Spotted Owl back in the news

[Terryj]

For those of us that live in the Pacific Northwest that remember the issue of about 40 years ago of how logging in the PNW was responsible killing the Spotted Owl. This resulted to logging being shut down on Federal and State lands, destroying the economy of many a small towns in Oregon. Well, come to find out that the Spotted Owl's population is still in decline and it isn't logging to blame for this. The culprit for this decline is the Barred Owl, (oops, sorry loggers, our mistake), so how are they going to fix this problem, anybody for Barred Owl hunting. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Department is going to launch a hunting campaign employing skilled shooters to kill about a half million Barred Owls in the PNW. So, now we have have the Spotted Owl not only killing off the logging industry in Oregon, Washington and California but now it's going to be responsible for the killing of Barred Owls.

The damage to our forest by this irresponsible act of banning logging because of the Spotted Owl has cost billions of dollars, needless to say of the destruction of forest here in Oregon.

source: https://oregoncatalyst.com/80335-nw-kill-500000-owls-save-owls.html

 

[MamboDervish]

The damage to our forest by this irresponsible act of banning logging because of the Spotted Owl has cost billions of dollars, needless to say of the destruction of forest here in Oregon.

??? What nonsense. The trees that haven't been cut down in the last 40 years are still there.

More than 60,000 Oregonians are employed in the lumber industry, and it still pulls in over $80 million in annual sales. Oregon is the top US producer of both plywood and softwood timber.

 

[poppopfox]

For those of us that live in the Pacific Northwest that remember the issue of about 40 years ago of how logging in the PNW was responsible killing the Spotted Owl. This resulted to logging being shut down on Federal and State lands, destroying the economy of many a small towns in Oregon. Well, come to find out that the Spotted Owl's population is still in decline and it isn't logging to blame for this. The culprit for this decline is the Barred Owl, (oops, sorry loggers, our mistake), so how are they going to fix this problem, anybody for Barred Owl hunting. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Department is going to launch a hunting campaign employing skilled shooters to kill about a half million Barred Owls in the PNW. So, now we have have the Spotted Owl not only killing off the logging industry in Oregon, Washington and California but now it's going to be responsible for the killing of Barred Owls.

The damage to our forest by this irresponsible act of banning logging because of the Spotted Owl has cost billions of dollars, needless to say of the destruction of forest here in Oregon.

source: https://oregoncatalyst.com/80335-nw-kill-500000-owls-save-owls.html

— Did you enjoy this article? If yes,please contribute online to support future articles at OregonWatchdog.com (learn about a Charitable Tax Deduction or Political Tax Credit options to promote liberty).

 

[Terryj]

??? What nonsense. The trees that haven't been cut down in the last 40 years are still there.

More than 60,000 Oregonians are employed in the lumber industry, and it still pulls in over $80 million in annual sales. Oregon is the top US producer of both plywood and softwood timber.

Most of the timber harvested in Oregon comes from private land not Forest service land. The amount of timber harvest from Forest service lands after the Spotted Owl issue fell from 2 billion board feet to just 55 million board feet.
The trees that haven't been cut down in the last 40 years are still there, well, I guess if they had been cut down then they wouldn't be there, that's quite an insight.
Most of the catastrophic wildfire we see today are happening in Federal and State managed forest. The issue of protecting (meaning, not doing anything) with our Federal and State forest are costing us dearly. Since the moratorium on logging on State and Federal lands in the late 1990 there have been more wildfires exceeding 100,000 acres than in the past. Prior to the 1990's there had been 6 wildfires in Oregon over 75,000 acres, the worse was the Bandon fire of 1936 burning over 275,000 acres.

It does seem that the USFS is starting to thin out some of these overgrown forest, despite the environmentalist protest.

 

[poppopfox]

Most of the timber harvested in Oregon comes from private land not Forest service land. The amount of timber harvest from Forest service lands after the Spotted Owl issue fell from 2 billion board feet to just 55 million board feet.
The trees that haven't been cut down in the last 40 years are still there, well, I guess if they had been cut down then they wouldn't be there, that's quite an insight.
Most of the catastrophic wildfire we see today are happening in Federal and State managed forest. The issue of protecting (meaning, not doing anything) with our Federal and State forest are costing us dearly. Since the moratorium on logging on State and Federal lands in the late 1990 there have been more wildfires exceeding 100,000 acres than in the past. Prior to the 1990's there had been 6 wildfires in Oregon over 75,000 acres, the worse was the Bandon fire of 1936 burning over 275,000 acres.

