{
"type": "rich",
"version": "1.0",
"provider_name": "Action Network",
"provider_url": "https://actionnetwork.org",
"html": "",
"author_name": "Animal Commons",
"author_url": "https://actionnetwork.org/groups/animal-commons",
"title": "Congress Must Stop This Reckless Plan to Kill 450,000 Owls",
"thumbnail_url": "https://can2-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/letters/photos/000/417/034/normal/Screenshot_2025-07-25_at_1.01.50%E2%80%AFPM.png",
"description": "The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service approved a devastating wildlife policy last August that would result in the deliberate killing of nearly half a million barred owls – a native species that has lived in North American forests for generations. Under the so-called “Barred Owl Management Strategy,” federal agents would use recorded calls to lure these owls and then shoot them with shotguns. This killing would spread across millions of acres of public land, including some of the most iconic national parks in the country. From Olympic and Mount Rainier in Washington, to Crater Lake in Oregon, and Redwood and Sequoia in California, owls would be gunned down in the dark in places that were once safe havens for wildlife. Why? Because barred owls have expanded their range and now overlap with the spotted owl, a species facing steep declines, primarily due to logging and habitat degradation. But this plan to kill hundreds of thousands of members of one species to benefit another is unethical, scientifically dubious, and ecologically dangerous. There is no historical precedent for this scale of lethal removal of a native species. And it likely won’t work. The proposed killing zones span 24 million acres, and barred owls are highly mobile. Even if thousands are shot, others will quickly move in to fill the void. According to owl experts, the plan will require indefinite, taxpayer-funded killing. Experts have warned of the practical and moral hazards. Mistaken identity kills are all but guaranteed, especially at night when barred and spotted owls are nearly indistinguishable in silhouette. The plan will also orphan thousands of chicks and traumatize other wildlife in these ecosystems. Does any of that sound like conservation? It’s also a staggering waste of public resources. Estimates project the cost at $1.35 billion over three decades. This money could instead support habitat restoration, wildfire prevention, or the protection of other endangered species. Even Washington’s Lands Commissioner has voiced opposition, calling the strategy "unworkable" and "impractical" — citing its enormous scope, costs, and the real threat of collateral damage to protected species. This plan has been condemned by hundreds of organizations across the country, including wildlife rehabilitators, Audubon chapters, and animal welfare advocates. These experts understand that genuine conservation involves addressing the root causes, rather than scapegoating a native animal for adapting to human-altered landscapes. We’re seeing momentum: some federal funding for preliminary owl-killing operations has already been pulled back thanks to public outcry. But that’s not enough. Unless Congress acts, future administrations may revive and fully fund this misguided plan. That’s why a bipartisan group of lawmakers has introduced H.J. Res. 111, a resolution under the Congressional Review Act that would overturn the Barred Owl Management Strategy and prevent its implementation. Please email your Representative and Senators today. Ask them to co-sponsor and support H.J. Res. 111 to stop this brutal and ineffective plan.",
"url": "https://actionnetwork.org/letters/congress-must-stop-this-reckless-plan-to-kill-450000-owls"
}