Latest news with #U.S.FishandWildlifeService
Los Angeles Times
an hour ago
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
House resolution seeks to stop plan to shoot nearly half a million owls
Rep. Troy E. Nehls, a Republican from Texas, backed by 17 co-sponsors from both political parties, introduced a resolution Wednesday that could mark the end of a plan to protect spotted owls in the Pacific Northwest. The plan calls for shooting roughly 450,000 barred owls over 30 years in California, Oregon and Washington, because they are outcompeting spotted owls, pushing them out of their native territory. The spotted owls are in rapid decline. Northern spotted owls are listed as threatened under California and U.S. endangered species laws, and there may be as few as 3,000 left on federal lands. Federal wildlife officials have proposed endangered species protection for two populations of California spotted owls. In a statement, Nehls called the owl-culling plan, approved by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service under the Biden administration, 'a waste of Americans' hard-earned tax dollars.' He estimated it will cost $1.35 billion, based on a $4.5-million contract awarded to the Hoopa Valley Tribe in Northern California last year to hunt about 1,500 barred owls over four years. That is about $3,000 per owl. The bipartisan alliance says killing the owls is also inhumane and unworkable. Co-sponsors of the resolution consist of 11 Republicans and six Democrats, including three California representatives — Josh Harder (D-Tracy), Adam Gray (D-Merced) and Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-Los Angeles), according to Nehls' office. The effort makes use of the Congressional Review Act, a tool sometimes employed by new presidential administrations to reverse rules issued by federal agencies in the final months of prior administrations. In late May, the Government Accountability Office concluded the plan was subject to the act. To stop the owl-culling plan, both chambers of Congress would need to pass a joint resolution by majority vote and President Trump would need to sign it. If successful, the resolution would preclude the Fish and Wildlife Service from pursuing a similar rule, unless explicitly authorized by Congress. The plan already faced setbacks. In May, federal officials canceled three related grants totaling more than $1.1 million, including one study that would have remove barred owls from over 192,000 acres in Mendocino and Sonoma counties. Another would have removed them from the Mendocino National Forest. Some scientists and conservationists say nixing the plan would mean the end for northern spotted owls. The raptor, dark brown with bright white spots, prefers old-growth forests. It became the central symbol of the so-called timber wars in the 1980s and '90s when environmentalists and logging interests fought over the fate of old-growth forests in the Pacific Northwest. Barred owls are slightly larger, more aggressive and less picky when it comes to habitat and food — giving them an advantage in competition for resources. 'If we don't move forward with barred owl removal, it will mean the extinction of the northern spotted owl, and it will likely mean the extinction of the California spotted owl as well,' Tom Wheeler, executive director of the Environmental Protection Information Center, told The Times last week. He pointed to a long-term field experiment that showed spotted owl populations stabilized in areas where barred owls were killed. Barred owls originated in eastern North America and expanded west along with European settlers who planted trees and suppressed fires, biologists believe. Government scientists see barred owls' presence in the Pacific Northwest as invasive, but some argue that it's natural range expansion. 'Protecting spotted owls is an imperative, but assaulting other native wildlife occupying the same forests is not ethical or a practical means of achieving that goal,' said Wayne Pacelle, president of Animal Wellness Action and Center for a Humane Economy, who has helped galvanize opposition to the culling plan.
Los Angeles Times
5 days ago
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
A plan to shoot 450,000 owls — to save a different owl — could be in jeopardy
An unusual alliance of Republican lawmakers and animal rights advocates, together with others, is creating storm clouds for a plan to protect one threatened owl by killing a more common one. Last August, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service approved a plan to shoot roughly 450,000 barred owls in California, Oregon and Washington over three decades. The barred owls have been out-competing imperiled northern spotted owls in the Pacific Northwest, as well as California spotted owls, pushing them out of their territory. Supporters of the approach — including conservation groups and prominent scientists — believe the cull is necessary to avert disastrous consequences for the spotted owls. But the coalition argues the effort is too expensive, unworkable and inhumane. They're urging the Trump administration to cancel it and lawmakers could pursue a reversal through special congressional action. Last month, The Times has found, federal officials canceled three owl-related grants to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife totaling roughly $1.1 million, including one study that would remove barred owls from over 192,000 acres in Mendocino and Sonoma counties. Two were nixed before federal funding was allocated and never got off the ground, Peter Tira, a spokesperson for the state wildlife agency, said. Another, a collaboration with University of Maryland biologists to better understand barred owl dispersal patterns in western forests, was nearly complete when terminated. 