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| CONSERVATION NEWS AND NOTES
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State of the Birds: 2010 Report on Climate Change
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 In this 2010 State of the Birds report,
we consider one of the greatest
environmental challenges of our time,
climate change. How will the impacts of
climate change influence our bird
populations and their habitats? Accelerated
climate change as a result of human
activities is altering the natural world as
we know it, diminishing the quality of our
environment. This report calls attention to
the collective efforts needed to protect
nature’s resources for the benefit of people
and wildlife. For the complete report:
http://www.stateofthebirds.org/
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Better Bottle Bill Goes Into Effect October
31st, 2009!
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October 31, 2009
Starting October 31st, (with a grace period
until November 8th for stores to comply
selling only bottled water that complies
with the ruling) all containers of water
sold in New York under a gallon in size will
have a 5-cent refundable deposit. This law
expands the state’s 5-cent deposit on beer
and soda containers to include water
bottles.
The new law also requires beverage companies
to transfer 80% of the unclaimed deposits
they collect to the state, and make other
changes to improve and update the program.
Finally, the new law will improve the
infrastructure for collecting and recycling
bottles and cans, making it more convenient
for people to return their empty containers.
This is a major grassroots victory, and one
that will have huge benefits for New York.
Together, these reforms will result in
noticeably cleaner communities, higher
recycling rates and new revenue for the
state!
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PETITIONERS URGE FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS
COMMISSION TO PROTECT MILLIONS OF MIGRATORY BIRDS |
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Audubon Partners with American Bird Conservancy and
Defenders of Wildlife
Washington, DC, April 14, 2009
Conservation
organizations and concerned citizens are petitioning
the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to
address the killing of millions of migratory birds
from collisions with the more than 100,000
communications towers throughout the United States.
American Bird Conservancy, National Audubon Society,
and Defenders of Wildlife filed a petition with the
FCC today asking the agency to adopt new rules to
comply with federal environmental laws, including
the National Environmental Policy Act and the
Endangered Species Act, in order to ensure that the
impact of towers on migratory birds is properly
considered and addressed in agency decisions. The
groups are also delivering over 15,000 petitions to
the regulatory agency signed by citizens concerned
for threatened wildlife. Click "_blank" href="http://web1.audubon.org/news/pressRelease.php?id=1480">
here for full story:
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Raptors/Methane Burners Conflict |
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by Stella Miller
Early in November 2007 I was made aware of an issue
concerning methane burner/raptor conflicts at
landfills and I quickly brought it to the attention
of Rob Fergus from National Audubon Society. Rob
posted the issue on his blog, spoke with various
rehabbers across the USA and he and I began to
brainstorm with others on how this problem could be
solved.
 Landfills
consist of a treeless landscape which attract
rodents, a favorite food source of raptors. The
height of the methane burners (or flares as they are
called in the industry) are a perfect perch for
raptors hunting for tasty rodents and other prey.
Unfortunately, methane burners usually have an
igniter which causes a sudden or continual invisible
flame that can scorch or kill anything perched or
flying over them. Because landfills are very
low-traffic areas, a very small percentage of these
birds are ever found and treated, and most painfully
succumb to their injuries.
Birds have been found in Texas, Illinois, Delaware,
Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, New York and Oklahoma to
name just a few states. Raptors are not the only
victims. At some landfills bird skeletons, including
songbirds, have been found littered around the
burners. For the few birds that survive,
rehabilitation is an extremely lengthy process as
the singed feathers must grow out and be replaced by
new. If a bird is freshly molted, this process will
take a year.
The ultimate solution to this problem is an
environmentally friendly one: Reclaim and
recycle the methane. If this is not feasible, then
spikes or other excluder devices on top of the
burners should be installed. This will prevent the
birds from landing and perching on these burners. In
addition, there should be taller “T” perches
provided outside the flame's reach, as the birds
that are not aware of the spikes may still try and
land on the stacks and will be burned on approach.
As you are probably aware, raptors are fully
protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of
1918 and as such, it is illegal to harm them. In
fact, the fine for harming any bird, from the
smallest songbird to the largest raptor is $15,000
per bird.
In September, Sweetbriar Nature Centre Center on
Long Island received a burned kestrel in for rehab,
which they believe was injured at a landfill. In mid
December they approached me for assistance. I have
created a PowerPoint presentation on the issue and
someone from Sweetbriar has spoken to a local
assemblyman who is concerned about this issue and he
has stated he will assist in any way he can.
