[BCNnet] ABC Meeting

Wed, 20 Nov 2002 15:36:13 -0600

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Here are some of the latest issues in bird conservation on the national
scene, which I learned at the Friday, 11-15-02 Board meeting of the American
Bird Conservancy (ABC).

*	Fresh from the victory on the EPA's withdrawal of the emergency use permit
for the notorious pesticide, granular carbofuran, ABC has led the formation
of a National Pesticide Action Network to combat the pesticides that most
seriously harm birds and badly damage the environment.  Among the
participating conservation organizations are Defenders of Wildlife, World
Wildlife Fund, Sierra Club, National Audubon Society, Rachel Carson Council,
Beyond Pesticides, and others.
Many of the groups in the Action Network were partners in the carbofuran
victory, which demonstrated how effective a coordinated approach can be. The
coalition will help improve communication with the EPA, and develop better
procedures for dealing with the pesticide registration and re-registration
processes.  The strengths that each organization possesses in protecting the
environment can be combined for greater effectiveness. The groups will also
be able to mobilize more efficiently on short-notice (and was necessary with
carbofuran).
*        The American Forestry Foundation is an association of some 63,000
private landowners, ranging in size from companies as large as the timber
giants like Weyerhauser, down to others who own relatively small woodlots.
This group has asked to partner with ABC on forest management practices that
will best aid migrant and breeding bird populations.  This group controls
some 20 to 25 million acres of private forested land and this could have a
significantly positive impact on birds.
*        ABC, together with other conservation organizations, including
World Parks, Conservation International, The Nature Conservancy, BirdLife
International, and National Audubon, has formed Alliance for Zero
Extinctions (AZE).  Current thinking among major environmental groups and
the focus for their funding and actions is to protect, large, landscape
scale areas, and that would best achieve meaningful conservation of earth’s
rapidly diminishing natural places.  The problem with this approach is that
smaller and sometimes badly degraded areas still may harbor rare and
isolated populations of critically endangered species that enjoy no
protection.   AZE’s mission will be to locate and protect such ‘islands of
rarities’ before they are lost.
*        Communication Towers.  In 1998, 5 to 10 thousand migrating
songbirds, mostly Lapland Longspurs, were killed on a single night in
Kansas, when in poor weather they became disoriented and flew into a 450’
tower, and two smaller towers, their guy wires, and the wheat stubble on the
ground.  This is just the worst example of a nationwide problem that has
resulted in deaths of some 230 species, including endangered ones.  One
tower in Wisconsin has recorded over 100,000 bird deaths.  ABC has
petitioned the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to attempt to address
the problem with research to design the most appropriate lighting that would
still warn aircraft and yet not confuse and kill the birds.  During these
past four and a half years, the FCC has stonewalled all efforts to mitigate
the problem, notwithstanding urgings from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
and others.  As this is likely a violation of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act,
the National Environmental Policy Act, and the Endangered Species Act, ABC
together with the Forest Conservation Council will shortly be suing the FCC.
*        Wind Turbines.  A round table discussion of experts on the subject
will take place at the next meeting of ABC’s Policy Council in Washington on
12-12-02.  (Contact me for details on this meeting).  With respect to newly
designed towers, from all evidence so far, there is no significant
mortality.  Nationally, about 2.38 birds are killed per wind turbine per
year, on average, which is minimal.  A single plane of glass in a typical
home probably has a worse result.  There were 15,000 wind turbines operating
in the U.S. at the beginning of 2002 but this number is growing rapidly.  As
contrasted with coal-fired power plants as an energy source, wind turbines
appear to be far better.
*        ABC and its partners were successful in blocking litigation filed
by an animal rights group that wanted to protect introduced rats on Anacapa
Island in California.  The rats were depredating populations of Xantus’s
Murrelet, a globally red listed seabird whose population threats have led to
a U.S. Endangered Species Act listing petition.  The rats also heavily
predate other sea and land birds, such as the Ashy Storm-petrel.

This touches on only a few of the many ABC activities in bird conservation.
I urge all BCN folks to visit www.abcbirds.org <http://www.abcbirds.org/> .
There is a range of interactive links to provide you an opportunity, with a
single mouse click, to participate in some of the programs I’ve described as
well as others.

Donald R. Dann
Highland Park/Lake County

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<div class=3DSection1>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><span class=3DEmailStyle19><font size=3D4 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Times New Roman"><span =
style=3D'font-size:14.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"'><span
style=3D'mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt'>Here are some of the latest issues =
in bird
conservation on the national scene, which I learned at the Friday, =
11-15-02
Board meeting of the American Bird Conservancy =
(ABC).<o:p></o:p></span></span></font></span></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><span class=3DEmailStyle19><font size=3D4 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Times New Roman"><span =
style=3D'font-size:13.5pt;mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"'><![if =
!supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]><o:p></o:p></span></font></span></p>

