U.S. suggests saving imperiled owls by shooting other owls
Despite 17 years of conservation measures, the northern spotted owl is still in trouble. So the Bush administration has issued a cease-and-desist order on logging in the owl's Pacific Northwest habitat. Ha ha ha! No, the feds' recent draft spotted-owl protection plan instead vilifies the barred owl, a nonnative competitor and sometime predator to its spotted cousin. A central part of the proposal is that federal wildlife agents be allowed to "suppress" barred owls -- that is, take out hundreds of 'em with shotguns. The plan is "a deception to deflect the blame away from habitat destruction," says owl advocate Dominick DellaSala. Some greens concede that the spotted owl is in such bad shape that it could do with federal bodyguards -- but they say barring barred owls won't work unless the government also gives a hoot about protecting the spotted owls' habitat. Says Bob Sallinger of the Audubon Society, "We have an ethical imperative not to allow species to expire because of activity we initiated."
source: Los Angeles Times, Sam Howe Verhovek, 04 Jun 2007
source: The Portland Tribune, Anne Marie DiStefano, 29 May 2007
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SustainableGreen Posted 7:04 am
05 Jun 2007
Ouch! Barred Owls are not non-native, but are in fact found in many many areas throughout boreal North America, even surrounding the ancient forests. They are much more successful and adaptable than Spotted Owls, and that is the reason why they encounter each other. In fact, habitat destruction impacting Barred Owl habitat can cause their extirpation, forcing them into Spotted Owl habitat. So that part of the report is absolutely right, and BushCo. gets another demerit. Of course, after millions of demerits, what difference does it make? What we oughta do is impeach the lying thieving criminals. Sad to say, not much will happen 'til then.
David
Sustainability For Life
Messages done with sustainable energy, with Wind and Sun!
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nakis Posted 12:51 am
12 Jun 2007
The people who believe that to save life is not to protect but kill more of it are in fact a threat to every other human. So they are in fact the barred owl of humanity. So when is it open season on these servants of the people?
Of course this logic is not sound no matter how you apply it. I'm not advocating more killing. We have enough killing of everything that's alive as it is. I just wanted to vent a bit and show this kind of logic for what it really is. Demented and immoral.
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