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Why Oregon lawmakers are asking Elon Musk to stop plan to kill 450,000 barred owls

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Why Oregon lawmakers are asking Elon Musk to stop plan to kill 450,000 barred owls


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Four Oregon lawmakers are calling on Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to help stop a plan that would kill 450,000 barred owls in an effort to save endangered spotted owls over the next 30 years.

The entrepreneurs were named by President-elect Donald Trump to lead the so-called Department of Government Efficiency.

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In a letter sent Tuesday, state Rep. Ed Diehl, R-Stayton, Rep. David Gomberg, D-Lincoln County, Rep. Virgle Osborne, R-Roseburg, and Sen.-elect Bruce Starr, R-Yamhill and Polk counties, asked the incoming Trump administration officials to stop the reportedly more than $1 billion project, calling it a “budget buster” and “impractical.”

Environmental groups Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy in late 2024 filed a federal lawsuit in Washington state to stop the planned killing of the barred owls.

Here is why the Oregon lawmakers are opposed to the plan, what the plan would do and why it is controversial.

Why the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service wants to kill barred owls

In August 2024, after years of planning, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service came up with a proposal to kill a maximum of 450,000 invasive barred owls over 30 years as a way to quell habitat competition between them and the northern spotted owl.

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Spotted owl populations have been rapidly declining due in part to competition from invasive barred owls, which originate in the eastern United States. Northern spotted owls are listed as a threatened species under the federal Endangered Species Act.

According to the USFWS plan, barred owls are one of the main factors driving the rapid decline of northern and California spotted owls, and with their removal, less than one-half of 1% of the North American barred owl population would be killed.

The plan was formally approved by the Biden administration in September 2024.

Why environmental groups want to stop the plan to kill barred owls

Shortly after it was announced, Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy immediately responded in opposition to the plan to kill barred owls. They argued the plan was both ill-conceived and that habitat loss is the main factor driving the spotted owls decline.

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“Spotted owls have experienced significant population decline over decades,” a news release from the groups filing the lawsuit said. “This decline began and continues due to habitat loss, particularly the timber harvest of old growth forest. The plan is not only ill-conceived and inhumane, but also destined to fail as a strategy to save the spotted owl.”

In their complaint, the groups argued the USFWS violated the National Environmental Policy Act by failing to properly analyze the impacts of their strategy and improperly rejecting reasonable alternatives to the mass killing of barred owls, such as nonlethal population control approaches, spotted owl rehabilitation efforts and better protections for owl habitat.

Why Oregon lawmakers are asking Musk to stop the plan to kill barred owls

The four Oregon lawmakers are siding with the environmental groups and calling for Musk and Ramaswamy to reverse the federal government’s plan to kill the barred owls. It was not immediately clear how the two could stop the plan.

The lawmakers letter stated the plan was impractical and a “budget buster,” with cost estimates for the plan around $1.35 billion, according to a press release by the two groups.

The letter speculates there likely isn’t an excess of people willing to do the killing for free: “it is expected that the individuals doing the shooting across millions of acres – including within Crater Lake National Park – will require compensation for the arduous, night-time hunts,” according to the press release.

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“A billion-dollar price tag for this project should get the attention of everyone on the Trump team concerned about government efficiency,” Diehl said. “Killing one type of owl to save another is outrageous and doomed to fail. This plan will swallow up Americans’ hard-earned tax dollars for no good reason.”

USFWS says they aren’t trying to trade one bird for the other.

“As wildlife professionals, we approached this issue carefully and did not come to this decision lightly,” USFWS Oregon State Supervisor Kessina Lee said in announcing the decision in August. “Spotted owls are at a crossroads, and we need to manage both barred owls and habitat to save them. This isn’t about choosing one owl over the other. If we act now, future generations will be able to see both owls in our Western forests.”  

Statesman Journal reporter Zach Urness contributed to this report.

Ginnie Sandoval is the Oregon Connect reporter for the Statesman Journal. Sandoval can be reached at GSandoval@gannett.com or on X at @GinnieSandoval.

