ******** decide who gets help and who does not at every level.

      Report Post » Beckofile  
    • Cobra Blue
      Posted on July 1, 2011 at 9:47am

      Very, very simple solution. Get rid of the government and the owls…along with the rest of us…will be just fine. The only thing in this country I want to see on the endangered species list are politicians.

      Report Post »  
    • theninthplanet
      Posted on July 1, 2011 at 9:55am

      Eco-socialism!

      Report Post » theninthplanet  
    • booger71
      Posted on July 1, 2011 at 9:56am

      Defund Fish and Game now. Let nature take its course.

      Report Post » booger71  
    • theninthplanet
      Posted on July 1, 2011 at 10:01am

      Finally, applying the liberal agenda to nature: Population controls and “spread the wealth.”

      Report Post » theninthplanet  
    • SgtB
      Posted on July 1, 2011 at 10:10am

      We don’t need to kill the endangered species, but we damn sure don’t need to be spending good tax dollars to try and save the species. Especially when it appears that its main threat to survival is natural competition.

      Report Post » SgtB  
    • Neo Con John
      Posted on July 1, 2011 at 10:18am

      I will hunt the little feathery bastards for free!
      And honest, I’ll try to tell the difference between them.

      Report Post »  
    • chazman
      Posted on July 1, 2011 at 10:39am

      Ah, the stupidity of our government once again showing the world how stupid they are!

      Report Post »  
    • SIXGUNWEST
      Posted on July 1, 2011 at 10:42am

      Now that, is funny!

      Report Post »  
    • smithclar3nc3
      Posted on July 1, 2011 at 10:53am

      So soon we’ll have barn owl and spotted owl on an endandered list…..That makes sense……In washington only

      Report Post »  
    • jb.kibs
      Posted on July 1, 2011 at 11:03am

      anyone shoots any barred owls near my house, i will shoot them. this is your fair warning, ignorance is not an excuse.

      Report Post »  
    • TomFerrari
      Posted on July 1, 2011 at 11:12am

      This is nothing new – issuing licenses to limit predators is common in population control of wild species.

      HOWEVER…

      The AUDACITY OF EGO that leads men to think they are better suited to determine the ‘natural’ mix of species is WAY beyond reason.
      It defies the socialist democrat people’s logic.
      We have to kill one to protect the other.
      Man is the cause of extinction, but WE men can stop extinction.
      Survival of the fittest is good because it allows animals to ‘evolve’.
      But, they get to choose which animals succeed and which become extinct.

      Now, I’m not saying that the spotted owl should be extinct. I‘m simply pointing out the hypocrisy of the elitists’ hubris selecting the winners and the losers. Of praying at the altar of evolution, while forbidding it to follow its course.

      Do you GBTV? I sure do!

      Report Post » TomFerrari  
    • Divineliberty
      Posted on July 1, 2011 at 11:17am

      don‘t these Marxists believe in ’Survival of the fittest”

      Report Post » Divineliberty  
    • MIBUGNU2
      Posted on July 1, 2011 at 11:18am

      Messin with Mother Nature.. What ever happened to ‘Survival of The Fittest”

      Report Post » MIBUGNU2  
    • the_zazzy
      Posted on July 1, 2011 at 11:52am

      Hey, this is how we could get GM to be successful…kill Ford, Dodge, and any foreign competition as well. Great idea!!!

      Report Post » the_zazzy  
    • TNT1
      Posted on July 1, 2011 at 11:53am

      Doo-doo-DOO-doo, Doo-doo-DOO-doo:Your now entering the Twilight Zone

      Report Post »  
    • I Hear the Wolves
      Posted on July 1, 2011 at 11:55am

      Aren’t these the same people who believe in Darwinian evolution? Survival of the fittest? Hypocrites!

      Report Post » I Hear the Wolves  
    • booger71
      Posted on July 1, 2011 at 2:12pm

      Who is the blithering idi@t on the Blaze staff that changed the format so wh can‘t comment directly to another’s post?

      Report Post » booger71  
    • booger71
      Posted on July 1, 2011 at 2:16pm

      If the want to get rid of some species, let them start with, ticks, chiggers, poison ivy, sticker bushes, poisonous snakes, and progressives.

      Report Post » booger71  
    • banjarmon
      Posted on July 1, 2011 at 4:10pm

      DUMB IDEA…it must have been BO’s

      Report Post » banjarmon  
    • THE-FINAL-ACT
      Posted on July 1, 2011 at 4:17pm

      Pagans love owls (Moloch)

      Report Post » THE-FINAL-ACT  
    • ablisterin
      Posted on July 1, 2011 at 4:18pm

      I wish they had been around to save T. Rex. I hear its main diet was liberals.

      Report Post »  
    • denny43
      Posted on July 1, 2011 at 4:41pm

      You read my mind, Spankdamonkey. Seems to be a simpler and less expensive solution…and last I checked, 98% of the barred owls are in favor of your solution. Yeah, 2% said they “didn’t know.” There are idiots everywhere…

      Report Post »  
    • Whitey4West
      Posted on July 1, 2011 at 10:02pm

      Spotted owls must be darker in color than the barred owls…..

      Report Post »  
    • E Knutson
      Posted on July 2, 2011 at 9:50am

      gimme a shotgun

      Report Post »  
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