There is no quick and easy solution to this
situation. There is no government oversight with
regards to landfills and we still have a long way to
go in order to solve this problem. A wonderful
example of what can go right is happening in
Wisconsin. Dianne Moeller, a wildlife rehabilitator,
has been working to resolve this issue and has
obtained a pledge from the Wisconsin DNR (Department
of Natural Resources) to inspect every landfill in
Wisconsin and work to implement the changes needed
to protect these birds. Sadly, before this could be
implemented, another raptor was killed. In January a
red tailed hawk was found near Madison, both legs
and its lower body burned off.
How can you help? First, please go to
www.thepetitionsite.com/1/save-our-raptors. Sign
the petition and pass it on to as many people as you
can. You will note that the petition is targeting
the Sanitation Waste Association of America (“SWANA”).
SWANA does not have enforcement authority, but as an
industry leader, they can provide a voice of reason
and bring awareness to landfill owners (I think that
a PowerPoint presentation, along with a live raptor
program at a SWANA national conference would be a
powerful and effective way of getting our message
across. I believe that the more industry leaders are
made aware of this problem, the easier it would be
to work with landfill owners on the local level.
Introducing live birds to the attendees would drive
home just how magnificent these animals really are).
Next, investigate as to whether or not your local
landfills are engaged in the burning of methane. If
so, contact your local wildlife rehabilitators to
see if they have received any burned birds. They may
not even be aware of how these injuries are
occurring. Let landfill owners know about this issue
and encourage them to take measures to protect
birds. One thing chapters can do is help with
fundraising for alternate perches, or ask your local
lighting companies to donate poles. I can supply
names of excluder device manufacturers if anyone is
able to get that far in the process.
Finally, it is important that chapters support their
local wildlife rehabilitators. It can take up to a
year of recovery for these birds and it is not
cheap. Rehabbers are unsung heroes who are mostly
overlooked when it comes to grants and donations.
They work tirelessly and out of their own pockets
and chapters should support them as much as they
can.
This will be a long, tough road. Most people are not
even aware of this issue. Each time I have a
conference call on this topic, I learn something
new. What never changes is this: we need to bring
awareness in order to push for oversight and
regulations at our landfills. These magnificent
birds of prey fill an important ecological niche at
landfills and they deserve to be protected!
Good news from New York State
Pretty exciting news here in New York! The NYS
Association for Solid Waste Management and the
Federation of New York Solid Waste Associations have
pledged to reach out to each NYS region and advise
them on this issue. A NYSASWM board memberjust
happened to read the article on the topic in the
latest edition of Huntington-Oyster Bay Audubon's newsletter
and was so moved by it that he brought it to his
board of directors. They then made the decision to
act on this. We are now in the process of issuing a
joint press release, along with NYS Audubon. Both
organizations are eager to be the industry leaders
on this issue and next want to take it nationally. |
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Click here to sign the petition!
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AUDUBON REPORT ON COMMON BIRDS IN DECLINE
ECHOED WORLDWIDE |
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Growing Threats Include Logging,
Invasive Species & Agriculture
New York, NY, September 22, 2008 - A new
international report entitled State of the World's
Birds reveals precipitous declines in populations of
many of the world's most familiar birds, broadening
the alarm first sounded in the U.S. by Audubon's
2007 Common Birds in Decline analysis.
"All the world's governments have committed
themselves to slowing or halting the loss of
biodiversity by 2010," says the new BirdLife
International report launched today at
organization's World Conference in Buenos Aires;
"Reluctance to commit what are often trivial sums in
terms of national budgets means that this target is
almost certain to be missed.
The BirdLife report highlights avian losses
worldwide.
Click
here for full story.
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Wolves protected again! FWS voluntarily removes
own delisting rule. |
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September 17, 2008, WASHINGTON -
According to recent statements by senior U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service (FWS) officials, FWS intends to
rescind its own wolf delisting rule - issued in
March - sometime this week. This will place the
Northern Rockies gray wolf back under federal
protections. This action comes on the heels of a
decision in July by the U.S. District Court in
Missoula granting a request by a coalition of twelve
conservation groups for a preliminary injunction,
which temporarily placed wolves back under federal
protection. The court determined that plaintiffs
were likely to prevail against FWS on its claims
that delisting was premature because of concerns
regarding genetic isolation and the adequacy of
state management plans. FWS now intends to ask the
court to remand the issue to FWS so it can
reconsider its delisting decision.
Click here for full story.
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Elephant
Elders Know Better |
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Experience breeds wisdom,
especially for elephants. On the East African
savanna, where wildlife must contend with regular
famine and drought, elephant matriarchs rely on
their long-term memories of distant sources of food
and water to help their groups get through the worst
of times.
