A regular roundup of important news on birds and their habitats. Check back often for updates.
4/24/07
A Congressman Who Is a Good Friend to Birds
Congressman Maurice Hinchey, representing the 22nd Congressional District of New York, recently received the 2007 William Hoyt Environmental Award from the Audubon Council of New York. His district includes much of the Hudson River Valley, the Catskills Mountains, and part of New York’s Finger Lakes region, some of the most scenic and wildlife-rich areas of the state.
Congressman Hinchey was given the award for his strong effort on behalf of the environment and for being one of the leading voices in Congress for the protection of birds and their habitats.
Hinchey, a Democrat, has been in Congress since 1993, although historically the district had been a GOP stronghold. In 2006 Hinchey was unopposed for reelection.
Presidential Hopeful Tom Tancredo Will Find It Difficult to Win Support Among Birders
One of the newest entrants into the GOP presidential sweepstakes is Congressman Tom Tancredo. A Republican from Colorado, Tancredo has made a name for himself as the leading voice for stopping the flow of illegal immigrants into the United States.
But Tancredo is not just a one-issue candidate. He takes the traditional positions of the far right of the Republican Party on most major issues such as abortion, taxes, school choice, and supporting the war in Iraq.
But on the environment, Tancredo is silent. There is no mention of environmental issues on his campaign Web site. Therefore, we can assume if Tancredo is elected president, the protection of birds and their habitats will not be issues on the back burner; they won’t even make it to the stovetop.
Bird Habitat in Tongass National Forest Preserved From Logging for Now
In a major victory for the preservation of a major bird habitat, the U.S. Forest Service has voided nine timber leases in the 17-million-acre Tongass National Forest in Alaska. The agreement ends a four-year legal battle by eight conservation groups and a native Alaskan group to stop logging in the forest.
More than 150 bird species breed in the forest and another 150 species make their home in the forest for part of the year. Among the species that breed in the forest are goshawks, the common murre, and the marbled murrelet. The forest is home to more than 10,000 bald eagles.
The Bush administration is currently seeking to open other areas of the Tongass National Forest to logging.
New Report Warns of Dangers of Global Warming to Bird Species
In a new report, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a project established by the World Meteorological Organization and the United Nations, found that 20 to 30 percent of all the world’s bird species are vulnerable to extinction due to global warming. The panel warns that if average earth temperatures rise by more than 2.5 degrees Centigrade, a rise in sea levels could threaten many low-lying areas which currently are vital breeding grounds for many bird species.
The panel recommends a concerted effort to preserve the world’s forests. Not only are these forests important bird habitats but they also remove a great deal of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
The panel also warns that the rush to produce fuels from corn and energy from wind turbines could adversely impact bird populations. The report urges careful planning for such projects to alleviate any dangers to birds.
State Legislator Seeks to Prohibit Florida Counties From Regulating Wetland Development
Will S. Kendrick, a Republican state legislator in Florida, has introduced an amendment that would prohibit local and county governments from requiring permits for development of wetland areas. Florida’s decreasing wetlands are home to hundreds of species of birds.
Kendrick says that the state and federal regulatory authorities provide sufficient protection for wetlands and that any additional permits required by local authorities simply add red tape for developers and are unnecessary.
At the present time, 20 of Florida’s counties require developers to seek county permits when they destroy wetland areas. Often these local regulations go above and beyond state and federal requirements. For example, state law does not require a permit for the development of a wetland that is less than a half acre in size. Many counties regulate development on these smaller wetlands.
Birders United Action Alert: Members who live in Florida should contact their state legislator and voice their opposition to the Kendrick amendment. Tell your state legislator that local authorities should have the right to protect bird habitats in their jurisdictions even if the areas are small in size.
Major Bird Habitat Near the Antarctic Circle in Danger of Being Overrun by Rabbits and Rats
Macquarie Island, about halfway between Australia and Antarctica, is home to penguin colonies and great numbers of petrels and other sea birds. Also, the island is the only place in Australia where the grey-headed albatross makes its home.
But now rabbits and rats have become commonplace on the island. The more than 100,000 rabbits on the island are devastating the vegetation and causing landslides which can damage penguin nesting areas. Rats invade the nests of sea birds to steal their eggs.
The problem is so severe that without action the grey-headed albatross will probably be wiped off the island entirely within a few years. The government of Australia has decided to drop poison to control the rat and rabbit populations but the state government of Tasmania has not appropriated its share of the funds for the project. As of now, the attempt to control the rabbit and rat populations has been put off until 2009.
Birds Have a Friend in Richmond
The Highland New Wind Development project in the Appalachian Mountains in western Virginia has been put on hold. A state regulatory board in Richmond has demanded that the wind generator develop a plan to mitigate potential harm to migrating birds before going ahead with construction of the 19 wind turbines which will rise 400 feet above the mountain ridge. The state gave the developer until July to come up with a plan to reduce the risks to birds.
More Good News on Recovery Efforts for the Bald Eagle
The bald eagle population in southern California was devastated when a large deposit of the pesticide DDT was discarded on the ocean floor off the Palos Verdes peninsula. The chemical, which has been banned since 1972, has seeped, and continues to seep, into the ocean and the eagle’s food supply. This chemical causes the eagles to produce eggs that have very thin shells.
DDT levels have now dropped significantly. Since 1980 more than 100 eagles bred in captivity have been released on Catalina Island off the coast of southern California. This March, for the first time in more than 50 years, two baby eagles were hatched in the wild on Catalina Island and more are expected.
Reports Say That Richard Pombo Will Not Seek to Regain His House Seat
Former Congressman Richard Pombo, who led the effort to wreck the Endangered Species Act, is apparently not going to try to regain his seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. Pombo was Birders United top political target in the 2006 elections.
Pombo, who was upset in 2006 by Democratic candidate Jerry McNerney, reportedly told financial supporters that he will not be a candidate in 2008 in California’s Eleventh Congressional District.
This does not mean McNerney will have a free pass. The Eleventh District historically has leaned toward the GOP.
Efforts to Save the Attwater Prairie Chicken Are Falling Short
The Attwater’s prairie chicken, a ground-dwelling grouse, is critically endangered. There used to be 6 million acres of coastal prairie habitat in southeastern Texas and Louisiana where the birds were in abundance. Now there are about 200,000 acres of coastal prairie remaining. As the bird’s habitat has shrunk, the population of the Attwater prairie chicken has dwindled.
The federal government has established the Attwater Prairie Chicken National Wildlife Refuge located approximately 60 miles west of Houston, Texas, to preserve one of the last remaining habitats of this bird. But even here the bird’s numbers are in decline. The official spring census of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service found only 44 of the birds, down from 50 a year ago. The decrease came despite the fact that 160 captive-bred Attwater prairie chickens were released into the wild at the refuge.
The birds are often prey for migrating hawks, and their nests are frequently raided by snakes and skunks. Wildlife officials believe that they will need to release 250 captive-bred birds annually in order for the bird to begin to recover in the area.
This site is not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee and has no connection to any political party or organization.
Birders United © 2007