Utter Insanity...

Trained shooters will be deployed to the dense forests of the West Coast forests to kill almost a half-million barred owls that are crowding out their endangered cousins.

Given how similar the two species are, there's almost certain to be 'mistakes'.  

'Without actively managing barred owls, northern spotted owls will likely go extinct in all or the majority of their range, despite decades of collaborative conservation efforts,' said Fish and Wildlife Service Oregon state supervisor Kessina Lee. But the notion of killing one bird species to save another has divided wildlife advocates and conservationists.

If the spotted owls can't compete they will lose. That's biological reality. I guess 'believe the science' doesn't apply here?  

'The Fish and Wildlife Service is turning from protector of wildlife to persecutor of wildlife,' said Wayne Pacelle, founder of the advocacy group Animal Wellness Action. Pacelle predicted the program would fail because the agency won't be able to keep more barred owls from migrating into areas where others have been killed.

As a habitat opens up, it will be colonised. Nature is far more ruthless than even man.