Just before the Christmas recess the U.S. Senate passed the Joint Ventures for Bird Habitat Conservation Act of 2009. The House of Representatives had unanimously passed the bill last summer. The legislation provides for the establishment of public/private partnerships to protect and conserve important bird habitats. The legislation now authorizes the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to provide financial and technical assistance to support regional conservation partnerships and their efforts to protect and enhance migratory bird populations.
The legislation was authored by Representative Frank Kratovil Jr., a Democrat representing the First Congressional District in Maryland. Kratovil was elected in 2008. He is the first Democrat to win election in the district in 18 years. The district encompasses the conservative Eastern Shore of Maryland and parts of three other counties. Kratovil states that his first priority is protecting the health of the Chesapeake Bay, which is visited by millions of migratory birds each year.
Kratovil won the 2008 election with only 49.1 percent of the vote. The GOP and Libertarian Party candidate outpolled Kratovil in the district. As a result, Kratovil is one of the top GOP targets in 2010. The 2008 GOP candidate, Andy Harris, who received 48.3 percent of the vote in 2008, is expected to oppose Kratovil again this year.
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
Theodore Cross, the founder of Birders United and the author of Birds of the Sea, Shore, and Tundra, has authored a new book which is available from W.W. Norton Company. Cross’ photographs include birds from four continents. From the tundra of eastern Siberia to the tropical islands of the South Pacific, Cross has captured elegant and unusual birds—from auklets and egrets to gannets and sanderlings—in peak action, be they courting, landing on a perch, plunge diving, or engaged in aerobatics.
The 179 color photographs in this 344-page book are accompanied by gracefully written field notes and fascinating accounts of the birds’ habits and habitat.
You can obtain more information or order the book by clicking here.
Loading ...