It does seem that the USFS is starting to thin out some of these overgrown forest, despite the environmentalist protest.

"Oregon's old-growth forests are home to a diverse range of plants, animals, and insects, and play a vital role in the state's ecosystem. However, less than 10% of Oregon's old-growth forests remain today, and many of those are still at risk of logging."
I think humans have done enough damage to the ecosystem, don't you?

 

[mike2810]

??? What nonsense. The trees that haven't been cut down in the last 40 years are still there.

More than 60,000 Oregonians are employed in the lumber industry, and it still pulls in over $80 million in annual sales. Oregon is the top US producer of both plywood and softwood timber.

have you noticed any changes in wildfire behavior? Many of our National Forest are overgrown.

I do remember the Spotted Owl issue from decades ago. I recall an old logger being interviewed by a news outlet. He basically said, " I only have one question, where did the Spotted Owl live before there was old growth forests?"

imo, a great question.

 

[Terryj]

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Maybe this will help you out, be sure to read section 8
chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.fws.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2024-08/final-barred-owl-management-strategy-2024_508.pdf

 

[MamboDervish]

Most of the timber harvested in Oregon comes from private land not Forest service land. The amount of timber harvest from Forest service lands after the Spotted Owl issue fell from 2 billion board feet to just 55 million board feet.

So it sounds like it's due for a surging comeback. Good!

The trees that haven't been cut down in the last 40 years are still there, well, I guess if they had been cut down then they wouldn't be there, that's quite an insight.

Your direct quote .... "needless to say of the destruction of forest here in Oregon."
??

Most of the catastrophic wildfire we see today are happening in Federal and State managed forest. The issue of protecting (meaning, not doing anything) with our Federal and State forest are costing us dearly. Since the moratorium on logging on State and Federal lands in the late 1990 there have been more wildfires exceeding 100,000 acres than in the past. Prior to the 1990's there had been 6 wildfires in Oregon over 75,000 acres, the worse was the Bandon fire of 1936 burning over 275,000 acres.

Blaming the spotted owl for wildfires is .... well, silly.

It does seem that the USFS is starting to thin out some of these overgrown forest, despite the environmentalist protest.

Bigger trees will be more profitable.

Anecdotally, I used to work in that industry when I live in Eugene, nearly 50 years ago. A place called Roberts Supply in Springfield, right on Main Street. To my surprise, it's apparently still in business, still in the same exact location, and still providing the same products to the lumber industry. I guess it managed to survive the spotted owl.

 

[poppopfox]

Maybe this will help you out, be sure to read section 8
chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.fws.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2024-08/final-barred-owl-management-strategy-2024_508.pdf

Your link is dead, try again.

 

[Terryj]

"Oregon's old-growth forests are home to a diverse range of plants, animals, and insects, and play a vital role in the state's ecosystem. However, less than 10% of Oregon's old-growth forests remain today, and many of those are still at risk of logging."
I think humans have done enough damage to the ecosystem, don't you?

A lot of our forest are so over grown that you find very little wildlife in them. If you have trouble walking through the forest so will the wildlife, this is why you will see more wildlife in area that have been clear cut or thinned.
I think humans have done enough damage to the ecosystem, don't you? I totally agree. We have been suppressing forest fires for 100 years, and by not managing these forest and allowing the undergrowth and debris to build up and couple that with drought, it is a disaster just waiting to happen. So, yes, we have done enough damage.

 

[Terryj]

So it sounds like it's due for a surging comeback. Good!

Your direct quote .... "needless to say of the destruction of forest here in Oregon."
??

Blaming the spotted owl for wildfires is .... well, silly.

Bigger trees will be more profitable.

Anecdotally, I used to work in that industry when I live in Eugene, nearly 50 years ago. A place called Roberts Supply in Springfield, right on Main Street. To my surprise, it's apparently still in business, still in the same exact location, and still providing the same products to the lumber industry. I guess it managed to survive the spotted owl.

