BARRED OWL
This fall, federal wildlife officials are planning to exterminate barred owls that dominate territory once popular with fragile northern spotted owls. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's diabolical method: lure barred owls by propagating recordings of other barred owls, then shoot the birds to smithereens.
The feds are screwing up in one agency after another. Now we're supposed to trust them to hunt a stealthy, nocturnal animal in fog-laden forests in the fall. From a distance, the targeted owl looks a bit like its protected cousin; if an impatient trigger-happy fed is able to get closer, it may be irresistible to take a potshot at a hybrid owl, which actually carries spotted owl genes.
The northern spotted owl is the scourge of the timber industry. To try to protect the weaklings, a federal court ruling in 1991 sequestered large swaths of Northwest woods from logging. Though timber-harvesting on federal land dropped 90 percent, northern spotted owls are still scarce -- now it's up to nature. To be blunt, northern spotted owls are being conquered by tougher barred owls.
We're worthy stewards of the land when we prudently manage our natural resources while protecting an endangered species. But nature remains sovereign over natural selection, and we're not wise enough to intercede by eviscerating one magnificent bird to salvage one with a spotty future.
And barred owls are magnificent: with compelling brown eyes and impressive striped plumage, they glide imperiously through our enchanted, mysterious forests. One splendid specimen occasionally perches on a tree outside our house. Even before its beguiling hoot, we know it's holding court in the woods due to the commotion in its dominion.
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