How to preserve nature on a tight budget

THE NORTHERN spotted owl, pictured above, is a handsome creature. Dark brown and, as the name implies, dappled with white flecks, it stands up to half a metre tall when perched on branches in the ancient forests of America’s north-west. Its swivel neck lets it scan its sylvan habitat for woodrats, flying squirrels and other prey—or, rather, to scan what is left of that habitat, after decades of heavy logging. This logging has caused the owl’s numbers to decline steadily. Fewer than 2,500 pairs remain, mainly in Oregon, northern California and Washington. As a result, the spotted owl is listed under America’s Endangered Species Act.

Listing means money. Efforts directed at preserving spotted owls receive $4.4m a year, through various channels, from American taxpayers. This sum is almost double what the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), a federal agency, recommends be spent on the species. Nor is the owl the only over-endowed threatened organism in America. In 2016 Leah Gerber of Arizona State University found that 139 of the 1,124 plants and animals with federal recovery plans in place got more than their fair share of public resources, as defined by USFWS recommendations. The surplus totalled $150m a year, more than a quarter of spending in the area. Re-allocated, this could bring nearly 900 currently underfunded plans up to budget.