Letters to the Editor: Burrowing owls deserve better from California

Jireh Deng’s excellent “death by a thousand cuts” article on the decline of burrowing owls in California is a spot-on description of the fate of these little owls in Southern California.

Just eight years ago when the Pomona Valley Audubon started its burrowing owl project, burrowing owls could be found in open fields, on dairy farms and at the edges of agriculture. That picture has changed dramatically with the rapid spread of warehouses and other development that does not leave open space where wildlife can thrive.

And the “thousand cuts” keep coming. The mentality in cities like Ontario favors the needs of developers and not those of native wildlife. So what was burrowing owl habitat becomes scorched earth with a warehouse and we continue to lose our natural environment.

Yet people want and need a connection to nature that is close by and integrated into everyday life. It is heartening how many volunteers our project attracts — all people who value native wildlife and want to see it thrive. Unfortunately, developers have the advantage in so many ways. Advocates for native wildlife are not in a fair fight.

My hope is that Deng’s article with its inspiring messages from scientists at the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and dedicated activists will prompt more of us to fight for burrowing owls in California.

Suzanne Thompson, Claremont
The writer is the chair of the Pomona Valley Audubon Society Burrowing Owl Project