In an effort to save two subspecies of spotted owls from extinction, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) released its Draft Barred Owl Management Strategy and accompanying Draft Environmental Impact Statement in November 2023. …In the past two decades, some spotted owl populations have declined by over 75 percent, in large part due to competition for territory and food from the barred owl… Lethal control of the barred owl is essential to preserving the spotted owl, according to the USFWS strategy. It contains six proposed management alternatives: five are varied approaches to lethal control of barred owls, and one is to take no action. Lethal control means targeted shooting by experienced removal specialists who meet the strict criteria of the Service. “This is not public hunting,” says Robin Bown, the barred owl management strategy lead for USFWS. “This is not allowing people to go out hunting these birds.”