The Owl and the Canary

When the Endangered Species Act (ESA) passed in 1973, there was confusion in the public mind over the justification for preventing extinction of species that appeared to have no social or commercial value. Why should any public funds be spent to protect the existence of animals most people would never see? Scientists frequently used a "canary in the coal mine" analogy to help explain a significant aspect of endangered species protection. The analogy is based on the need for coal miners to detect dangerous levels of odorless carbon monoxide or methane. Death can occur from breathing contaminated air before a miner perceives that the danger exists. Beginning in the early 1900's, canaries were used as biological indicators of unsafe conditions in coal mine shafts. Canaries will show diagnostic signs of distress when carbon monoxide or other toxic gases reach unsafe levels. If the canary falls off its perch, it’s time to get out of the mine, pronto! In fact, canaries start swaying from side to side before they succumb, so they are better than mice that don't show signs of distress until they simply keel over dead. Only in 1986 were the canaries replaced by electronic instruments thought to be equally reliable.

The northern spotted owl became known as the canary in the coal mine for the old growth ecosystems of the Pacific Northwest. It made a good analogy because the health of spotted owl populations was clearly tied to the extent of old growth forests. When the spotted owl started to decline in numbers to such an extent that extinction became a clear outcome if it continued, it was taken as clear evidence that the entire old growth ecosystem was suffering. The owl was at the top of the food chain. Therefore, if it was declining, the animals it fed on were declining, and the organisms they fed on were probably in jeopardy. Lawsuits brought under the ESA led directly to the Northwest Forest Plan (NFP). One of the primary objectives of the NFP was to set aside enough old growth forest to ensure the continued survival of the northern spotted owl. 

Whether or not this action was sufficient to prevent continued decline of owl populations is an ongoing debate. Other threats to the northern spotted owl have arisen, such as displacement or genetic swamping by the increasing invasion of the barred owl. Because this has been in the news lately, it has deflected attention from the old growth forests. Here is where the "canary in the coal mine" analogy breaks down.

The timber industry has suggested that since the invasion of the barred owl has nothing to do with logging, protecting the northern spotted owl is moot and logging in old growth forests should be resumed. Another suggestion stems from the belief that it is possible to maintain minimal levels of northern spotted owl in habitats that approach but do not fit definitions of old growth, maybe even in "managed" stands of trees. Both of these approaches show a focus on the canary and not on the coal mine. The whole idea of taking canaries into the coal mine was to be assured the atmosphere in the mine was safe. It wouldn't do to fit little gas masks onto the canaries so they wouldn't suffer from toxic gasses. The idea is to keep the mine healthy, not simply keep the canary healthy! The recent effort by the Bureau of Land Management to abandon the NFP and develop a new management plan is flawed for this reason. In a recent mailing (Plan Revisions News, December 2007) the BLM claims that cutting 75% more old growth than the NFP allows would still permit them to "meet our legal mandate to protect and enhance habitat for endangered species like the northern spotted owl."

They want to remove nearly half the remaining old growth on the land they manage! They claim they could do this by allowing some younger forests to develop into forests with characteristics of older forests. They believe that some of these characteristics of older forests develop in only 80 years. The sad thing about this patently nonsensical policy is that the NFP already would allow up to 25% of the remaining old growth to be logged. Considering that 90% of the old growth forests of Oregon have already been eliminated, there is nothing left to spare. Even if no cutting were done, some will be lost to natural events like fire, landslides, and windstorms. Every acre that's left needs to be set aside in perpetuity. At least until the present second growth forests reach two or three centuries of maturity. The "canary, not the coal mine" fallacy is important to appreciate when thinking about what you can do for the good of the natural world. It's my contention that the wisest place to put resources is in the preservation and conservation management of natural systems. Organizations like The Nature Conservancy has a mandate to do exactly this. They don't just look for and protect endangered species; rather, they use endangered species as canaries to help them locate ecosystems that are in trouble and then buy the appropriate land for preservation.

I would support the Nature Conservancy before giving to a wildlife park that claims to be preventing extinction by captive breeding. Captive breeding and cryogenic seed banks are great. Their value is in education as much as biological conservation, so they do play an important role. But they can't supplant conservation of the natural habitats where the plants and animals can thrive on their own.

-David Wagner For information: www.nature.org/

Once on the website, type in “Coburg Ridge Preserve” (include the quotation marks) and learn about the latest (2007) purchase in our area—a fine example of a valuable ecosystem, purchased solely for preservation as Dave mentions. For those without internet access, here’s a local phone number: 541-343-1010. You can volunteer with the Nature Conservancy on many levels, from the office to the field, or simply make a donation, for today or in perpetuity.

-Editor