Here is link to Associated Press story about federal program to kill Barred Owls in Oregon. The idea is to help survival of their cousin, the endangered Spotted Owl. Of course our extraction-crazed business system would never forego clear-cutting and habitat destruction because that might lower some corporation’s income. And the current federal regime doesn’t give a #@*^ about any animal. They are dead-set on killing off grouse, owl, wolf or any other animal that irritates those out for more profit.
The owl kill is reminiscent of so many macho attempts to conquer nature. Not long ago the feds, spurred by profiteering fishermen, slaughter thousands of Double-crested Cormorants in the Columbia River. I am sure the gunners had a helluva time killing such easy targets. Then there was the fun of setting off large fireworks on the island…a war where the enemy couldn’t shoot back. What fun.
The idea was to preserve salmon for people to exploit. But those head-strong cormorants continued to eat fish. Naturally we couldn’t possibly take out dams or stop polluting rivers or clogging upslope streams with gravel from clear-cuts or….
I remember reading about the cormorants.
By: Lisa Coleman on October 21, 2019
at 4:27 pm