According to a recent study by the Wildlife
Conservation Society (WCS) and the Zoological
Society of London (ZSL) published in The Royal
Society’s Biology Letters, old female elephants seem
to give their family groups an edge in the struggle
for survival.
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Service Issues Rule to Grandfather Pre-existing
Endangered Species Act Authorizations for Take of
Bald Eagles
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May 20, 2008
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
today issued revised regulations under the Bald and
Golden Eagle Protection Act of 1940 that will enable
the agency to continue honoring authorizations for
"take" of bald eagles previously granted under the
Endangered Species Act (ESA). The regulations, which
published in the May 20, 2008, Federal Register, are
part of an ongoing effort to ensure that the bald
eagle is effectively conserved and managed under the
Eagle Act now that the eagle is no longer protected
as a threatened species.
Click
here for full news release.
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Administration Relents on Drilling Near Teshekpuk
Lake |
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Audubon Campaign Brings Victory
for Unique Alaska Habitat
Washington, DC, May 16, 2008 - The Secretary
of Interior announced today that the Bureau of Land
Management (BLM) would defer additional oil and gas
leasing around Teshekpuk Lake in the Northeast
National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska (NPRA) for at
least 10 years. The decision came with the release
of a final revised environmental statement and
activity plan for Northeast NPRA, after a lawsuit
blocked a controversial September 2006 lease sale in
that area.
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Polar Bear
Gets Federal Protection |
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Statement of Betsy Loyless,
Audubon's Donal O'Brien Chair for Policy and
Advocacy
Washington, DC, May 14, 2008 - "Federal
protection for the polar bear sounds the alarm in
the clearest way possible that global warming is
here and needs to be addressed immediately. Our
actions can save the polar bear or cause its
extinction. Federal protection represents only the
tip of the iceberg if Americans want to save the
polar bear. Listing the bear as threatened is not
going to save it if we continue to melt and drill
its habitat.
"The polar bear has gone from an American icon of
strength and beauty to a symbol of our imperiled
environment. What will save the polar bear and
protect us all is comprehensive global warming
legislation that commits to reducing greenhouse
gases and creating a clean energy economy."
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The Comeback Kid…The American Bald Eagle
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On June 28, 2007, the Interior Department announced
that the American bald eagle was being delisted
under the Endangered Species Act. The bald eagle,
our national symbol, was once almost wiped out by
DDT poisoning and hunting. At the time of the
European settlements, there were possibly up to half
a million nesting pairs in the U.S. By 1963 this
number had drastically dropped to 417 pairs. This
amazing recovery has been four decades in the
making, but it is now confirmed that the bird's
populations are continuing to increase in the lower
48 states, with estimates ranging from 7,000-11,000
pairs. This amazing recovery would not have been
possible without the protection of the Endangered
Species Act, perhaps the most important conservation
law in existence.
The bald eagle was made our national symbol in 1782,
although Benjamin Franklin pushed the wild turkey as
a candidate, calling the eagle a “bird of bad moral
character” due to the eagle’s predatory and
scavenging behavior. Ranchers and farmers, believing
the birds were preying on livestock, considered it a
nuisance and routinely killed them. Habitat
destruction has contributed significantly to the
eagles decline, but it was DDT poisoning that
brought the eagle to the edge.
DDT was banned in 1972 and the bald eagle was placed
on the Endangered Species List. Since then, the bird
has made a slow, but steady comeback. Although
delisted under the ESA, the bald eagle is still
protected under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection
Act.
As conservationists, we now have something to
celebrate… and can feel hope for other species in
peril. Let’s hear it for the Endangered Species Act!
Without it, our national symbol could have perished.
Instead, we are now celebrating the comeback kid,
the American Bald Eagle.
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Endangered Species Success Stories.. More Comeback
Kids! |
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The American Bald Eagle is not the only Endangered
Species Act success story these days...please read
about the Piping Plover and the Black Footed Ferret.
These are yet more example of how utterly vital this
law is to wildlife and why we must fight to protect
the act from becoming endangered itself!
Click here for the Black Footed Ferret story
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U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service To Revisit Flawed
Lynx Critical Habitat Decision:
Involvement of Julie MacDonald leads FWS to declare
intention to revise lynx decision by Summer 2008 |
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October 16, 2007
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service (FWS) has announced that it intends
to revise its Canada lynx critical habitat
designation because it was “influenced” by former
Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Interior Julie
MacDonald, a political appointee who revised the
designation to exclude U.S. Forest Service lands and
state and private lands.
