Houston Daily

Today, Congressman Troy E. Nehls (R-TX-22) introduced a House Joint Resolution of Disapproval against President Joe Biden’s U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) plan. The plan involves the direct killing of nearly half a million barred owls in the Pacific Northwest, with an estimated cost to taxpayers of $1.35 billion over 30 years.

In September 2024, the USFWS approved a Record of Decision for a "Barred Owl Management Strategy." This strategy authorizes the shooting of more than 450,000 barred owls at approximately $3,000 per owl. The goal is to reduce competition between barred owls and Northern spotted owls and California owls.

Congressman Nehls’ resolution aims to prevent this management strategy from being implemented. "The Biden Administration’s Fish and Wildlife Service agency plan to directly kill more than 450,000 barred owls, costing tax dollars over $1.3 billion over the next 30 years, is a waste of Americans’ hard-earned tax dollars," said Congressman Nehls. "Under the leadership of President Trump, we are protecting Americans’ tax dollars and restoring fiscal sanity in Washington, D.C."

The resolution is cosponsored by several representatives including Scott Perry (R-PA-10), Josh Harder (D-CA-09), Andy Ogles (R-TN-05), Adam Gray (D-CA-13), Buddy Carter (R-GA-01), Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-CA-37), Nancy Mace (R-SC-01), Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ-05), Lance Gooden (R-TX-05), Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL-20), Tim Burchett (R-TN-02), Vern Buchanan (R-FL-16), Shri Thanedar (D-MI-13), Gus Bilirakis (R-FL-12), Jeff Van Drew (R-NJ-02), Diana Harshbarger (R-TN-01), and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA-01).

Earlier this year on March 10, Congressman Nehls along with Congresswoman Sydney Kamlager-Dove led a bipartisan letter urging Department of Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to halt funding for this agency plan.