I worked in the logging industry from 1971-74 as a choker setter, heard rigger and hooktender. Small world, I worked at Roberts Logging Supply making chokers for a couple months. Then the outdoors was calling me back to the woods.

 

[MamboDervish]

I worked in the logging industry from 1971-74 as a choker setter, heard rigger and hooktender. Small world, I worked at Roberts Logging Supply making chokers for a couple months. Then the outdoors was calling me back to the woods.

I did the same thing! I think I recall that the sleeves on some of the chokers was swaged with a 600 ton press. Made a ton of those.

I vividly remember making runs up to the pill box in the woods to load and unload dynamite. The crazy kid who was driving the truck would get a gleam in his eyes, and race down hill to the railroad crossing when he heard the whistle, trying to get across the tracks before it was blocked by the train. We'd have a truck filled with FloJel 60 explosives in the back, and blasting caps in the cab with us, speeding along a narrow gravel road, trying to beat the train to the crossing.

GOOD TIMES!


Do you still have both your legs?

 

[Terryj]

I did the same thing! I think I recall that the sleeves on some of the chokers was swaged with a 600 ton press. Made a ton of those.

I vividly remember making runs up to the pill box in the woods to load and unload dynamite. The crazy kid who was driving the truck would get a gleam in his eyes, and race down hill to the railroad crossing when he heard the whistle, trying to get across the tracks before it was blocked by the train. We'd have a truck filled with FloJel 60 explosives in the back, and blasting caps in the cab with us, speeding along a narrow gravel road, trying to beat the train to the crossing.

GOOD TIMES!


Do you still have both your legs?

I rode with Sam a few times taking explosives to Lost Creek Dam, we'd stop at the magazine out side of Roseburg and drop off the explosives that weren't used. He always took the Canyonville-Trail hwy, that was a ride. Yep, still have both legs, they're a little worse for wear.

 

[Terryj]

Your link is dead, try again.

Try this link, you'll then have to click on the link for the PDF file.

Final Barred Owl Management Strategy

www.fws.gov

 

[MamboDervish]

I rode with Sam a few times taking explosives to Lost Creek Dam, we'd stop at the magazine out side of Roseburg and drop off the explosives that weren't used. He always took the Canyonville-Trail hwy, that was a ride. Yep, still have both legs, they're a little worse for wear.

I asked only because I've known several lumberjacks who lost one leg walking across log jams. I thought, "What are the odds of that?" Apparently it's not uncommon.

 

[Lursa]

For those of us that live in the Pacific Northwest that remember the issue of about 40 years ago of how logging in the PNW was responsible killing the Spotted Owl. This resulted to logging being shut down on Federal and State lands, destroying the economy of many a small towns in Oregon. Well, come to find out that the Spotted Owl's population is still in decline and it isn't logging to blame for this. The culprit for this decline is the Barred Owl, (oops, sorry loggers, our mistake), so how are they going to fix this problem, anybody for Barred Owl hunting. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Department is going to launch a hunting campaign employing skilled shooters to kill about a half million Barred Owls in the PNW. So, now we have have the Spotted Owl not only killing off the logging industry in Oregon, Washington and California but now it's going to be responsible for the killing of Barred Owls.

The damage to our forest by this irresponsible act of banning logging because of the Spotted Owl has cost billions of dollars, needless to say of the destruction of forest here in Oregon.

source: https://oregoncatalyst.com/80335-nw-kill-500000-owls-save-owls.html

As a park ranger in WA St back in the late 80's, early 90's, I attended some of the spotted owl hearings for my job.

The reason the barred owls expanded in the Pac NW and have been outcompeting the spotted owls is because logging was taking old growth timber. Spotted owls are dependent on old growth for nesting, barred owls arent. Humans created this imbalance. So now, almost 40 yrs on, instead of controlling timber cutting properly, now they want to destroy all these barred owls.

There's no "damage to our forest" by banning logging, esp. not from banning logging of old growth...it was just inconvenient to job loss. Guess what? The govt doesnt own people jobs. The last sentence of the OP is ridiculous...but it has resulted in decades of lost time and opportunities and left us here...with sad and desperate measures for the barred owls.