Click Here for the Full story
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Audubon
California applauds signing of legislation to
protect California Condor |
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October 12,
2007
Sacramento, CA – Audubon
California today applauded Gov. Schwarzenegger’s
decision to sign AB 821, which will help the
continued recovery of the California Condor by
banning the use of lead ammunition from areas
inhabited by the endangered species.
“This is a great day for
the California Condor and the State of California,”
said Glenn Olson, executive director of Audubon
California. “I would like to commend Governor
Schwarzenegger for signing the Ridley-Tree Condor
Conservation Act and again putting our state at the
forefront on wildlife protection.”
Click here for the full story
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Common Birds in Decline: What is Happening to the
Birds We Know and Love? |
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Audubon's unprecedented analysis of forty years of
citizen-science bird population data from our own
Christmas Bird Count plus the Breeding Bird Survey
reveals the alarming decline of many of our most
common and beloved birds.
Since 1967 the average population of the common
birds in steepest decline has fallen by 68 percent;
some individual species nose-dived as much as 80
percent. All 20 birds on the national Common Birds
in Decline list lost at least half their populations
in just four decades.
The findings point to serious problems with both
local habitats and national environmental trends.
Only citizen action can make a difference for the
birds and the state of our future.
Full story:
http://www.audubon.org/bird/stateofthebirds/CBID/
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Sudan: Not all the News is Bad |
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June 12, 2007
Not all the news coming out of Sudan is
disheartening these days. Based on experiences in
other war torn countries, scientists believed that
most wildlife had disappeared from this region. What
they are witnessing is astonishing. Please read
about what is being called possibly the largest
migration of animals on earth.
Full story:
http://www.wcs.org/353624/wcs_southernsudan
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Slaughter in Virunga |
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Since January seven critically
endangered mountain gorillas have been slaughtered
in Congo's Virunga National Park. This doesn't seem
to be a case of poaching, since the gorillas were
all intact, and one infant was found still clinging
to its dead mother. Some believe that these killings
are meant to send a political message to park
officials.
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New Report Shows Red Knot Faces Extinction
Conservation Groups Demand Review of Decision Not to
List the Bird |
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WASHINGTON, D.C. – A new status assessment from the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) shows that
numbers of a rare migratory shorebird, the rufa red
knot, continue to decline dramatically. The plunging
numbers, according to the report, boost the
likelihood that the red knot could be extinct
“within the next decade.”
The release last Friday of this long-awaited
assessment of the rufa subspecies of the red knot
confirms the information that conservation groups
presented to FWS in 2005 in two detailed petitions
seeking protection for the bird under the Endangered
Species Act. Both petitions were denied by FWS. In
light of this new comprehensive report, the groups
believe that FWS has no further excuse not to list
the knot as endangered.
Click here for the full story
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Conservation Group Calls on Federal Agencies to
Protect Critical Canada Lynx Habitat. Corrupt
Political Appointee Undermined Science, Meddled With
Decision |
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WASHINGTON, August 8, 2007 –
Defenders of Wildlife announced today that it is
prepared to bring legal action against the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service if it fails to promptly throw
out a Canada lynx protection plan that the agency
admits was influenced by political meddling. After
admitting that its 2006 decision designating
critical habitat for Canada lynx was politically
influenced, FWS now plans to conduct an internal
review of the designation, but has chosen not to
discard the tainted plan or allow transparent public
participation in the review.
Full story:
http://www.defenders.org/newsroom/press_releases_folder/2007/
08_08_2007_feds_revisit_lynx_decision.php
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Audubon Releases Common Birds in Decline |
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New York, NY, June 21, 2007 - On June 14, the
National Audubon Society released Common Birds in
Decline, an unprecedented analysis - which was also
published in Audubon magazine - revealing the
startling decline of some of America's best known
and beloved bird species. Species on Audubon's list
of 20 Common Birds in Decline have seen their
populations plummet at least 54 percent since 1967.
The dramatic declines are attributed to the loss of
grasslands, healthy forests and wetlands, and other
critical habitats from multiple environmental
threats such as sprawl, energy development, and the
spread of industrialized agriculture.
Audubon's Common Birds in Decline list stems from
the first-ever analysis combining annual sighting
data from Audubon's century-old Christmas Bird Count
program with results of the annual Breeding Bird
Survey conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey.
As of this June 19, the story has generated in
excess of 500 print articles in major publications
including the New York Times, USA Today, LA Times,
Boston Globe (Front page), Philadelphia Inquirer
(Front page) and Chicago Tribune. Broadcast
visibility included repeated mentions on CNN, along
with numerous local radio and TV news stories.
