Let the killing continue in the name of the green environmental religion.
The U.S. Forest Service, along with other scientific researchers, conducted a multi-year study in the forests where a moratorium was in effect to protect the population of spotted owl in the U.S. There was no human activity within the protected forest but the spotted owl population continued to decline.
Research showed that the natural expansion of the Barred owl was the reason for the continuing decline in the spotted owl population, not logging as proclaimed by Gwen Barlee. This report was released and acknowledged by Pat Bell, the Minister of Environment at that time, even knowing the cause of declining numbers, government was forced to initiate the futile Spotted Owl Recovery Program.
Having read the Spotted Owl Recovery Program many times, I've found no mention of logging old-growth as the number one reason for declining populations as per Ms. Barlee. It does however stress that for this program to be successful all barred owl must be removed from spotted owl habitat.
It also goes on to state "there will be public opposition to the program". The public was never informed as to the actual reasons and ramifications until now. This means the destruction of barred and Horned owls within the Squamish and Chilliwack Forest Districts plus parts of other forest districts.
Nature has always been the underpinning basis of being environmental until now. The expansion of the barred owl into the habitat of the spotted owl is the natural process of evolution. This is precisely what nature intended them to do and yet organizations such as the Wilderness Committee would deny this process from happening.
As disturbing as the useless and senseless killing of the barred owl to prevent the natural extinction of the spotted owl, is that it is also killing a new species in the process, a cross breed of spotted owl and barred owl, a hybrid, a mixing of nature to produce a more robust more adaptable species. It's a future owl to exist in the old-growth timber and outside that limited habitat.
I have referred to new green environmentalism as a religion, a belief if you will with environmentalists as their radio and T.V. evangelists because no one who is truly environmental would advocate killing a species for doing exactly what nature intended them to do.
Environmentalists believe they are saving the world from the ravages of the human species because they cannot accept that mankind is also a part of the natural environment. If they truly want to help nature, leave it to hell alone.
Larry Barnes
Prince George
