Senate declines to halt plan to kill off half-million barred owls by Fish and Wildlife Service

US Senate Rejects Plan to Kill Hundreds of Thousands of Barred Owls

A contentious US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) plan to cull nearly half a million barred owls in an effort to save their cousin, the northern spotted owl, has been rejected by the US Senate. The proposal, which aimed to reduce competition for the spotted owl's habitat, failed with 25 votes to 72 votes after Senator John Kennedy from Louisiana brought it up for a joint resolution under the Congressional Review Act.

Kennedy argued that killing millions of barred owls was an "ethical dilemma" and questioned whether humans have the right to control nature. He claimed that the plan would only serve to change nature, and accused the FWS of playing "God". The senator's comments sparked controversy, with some Republicans joining animal welfare groups in opposing the proposal.

The plan, which has been met with criticism from experts, was introduced by the FWS during Joe Biden's administration. It aimed to reduce the spotted owl population by removing non-native barred owls that were expanding their habitat west and competing for resources. The plan, however, has raised concerns over animal welfare and conservation.

Despite opposition from some Republicans, officials from the Trump administration had initially urged Kennedy and other lawmakers to support the proposal. However, Kennedy has since claimed that he received a call from the interior secretary, Doug Burgum, urging him not to move forward with the resolution.

Oregon's senators, Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, have expressed support for the FWS plan. They argue that it was developed after a decade of research and consultation with tribes. However, the proposal remains highly contentious, highlighting concerns over government control over wildlife populations and the ethics of intervening in nature.

I'm so glad they didn't go through with this crazy plan ! I mean, can you imagine killing hundreds of thousands of birds just because some owl is struggling? It's just not right . And what's next? Are we gonna start controlling the population of squirrels or something? I'm all for conservation and helping out the environment, but this feels like a total overreach . And let's be real, it's just a bunch of politics . If they really wanted to help the spotted owls, there are way better ways to do it that don't involve killing off other species .

I mean, come on... a bunch of senators thinking they're above killing hundreds of thousands of owls just because it goes against their personal views on nature . It's like they forgot that there are actual consequences to their actions, not just some feel-good moral high ground. And Kennedy, dude, playing the "God" card? That's rich coming from a politician who probably hasn't spent enough time outdoors to really understand what it means to live in harmony with nature.

And don't even get me started on the fact that officials from Trump's administration were trying to strong-arm some of these senators into supporting the proposal. Like, hello? Can't we all just agree to disagree and not try to bully each other into supporting a policy we don't believe in?

It's moments like these that make me wonder how effective the Congressional Review Act really is. It seems like it's more of a PR stunt than an actual tool for holding politicians accountable.

omg can u believe what's going on here?! they're literally trying to kill millions of owls just cuz they want to save their "cousin" spotty owl like, don't they know that owls are already struggling? this plan is so extra and it's not even like it's a good solution plus sen john kennedy is literally speaking truth to power about the whole "playing god" thing i mean, who does the fws think they are? controlling nature like that? it's all just a big mess and i'm so here for it

this is soooo messed up... i mean, saving the northern spotted owl by killing hundreds of thousands of barred owls just doesn't sit right with me . it's like, aren't we humans supposed to coexist with nature? shouldn't we be trying to find ways to live in harmony with wildlife instead of controlling them? and what's up with these politicians playing "god" by deciding who gets to die or not? it's just so... human . anyway, i'm glad some people are speaking out against this plan , we need more voices for animals and the environment!

omg this is insane i mean what's next gonna be hunting down bees to save the honeycomb lol but seriously what's up with these owls tho? barred owls are actually pretty cool, they're not even as threatened as those spotted owls who are already in big trouble can't we just coexist or something? and senator Kennedy is like the owl whisperer he's all about questioning our place in nature i gotta respect that

I'm shocked by this outcome . I mean, come on, 72 to 25? That's like saying we should just let nature take its course and not mess with it at all . But seriously, I get why some people are worried about the impact on the northern spotted owl population, but killing millions of barred owls seems like a really drastic measure .

