In the Northwest’s old-growth forests, home of the timber wars of the 1990s, brown-striped barred owls are moving in and stealing the prey base needed by the smaller, and endangered, northern spotted owls. The federal solution, writes Mitch Friedman, is for sharpshooters to kill 16,000 barred owls a year. Decades ago, Friedman was an Earth First! member who spent days as a tree sitter, hoping to thwart old growth logging. Now, the spotted owl that halted the logging of ancient trees needs drastic help. Friedman explains where he stands on this controversial issue.
Opinion - Must we kill one species to save another?
Photo courtesy of Mitch Friedman.