'Under President Donald J. Trump's leadership, we are eliminating wasteful programs, cutting unnecessary costs and ensuring every dollar serves a clear purpose,' a spokesperson for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said in a statement when asked whether the grants had been terminated. Another lever would be for Congress to overturn the owl-kill plan altogether using the Congressional Review Act. The Government Accountability Office concluded in a late-May decision that the plan is subject to that act, sometimes used by new presidential administrations to reverse rules issued by federal agencies in the final months of prior administrations. Both chambers of Congress would need to pass a joint resolution to undo it. In the months leading up to the GAO determination, bipartisan groups of U.S. House members wrote two letters to the secretary of the Interior laying out reasons why the owl-cull plan should not move forward. In total, 19 Republicans and 18 Democrats signed the letters, including seven lawmakers from California — David Valadao (R-Hanford), Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-Los Angeles), Gil Cisneros (D-Covina), Josh Harder (D-Tracy), Linda T. Sánchez (D-Whittier), Jim Costa (D-Fresno) and Adam Gray (D-Merced). Rep. Troy E. Nehls (R-Texas), an ardent Trump supporter, signed the initial letter, and is 'currently exploring other options to end this unnecessary plan, which prioritizes one species of owls over another, and wastes Americans' hard-earned tax dollars,' communications director Emily Matthews said. Kamlager-Dove said also said earlier this year that she objected to killing one species to preserve another. 'And as an animal lover, I cannot support the widespread slaughter of these beautiful creatures,' she said. If a resolution is introduced, passed and signed by President Trump, the plan will be over. The Fish and Wildlife Service would not be allowed to bring forward a similar rule, unless explicitly authorized by Congress. Tom Wheeler, executive director of the Environmental Protection Information Center, which supports reducing the barred owl population, called the specter of the Congressional Review Act 'very scary.' It's 'an intrusion by Congress into areas where we're relying on high agency expertise and scientific understanding,' he said. 'It's vibes versus science.' Wheeler said he believed it was more likely the program would be deprioritized amid budget cuts than eliminated through the Act. 'If we don't move forward with barred owl removal, it will mean the extinction of the northern spotted owl, and it will likely mean the extinction of the California spotted owl as well,' he said. Science is on its side, he said. A long-term field experiment showed that where barred owls were killed, the population of spotted owls stabilized. For animal welfare activist Wayne Pacelle, who has galvanized opposition to the owl-cull plan, it's a hopeful turn of events. 'Even if they had full funding for this, we don't think it could possibly succeed,' said Pacelle, president of Animal Wellness Action and Center for a Humane Economy. The land area where the barred owls need to be controlled is just too vast, he said. And barred owls from elsewhere, he said, will simply fly in and replace those that are felled. As few as 3,000 northern spotted owls are left on federal lands. The brown raptors with white spots are listed as threatened under both the California and federal Endangered Species Act. California spotted owls are also in decline, and federal wildlife officials have proposed endangered species protections for two populations. The two sides of the fierce debate agree that barred and spotted owls compete for nesting sites and food — such as woodrats and northern flying squirrels. Barred owls and spotted owls are similar in appearance and can even interbreed. But barred owls are more aggressive and slightly larger, in addition to being more generalist when it comes to what they'll eat and where they'll live, allowing them to muscle out their fellow raptors. Federal wildlife officials and some conservationists consider barred owls invasive. As Europeans settled the Great Plains, they suppressed fire and planted trees, allowing barred owls to expand westward from their origin in eastern North America, biologists believe. 'I would call this an invasion, and I would call these non-native species,' Wheeler said. On the flip side, some see the owl arrival along the West Coast as natural range expansion. There are also conflicting views of the cost of exterminating so many owls. Opponents estimate it will cost about $1.35 billion, extrapolated from a $4.5-million contract awarded to a Northern California Native American tribe last year to hunt about 1,500 barred owls over four years. A 2024 research paper, however, concluded that barred owl removal in the range of the northern spotted owl would cost from $4.5 million to $12 million per year in its initial stages, and would likely decrease over time. At $12 million a year, the 30-year plan would run $360 million. Pacelle's Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy have also sued the Fish and Wildlife Service in U.S. District Court in Washington state over the plan. Friends of Animals, another animal welfare group, filed suit in Oregon. Wheeler's Environmental Protection Information Center has intervened in the suits in defense of the plan, and those cases continue to advance.
