Over the last year, I have done a deep dive on ethical and conceptual issues regarding the conservation of northern spotted owls. I have now lived in Oregon for about twenty years. Finally I have been able to really think about an important ecological and environmental issue in my own backyard. They have served as an example in my papers and my book Ecological Models; however, I have now been able to dig deeper. This year I hope to have two papers come out on the topic. The first will be a shorter one and then their will be a longer more comprehensive one.
The main claims I am arguing for are:
The effect of protecting the northern spotted owl on jobs in the Pacific Northwest has been dramatically overstated.
The competitive displacement of northern spotted owls by the barred owl should not be addressed by killing the later to save the former.
We should create legislation that directly conserves old-growth temperate rainforest without a reliance on indicator species like the northern spotted owl and the Endangered Species Act (an Endangered Ecosystems Act if you like).
These issues link up to things I have been interested in for years including consequentialism, the nature of ecosystems, “policing nature.” and green jobs. It also gives me time to think about forests I really love.
