Once healthcare and the nation’s economy are taken care of, Congress will be turning its attention to important legislation governing the nation’s wetlands. To counteract a Supreme Court ruling that limited federal protections of isolated wetlands, Senator Russ Feingold of Wisconsin has introduced legislation which will strip the word “navigable” from the Clean Water Act. The revision would give the federal government the ability to regulate all of the nation’s wetland areas, not just those that are open to shipping. Many small ponds and streams that are not navigable are important breeding grounds for birds. Protecting these important bird habitats is one of the more important environmental issues that will come before the Congress this year.
The Feingold legislation currently has 24 cosponsors in the Senate. All of the cosponsors are Democrats.
Birders United Action Alert: Tell your senator that you support the revision to the Clean Water Act that will help protect isolated wetlands from developers.
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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.