UPI
5 days ago
- Politics
- UPI
Federal judge halts project in Chico, Calif., cites risk to 3 threatened species
1 of 3 | The Butte County meadowfoam is only found in Butte County, Calif. A federal judge stopped a project that would further endanger the flower. Photo by Rick Kuyper/U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service July 18 (UPI) -- A federal judge overturned the approval by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers of a mixed-use project in Chico, Calif., after environmentalists claimed it will destroy the natural habitat of threatened species. At issue was the Stonegate Development Project, a 314-acre development. It was to include 423 single-family residential lots, 13.4 acres of multi-family residential land uses, 36.6 acres of commercial land uses, 5.4 acres of storm water facilities, 3.5 acres of park and a 137-acre, open-space preserve, the ruling said. U.S. District Judge Daniel Calabretta gave summary judgment requested by the Center for Biological Diversity and AquAlliance and halted implementation of the project until the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service prepares a legally adequate biological opinion that the development wouldn't jeopardize protected species. Calabretta, a President Joe Biden appointee, wrote that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service issued a Biological Opinion for the project in early 2020. That opinion "acknowledged there would be harm to some ESA-listed species, but that the project would not jeopardize the continued survival and recovery of the listed fairy shrimp, tadpole shrimp and meadowfoam." It also did not analyze impacts on the giant garter snake, he added. "The court finds that federal defendants' failure to consider potential effects on the ESA-listed giant garter snake was based on a faulty assumption that there have been no sightings of the snake within five miles of the project renders its Biological Opinion arbitrary and capricious," Calabretta said. According to the conservation groups, the project also would permanently destroy 9.14 acres of wetlands. But some meadowfoam habitat may be established through mitigation efforts. The Butte County meadowfoam is found nowhere in the world but Butte County, Calif., the Center for Biological Diversity said. The species has only 21 distinct populations remaining, and the project would destroy one population and further encroach on two others. According to the fish and wildlife service, the giant garter snake is one of the largest garter snakes, reaching 63.7 inches long. It has been listed as threatened since 1993 and now only exists in three counties in California. Only about 5% of its historical wetland habitat remains. Vernal pool fairy shrimp are restricted to vernal pools found in California and southern Oregon. They are found in 32 counties across California's Central Valley, central coast and southern California and in Jackson County in southern Oregon, the service said.
Indianapolis Star
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Indianapolis Star
'Militant' geese take over Franklin in viral TikTok marching clip
A gaggle of geese waddling in perfect formation down a neighborhood street in Franklin, Indiana, has captured the internet's attention and sparked thousands of amused reactions. In a TikTok posted around Independence Day, local resident Arthur Reed filmed the geese marching in synchronized lines and jokingly called them 'militant.' The clip has since racked up over half a million likes. 'Left left left right left,' one viewer wrote. Another added, 'Looks like a peaceful protest to me.' The birds appear to be moving in rows like a drill team, but according to Reed, their actual destination was just another pond. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service estimates there are about 3.2 million resident Canada geese in the U.S., and Franklin, a small city south of Indianapolis, is no stranger to them. But this display of discipline has turned an otherwise typical goose crossing into a trove of viral delight. 'On a serious note, though, what is going on?' one commenter asked. It's a molting mission. According to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, late summer marks molting season for Canada geese — a time when adults shed and regrow their flight feathers and are temporarily flightless for about a month. Because goslings are also grounded, it's common to see entire families walking in groups near streets and ponds in search of food and safety.
Newsweek
10-07-2025
- General
- Newsweek
Rare White Birds Nearly Disappeared From US—Now They're Making a Return
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Once nearly having fallen into extinction, North America's tallest bird is now making a much awaited come-back. A new survey from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service estimated a record-breaking 557 whooping cranes wintered around Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, on the Texas coast during the 2024–2025 season, the highest count recorded for this species. At least 41 of those cranes were reported to be juveniles, fresh new recruits from the breeding grounds in and around Wood Buffalo National Park in Canada. "The 2024–2025 wintering grounds survey marks the first time that the Aransas-Wood Buffalo Population of whooping cranes has been estimated to exceed 550 individuals, a remarkable achievement for a species that once numbered only 21 individuals" said Matthew Butler, service biologist and lead author of the report, in a statement. "All whooping cranes today are descended from only 14 adults remaining on the Texas coast in 1941", he added. Above pictured are two whooping crane at Aransas National Wildlife Refuge. Above pictured are two whooping crane at Aransas National Wildlife Refuge. Mike Croyle/USFWS Thanks to decades of legal protection, habitat restoration and cross-border collaboration, the population has been growing steadily—about 4.33 percent a year. An additional 68 sightings were reported by service staff, conservation partners and community scientists beyond the refuge, in another record. However, there is a chance these may include birds accidentally recounted as they move in and out of the designated survey area. Whether or not these birds were already accounted for, their presence in new areas means that they are expanding their winter range. "These survey results are incredibly encouraging as they demonstrate the whooping crane continues to steadily recover from the brink of extinction," said Kevin McAbee, the Service's Whooping Crane Recovery Coordinator, in a statement. "The expanding range and steady population growth reflect the hard work and dedication of every partner working to conserve whooping cranes. Together, we are making a real difference for this iconic North American bird and preserving it for future generations." Whooping cranes live in family groups and frequent marshes, shallow lakes and lagoons. They usually feed on plants, shellfish, insects, fish and frogs. Generally safe from hunting and egg collection, their biggest threat—loss of wetlands—persists. While the survey was focused around Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, conservation efforts are in place throughout North America's Central Flyway—from the Texas coast, through the Great Plains of the United States, to the Canadian Prairies and the northern boreal forest. While the increasing numbers of whooping cranes is encouraging, conservation efforts are far from over—and the U.S Fish and Wildlife service says that it remains committed to ensuring the long-term survival of this species. Do you have a science story to share with Newsweek? Do you have a question about whooping cranes? Let us know via science@
