It?s been very interesting to read all the comments on this issue. I think I?ll take the opportunity weigh in with my thoughts.

My concern is that if a Barred Owl (BAOW) removal plan is implemented, that this decision will be made based on politics, not science.

We know that BAOWs are appearing in pristine old-growth forests that used to have Spotted Owls (SPOW).
Did the Barreds eat the Spotteds?
Did they displace them (which means the Spotteds were probably eaten by Goshawks or Great Horned Owls)?
Did the Spotteds perish from predators or starvation and the unoccupied territory then became occupied by Barreds?

Do we know any of this? The answers to these questions are important for assessing whether or not a removal plan would or even could be successful.

It would be incorrect to assume that SPOWs would automatically reoccupy an area. How many are even in that particular region? Is there even a local population that could be a source of dispersing young owls?

I'm not opposed to a removal plan if it is based on scientific information about both species' biology and population dynamics, and that there's a valid scientific plan to study the effects.

Mike Donahue
Seattle