"The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says they are underfunded and too busy listing other species to give the birds the attention they need".
"The northern spotted owl has lost 70 percent of its habitat to development and timber harvesting and could go extinct without added federal protection, the Trump administration announced Monday.
But the owls won’t get it.
Although the owls deserve to be moved from threatened to the higher endangered designation that would afford them more protection under the Endangered Species Act, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said it lacks the funding and resources for the work it takes to upgrade their listing. The agency said it will focus on completing “higher priority” listings."
Darryl Fears reports for the Washington Post December 14, 2020.
