The God Squad investigates the controversial Endangered Species Committee proceedings over the Northern Spotted Owl and 44 proposed federal timber sales in southwest Oregon. In May 1992, for the first time in history, the cabinet-level committee selected economic interests over the survival of a species. While the proceeding ostensibly focused on the owl and a limited number of timber sales, the controversy was a microcosm of a much larger debate concerning the fate of the Pacific Northwest’s old growth forests and the Endangered Species Act. The story-behind-the-story, as told in surprisingly candid interviews with President Bush’s cabinet members, their staff, witnesses, lawyers and people in rural communities in Oregon, is a fascinating cautionary tale for generations to come. Directed by Emily Hart, USA, 2001, 57 min.

Cosponsored with the Environmental Studies Major of Wells College.