Barred Owl Removal Planned & Free Pesticide Removal

Barred Owl Removal Planned & Free Pesticide Removal

I’m Lacy Gray with Washington Ag Today.

In an effort to bring ever growing barred owl numbers into check in order to protect the endangered spotted owl, which is on the brink of extinction, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently released its plans to have armed bird specialists lethally remove over 3 thousand barred owls in four study areas in Washington, Oregon, and Northern California over the next four years. Barred owls have been aggressively invading spotted owl territories over the last fifty years. Since 2009 the agency has been consulting scientific studies and focus groups, and gathering public comments on the possibility of lethal removal of the barred owl. A final decision on the $3 million plan will be issued within the next thirty days.

Since the Washington State Department of Agriculture began its pesticide disposal program in 1988 roughly 2.7 million pounds of unusable pesticides have been collected from over 7,300 customers. This September the WSDA is again planning to collect unwanted agricultural and commercial-grade pesticides from cranberry farmers and other Grays Harbor and Pacific county growers, public entities and residents. WSDA’s Mike Louisell explains.

LOUISELL: We’re focusing on pesticides that they may no longer need - like insecticides or some herbicides, maybe some fungicides, and we’re willing to go down there and help them out by getting rid of pesticides that they just no long need to use or have laying around on their properties.

Sign-up by Aug. 5 by contacting WSDA at (360) 902-2056. The actual collection date will be set later.

I’m Lacy Gray and that’s Washington Ag Today on the Ag Information Network.