I'm also kinda impressed that Kennedy spoke up about this, even if he did use some pretty strong language about humans playing "God" . I mean, it's not like he's saying we should just let nature go wild and destroy everything in its path... but maybe we should be more careful about how we're managing wildlife populations .

And what's up with the opposition from animal welfare groups? Don't get me wrong, they have a point about compassion and all that, but can't we find a way to balance conservation with coexisting with other species in the wild?

I'm kinda glad they rejected this plan, but like, what's wrong with letting nature take its course, you know? It's crazy to think we're trying to play God with animals. The FWS was trying to help save the spotted owl, which is already endangered, but this plan just seems like overkill . I mean, 500k barred owls aren't going to kill the planet... yet . And what about all the other species that'll be affected by killing off one species? It's just not worth it, IMHO.

I'm surprised they didn't get more traction on this one ... I mean, killing hundreds of thousands of owls? That's just wild . I don't really think humans should be playing God with nature like that, you know? It feels like we're trying to control everything and it's just not right . And I get where the spotted owl folks are coming from, but can't we find a way to coexist? Maybe there are other ways to address the competition without resorting to culling?

ugh I'm so glad they rejected this plan lol what's wrong with us? can't we just coexist with nature for once? I mean I get it, saving the northern spotted owl is a big deal but do we really need to kill off an entire species of owl? and what even is the logic behind that plan anyway? I'm not an expert or anything but it seems like we're just trying to fix one problem by creating another.

I think it's crazy that the Senate went against this plan . Killing off millions of barred owls just to save their cousin species sounds super extreme . I mean, isn't the goal of conservation to help all species thrive in nature? It seems like the FWS was trying to find a balance between saving one species and not hurting others. But at the same time, you have to wonder if humans really have the right to control nature . I'm all for taking care of our planet, but we gotta be careful about how we do it .

"The earth has music for those who listen," but sometimes humans just need to let nature find its own rhythm . We gotta stop trying to control every living thing & just respect their place in this big, beautiful ecosystem . Killing off millions of owls might seem like a good idea at first, but it's just another example of us playing God & messing with the natural balance .

I'm not surprised by this outcome . I mean, can you imagine if they were to just go ahead and start culling hundreds of thousands of owls? That's just so...unformatted . It's all about balance and harmony with nature, right? I mean, we need to find a way to coexist with these amazing creatures .

And can we talk about the layout of this article for a second? It's like they just threw a bunch of info at us without any structure or organization . Where's the clear heading? The concise paragraphs? It's all over the place . A little formatting love would go a long way in making this story more readable, you know?

come on, who cares about saving the northern spotted owl? those barred owls are just taking up space anyway it's like we're trying to outsmart nature or something. what's next, culling all the squirrels in the park? and senator kennedy is right, humans shouldn't be controlling the environment. it's like we're playing with nature's toy box and expecting to win at least let the barred owls live their best lives, they're not hurting anyone

OMG, I'm so relieved that the US Senate rejected this crazy plan to kill hundreds of thousands of barred owls! I mean, can you even imagine? It's like, we're trying to save one species by harming another?! The idea of humans playing "God" and controlling nature just freaks me out . And what's with the whole "ethical dilemma" thing? Like, isn't it obvious that owls aren't going anywhere? We need to learn to coexist, not try to control every single species.

I also think it's wild that some Republicans are suddenly joining animal welfare groups on this one . It just goes to show that even if you disagree with the proposal, we can still have a civilized conversation about it . I'm all for conservation and wildlife preservation, but not at the expense of other species! We need to be more thoughtful and considerate in our approach to protecting the environment.

This whole debacle just highlights how much we need to educate ourselves on these issues and have respectful discussions about what's best for our planet . So, let's all take a deep breath and celebrate this win for animal welfare !

Man, can't believe what's going on with this barred owl thing... It's like, they're trying to kill millions of these birds just so some other bird species gets a chance to thrive... sounds like total BS to me. And now the Senate is rejecting it and saying it's an "ethical dilemma"? Come on, if we can't even agree on this, what's next? The government thinks they have the right to play God with nature? Give me a break. It's just more proof that we're messing up the environment. And don't even get me started on the fact that some politicians are more concerned with playing both sides than actually doing what's best for wildlife...