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Some famous Oregon pets from the past century

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Some famous Oregon pets from the past century


Some famous Oregon pets from the past century – OPB

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Kotek signs sweeping immigrant justice package expanding school, healthcare protections in Oregon

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Kotek signs sweeping immigrant justice package expanding school, healthcare protections in Oregon


PORTLAND Ore. (KPTV) – Gov. Tina Kotek held a ceremonial bill signing Thursday morning for a package of immigrant justice laws at the Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization in northeast Portland.

The package includes multiple measures affecting schools, courts, workplaces, law enforcement and healthcare:

  • House Bill 4079 requires K-12 schools and higher education institutions to adopt policies for responding when federal immigration authorities enter campus property.
  • House Bill 4111 prohibits using a person’s immigration status as evidence in civil cases, expands protections against workplace retaliation tied to work authorization updates and broadens profiling laws to include immigration status.
  • House Bill 4114 allows civil action against individuals who enter certain property without a warrant or legal exception.
  • House Bill 4138 requires law enforcement officers to clearly identify themselves and limits the use of masks.
  • Senate Bill 1538 ensures equal access to public education by requiring school districts to admit all eligible students.
  • Senate Bill 1570, known as the Healthcare Without Fear Act, requires hospitals to establish policies for interactions with law enforcement and designate restricted areas not open to the public.
  • Senate Bill 1587 restricts public agencies from sharing personal data with brokers unless it will not be used for federal immigration enforcement.
  • Senate Bill 1594 directs the state to develop model policies related to immigration status in response to federal actions.

The healthcare measure requires hospitals to set procedures for law enforcement presence, assign a staff liaison and classify immigration status and place of birth as protected information. It also allows providers to share information about immigration rights and legal services with patients.

SEE ALSO: Multnomah County unanimously approves ordinance expanding sanctuary protections

The Multnomah County Board of Commissioners on Thursday unanimously approved an ordinance that codifies and expands the county’s sanctuary protections.

The law follows changes at the federal level that removed prior limits on immigration enforcement in locations like hospitals and schools. Supporters say the new policy aims to ensure patient privacy and maintain access to care regardless of immigration status.

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Oregon Republicans have raised concerns that state policies limiting cooperation with federal immigration authorities could affect public safety. In a Feb. 2026 statement, the Oregon Senate Republican Caucus criticized Democratic lawmakers for rejecting a proposal that would have required coordination with federal officials when people without legal status are convicted of serious crimes.

Republican leaders said the policy debate centers on whether state agencies should notify federal authorities before releasing people convicted of violent felonies. Senate Republican Leader Bruce Starr called such coordination “common sense.”



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Pivotal recruiting target for Ducks lists Oregon in top 5 schools

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Pivotal recruiting target for Ducks lists Oregon in top 5 schools


After the de-commitment of four-star Drew Fielder, the Oregon Ducks are back to the drawing board at the offensive tackle position for the 2027 recruiting class. They still have three-star Avery Michael, though he recently took a visit to Nebraska and doesn’t appear to be fully locked onto the Ducks.

That’s why the recruitment of four-star Caden Moss is gaining importance by the day, with the talented offensive tackle listing Oregon in his final five schools alongside LSU, Ole Miss, Kentucky and Ohio State.

Moss is the No. 5 OT and No. 58 player nationally, per 247 Sports Composite. He competes for Jackson Academy in Jackson, MS, where he’s the top-ranked player in the state.

Standing 6-foot-5 and 320 pounds, Moss already has the prototypical frame of a college lineman. At the high school level, he relies more on his physical ability than technical skills. Despite that, there appears to be untapped potential with his frame and athleticism, with nearly every high-level program in the country attempting to land his commitment.

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The Mississippi native visited Eugene in late March, writing in a post on X: “Enjoyed my time in Oregon.”

“My visit was great,” Moss told Rivals. “What stands out to me most about playing for Oregon is the development in the o-line room. The city was more than I expected. I heard it’s really nice in the summertime.”

The pairing of Michael and Moss at the tackle spots would be very beneficial for the Ducks program in the future, adding two talented players on the bookends of the offensive line. If Moss were to commit, he’d add his name to what is currently the No. 10 recruiting class and join offensive players in Michael and three-star running back Cadarius McMiller as future Ducks.

Contact/Follow @Ducks_Wire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinions.



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