Whooo's where?
Category: Research Poster
Author(s): Sydney Steel, Lucas Kazmierski
Presenter(s): Sydney Steel
Mentors(s): Veronica Yovovich
In 2024, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced a lethal management strategy to address the threat posed from invasive barred owls to the survival of endangered northern and California spotted owls. As part of this management plan, the Service is authorizing the lethal removal of up to 500,000 barred owls across their non-native range. Despite evidence supporting that the removal of barred owls may decrease spotted owl extinction rates, the USFWS plan has faced criticism from animal rights groups, ethicists, and law makers. This project will provide an overview of the conflict between barred and spotted owls as well as arguments for and against the USFWS management plan.