Congress moves to block federal barred owl culling in three western states
S.J.Res. 69 — A joint resolution providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service relating to "Record of Decision for the Barred Owl Management Strategy; Washington, Oregon, and California". · Filed by John Kennedy (R-LA) · 5 cosponsors · Introduced Jul 24, 2025 · Reported out
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What it does
This joint resolution disapproves a Fish and Wildlife Service rule authorizing the killing of barred owls in Washington, Oregon, and California as part of a management strategy. If passed, the rule would be nullified and have no legal force, blocking the agency's owl-culling program in those three states.
Why we flagged it
This is a standard CRA disapproval resolution under 5 U.S.C. § 802, a procedural mechanism allowing Congress to nullify agency rules within 60 legislative days. It does exactly one thing: block a specific Fish and Wildlife Service rule.
What the text implies
- If passed, the disapproval would prevent any future Fish and Wildlife Service attempt to reissue the same rule without new congressional action, effectively locking in the status quo for barred owl management in those three states.
- The resolution targets a rule issued as a 'record of decision' (a NEPA document), which the GAO determined qualifies as a 'rule' under the CRA—a legal determination that may signal broader CRA applicability to agency decisions previously thought exempt from congressional review.
The full analysis lists 3 implications of this text.
Who it affects
Citizens in the affected states lose a wildlife management tool that the agency believed would protect threatened northern spotted owls, but gain protection for barred owls and avoid the ecological and ethical costs of a large-scale culling program. The balance depends on one's view of predator control as conservation strategy versus the intrinsic value of barred owls and ecosystem complexity.