On January 10, the BLM made the decision to manage the barred owl population on BLM-managed lands in Oregon in a responsible manner. The northern spotted owl, which is in danger, is said to be saved by the plan. The fact that our tax dollars would be used to shoot and kill one species of owl in favor of another is not made evident in the government’s celebratory rhetoric surrounding this news. Since barred owls will continue to breed, this approach will need to continue indefinitely. We will be funding an effort to control the population of a particular species rather than investing this money on forest management, which can lower the risk of wildfires and bring money back to the Treasury.
Is this possible? Here’s an illustration. In ten western states, the BLM oversees burrop and wild horse operations. The programs spent roughly $17 million in 1998. The amount spent skyrocketed to $158 million by 2023. What did the taxpayer purchase with that? Around 73,000 wild horses and burros are estimated to be on public lands as of March 2024, according to BLM estimates. The declared population objective, however, is roughly 27,000, which is the number that can graze on public lands sustainably while taking other resources and uses into account. The population is 270% over the target as a result of years of this cautious management. Furthermore, the care and feeding of roughly 60,000 wild horses and burros that taxpayers fund at long-term holding facilities (rest houses) on private property is not included in those figures.
Will the government ever find out?
Haske, Mike, Beaverton
After 36 years, Haske retired from the BLM state office in Oregon in 2017.
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