Common Birds in Decline was among the New York Times
website's most-emailed stories and is currently
mentioned in hundreds of blog entries. A major
opinion piece appeared in the New York Times op-ed
page on June 19, and papers around the country are
using the analysis to anchor editorial calls for
greater conservation.
Much of the coverage across the country combined the
content of the national release and teleconference
with localized information (generated by the
analysis) and comments supplied by state offices and
local chapters.
For more information about Common Birds in Decline,
visit:
http://www.audubon.org/bird/stateofthebirds/CBID/
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California Condor to Benefit from State's First
Voluntary Discontinuance of the Use of Lead
Ammunition |
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Los Angeles, CA, March 1, 2007 - Tejon Ranch Company
joined with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and
Audubon California to further protect the California
Condor by announcing it would discontinue the use of
lead hunting ammunition on Tejon Ranch, the
270,000-acre privately-owned ranch in California's
Tehachapi Mountains that is home to the state's
largest private hunting program.
While tremendous progress has been made in bringing
the California Condor back from the brink of
extinction, poisoning from lead ammunition is
regarded as the single greatest threat to the
continued recovery of the species. Lead ammunition
poses a threat to the condors when the birds eat
carrion containing the bullet fragments. This move
by Tejon Ranch is the latest effort by the Ranch to
help protect the condor, which has historically used
portions of Tejon Ranch for foraging and roosting.
Effective with the 2008 hunting season, only
non-lead ammunition will be allowed on Tejon Ranch,
making it the first major private wildlife
management program in the state to voluntarily
require the use of non-lead ammunition. It covers
all lead ammunition used in hunting. Tejon Ranch
Company worked closely with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife
Service, California Department of Fish & Game,
Audubon California and several hunting and
environmental organizations to design the new
regulation. To learn more about Tejon Ranch, please
visit
http://www.tejonranch.com. To learn more about
Audubon California, please visit
http://www.ca.audubon.org/.
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FEDERAL
WILDLIFE AGENCY WON’T LIST DISAPPEARING EASTERN
SONGBIRD AS 'THREATENED' SPECIES |
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Without federal protection,
Cerulean Warbler population will continue to plummet. |
Asheville, NC - The U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service (FWS), after stalling for six years and
missing numerous deadlines required under the
Endangered Species Act, has issued a decision not to
list the Cerulean Warbler as a threatened species.
The National Audubon Society, Defenders of Wildlife,
and regional conservation organizations that
petitioned the agency in 2000 to list the Cerulean
as threatened expressed grave concerns over the
songbird's future without the comprehensive
protections provided by the Act. For full story
click here.
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Rare Blue Treefrog Discovered at
Audubon of Florida's Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary |
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Naples, FL, January 4, 2007 -
Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary Director Ed Carlson is
proud to announce the discovery of a bright blue
treefrog. Volunteer naturalists noticed the frog
along the Sanctuary's boardwalk trail and quickly
alerted the natural resources manager, Mike Knight,
a Ph.D. candidate in vertebrate ecology who
specializes in reptiles & amphibians. Knight
identified the frog as a Green Treefrog (Hyla
cinerea), a common denizen of Corkscrew Swamp.
Knight explains that the normal green coloration of
frogs is actually the result of overlapping yellow
and blue pigments. Very rarely, a genetic anomaly
results in an absence of one or more color pigments.
In this case, the absence of all yellow pigmentation
has resulted in a totally blue frog instead of a
green one.
Dr. Jerry Jackson, Professor of Environmental
Studies at Florida Gulf Coast University confirms
that the blue frog is a truly extraordinary find.
According to Jackson, the color blue is very rare in
nature but does sometimes occur in frogs, snakes,
and other animals.
Currently, the blue treefrog is being cared for by
Knight, who has extensive experience raising
treefrogs as part of his doctoral dissertation
research. Following acclimatization to terrarium
life, the extraordinary little frog will be
displayed to the general public for a period at
Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary. Staff and volunteer
educators will accompany the frog, answering
questions and enlightening the public on the
importance of wildlife conservation.
For more information on Corkscrew Swamp
Sanctuary, please call (239)-348-9151 or
http://www.corkscrew.audubon.org.
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POLAR BEARS TO BE PROTECTED UNDER
ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT |
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Washington D.C. -- The U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service (FWS) has proposed listing
polar bears as a threatened species under the
Endangered Species Act. The proposal indicates that
global warming is melting the arctic sea ice that
polar bears need to hunt prey, resulting in
starvation, drowning and cannibalism among the
world's only marine bear.
Click here for the full story. |
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