The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service plans to kill nearly 450,000 barred owls across Washington, Oregon, and California. Lawmakers in the Senate blocked a motion to stop the operation last week, allowing it to proceed. The agency finalized the plan in August 2024 to protect the threatened northern spotted owl, listed under both state and federal endangered species acts. Officials began managing spotted owl populations in the late 1970s after widespread habitat loss from logging reduced their numbers.
The agency’s report linked a sharp population drop since 2008 to the spread of barred owls. These larger, more aggressive birds outcompete spotted owls for nesting sites and prey, and they sometimes attack hikers. Under the 30-year program, trained personnel must verify barred owl presence before certified shooters remove them. Crews will euthanize around 15,000 owls each year. The plan omits a cost estimate, but critics predict expenses could reach $1.35 billion. They based that figure on a $4.5 million contract to kill 1,500 owls over four years, averaging $3,000 per bird.
Officials Defend Action to Protect Spotted Owls
The Department of the Interior declined media interviews about the plan, citing the ongoing government shutdown. Regional leaders, however, continue to endorse the approach. “Northern spotted owls are at a tipping point,” said Barry Bushue, Oregon and Washington’s Bureau of Land Management director. “We must manage barred owls and habitat now so future generations can still see them in our forests.”
Louisiana Senator John Kennedy led a failed effort to halt the project, calling it an example of “federal foolishness.” He argued that the government should not favor one owl species over another and should instead tackle habitat destruction. “God made barred owls better hunters,” he said. “The Interior Department claims that’s unfair. Now they’re creating diversity quotas for owls.” Kennedy also said Interior Secretary Doug Burgum accused him of attacking the Trump administration, despite the plan originating under President Biden. The Senate rejected Kennedy’s resolution by a 25–72 vote.
Animal Rights Groups Condemn the Cull
Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy condemned the Senate’s decision. In a joint statement, they accused the Interior Department of helping timber companies destroy old-growth forests. “This plan turns the Endangered Species Act into a weapon,” said Wayne Pacelle, president of both groups. “It will kill half a million barred owls and orphan countless chicks while endangering spotted owls, too. This is a war on both species using guns, saws, and bulldozers.”
The organizations warned that the agency might use the cull as a “mitigation” strategy to excuse accidental spotted owl deaths, weakening federal protections and enabling more logging. The Interior Department has not announced when it will restart the operation, as it continues to cut funding and staff across its agencies this year.
