A plan to kill hundreds of thousands of barred owls is moving forward.

The Senate rejected a resolution to block the program, The Center Square reported Friday.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) proposed killing half a million barred owls across Washington, Oregon, and California to save the region’s northern spotted owls. Opponents said it’s cruel, expensive, and won’t work long-term.

The estimated cost tops $1 billion, with about 453,000 owls targeted.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service explains need to cull barred owls

FWS explained, via a news release in July 2024, that the northern spotted owls’ population is rapidly declining because it has to compete with the barred owls. The removal would take out less than one-half of 1% of the current North American barred owl p

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