<ul style=3D'mso-margin-top-alt:0in' type=3Ddisc>
 <li class=3DMsoNormal style=3D'mso-list:l0 level1 lfo3;tab-stops:list =
.5in'><span
     class=3DEmailStyle19><font size=3D4 color=3Dblack face=3D"Times New =
Roman"><span
     style=3D'font-size:14.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New =
Roman"'><span
     style=3D'mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt'>Fresh =
</span></span></font></span><span
     class=3DEmailStyle21><font color=3Dblack>from the victory on the =
EPA's
     withdrawal of the emergency use permit for the&nbsp;notorious =
pesticide, granular
     carbofuran, ABC has led the formation of a National Pesticide =
Action
     Network to combat the pesticides that most seriously harm birds and =
badly
     damage the environment.<span style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; =
</span>Among
     the participating conservation organizations are Defenders of =
Wildlife,
     World Wildlife Fund, Sierra Club, National Audubon Society, Rachel =
Carson Council,
     Beyond Pesticides, and others.</font></span><font size=3D3 =
color=3Dblack><span
     =
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;color:black;mso-color-alt:windowtext'><o:p></o:=
p></span></font></li>
</ul>

Many of the groups in the Action =
Network were
partners in the carbofuran victory, which demonstrated how effective a
coordinated approach&nbsp;can be. The coalition will help&nbsp;improve
communication with the EPA, and develop&nbsp;better procedures for =
dealing with
the pesticide registration and re-registration processes.&nbsp; The =
strengths
that each&nbsp;organization possesses in protecting the =
environment&nbsp;can be
combined for greater effectiveness.&nbsp;The groups&nbsp;will also be =
able to
mobilize more&nbsp;efficiently on short-notice (and was necessary with
carbofuran).<o:p></o:p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal =
style=3D'margin-left:.5in;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo2;
tab-stops:list .5in'><![if !supportLists]><span =
class=3DEmailStyle19><font
size=3D4 color=3Dblack face=3DSymbol><span =
style=3D'font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Symbol;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"'>=B7<font size=3D1 face=3D"Times =
New Roman"><span
style=3D'font:7.0pt "Times New =
Roman"'>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
</span></font></span></font></span><![endif]><span =
class=3DEmailStyle19><font
color=3Dblack><span style=3D'mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"'>The =
American
Forestry Foundation is an association of some 63,000 private landowners,
ranging in size from companies as large as the timber giants like =
Weyerhauser,
down to others who own relatively small woodlots.<span =
style=3D"mso-spacerun:
yes">&nbsp; </span>This group has asked to partner with ABC on forest
management practices that will best aid migrant and breeding bird
populations.<span style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>This group =
controls
some 20 to 25 million acres of private forested land and this could have =
a
significantly positive impact on =
birds.<o:p></o:p></span></font></span></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal =
style=3D'margin-left:.5in;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo2;
tab-stops:list .5in'><![if !supportLists]><span =
class=3DEmailStyle19><font
size=3D4 color=3Dblack face=3DSymbol><span =
style=3D'font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Symbol;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"'>=B7<font size=3D1 face=3D"Times =
New Roman"><span
style=3D'font:7.0pt "Times New =
Roman"'>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
</span></font></span></font></span><![endif]><span =
class=3DEmailStyle19><font
color=3Dblack><span style=3D'mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New =
Roman"'>ABC, together
with other conservation organizations, including World Parks, =
Conservation
International, The Nature Conservancy, BirdLife International, and =
National
Audubon, has formed Alliance for Zero Extinctions (AZE).<span
style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Current thinking among major
environmental groups and the focus for their funding and actions is to =
protect,
large, landscape scale areas, and that would best achieve meaningful
conservation of earth&#8217;s rapidly diminishing natural places.<span
style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>The problem with this approach =
is that
smaller and sometimes badly degraded areas still may harbor rare and =
isolated
populations of critically endangered species that enjoy no =
protection.<span
style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>AZE&#8217;s mission will =
be to locate
and protect such &#8216;islands of rarities&#8217; before they are =
lost.<span
style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; =
</span><o:p></o:p></span></font></span></p>

<![if !supportLists]>=B7&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
<![endif]>Communication
Towers.&nbsp; In 1998, 5 to 10 =
thousand
migrating songbirds, mostly Lapland Longspurs, were killed on a single =
night in
Kansas, when in poor weather they became disoriented and flew into a =
450&#8217;
tower, and two smaller towers, their guy wires, and the wheat stubble on =
the
ground.&nbsp; This is just the =
worst
example of a nationwide problem that has resulted in deaths of some 230
species, including endangered ones.&nbsp;
One tower in Wisconsin has recorded over 100,000 bird =
deaths.&nbsp; ABC has petitioned the Federal
Communications Commission (FCC) to attempt to address the problem with =
research
to design the most appropriate lighting that would still warn aircraft =
and yet not confuse and kill
the birds.&nbsp; During these =
past four
and a half years, the FCC has stonewalled all efforts to mitigate the =
problem,
notwithstanding urgings from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and
others.&nbsp; As this is likely =
a
violation of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, the National Environmental =
Policy
Act, and the Endangered Species Act, ABC together with the Forest =
Conservation
Council will shortly be suing the =
FCC.<o:p></o:p>

<![if !supportLists]>=B7&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
<![endif]>Wind
Turbines.&nbsp; A round table =
discussion
of experts on the subject will take place at the next meeting of =
ABC&#8217;s Policy
Council in Washington on 12-12-02.&nbsp;
(Contact me for details on this meeting).&nbsp; With respect to newly designed towers, from all =
evidence so
far, there is no significant mortality.&nbsp;
Nationally, about 2.38 birds are killed per wind turbine per =
year, on
average, which is minimal.&nbsp; =
A
single plane of glass in a typical home probably has a worse =
result.&nbsp; There were 15,000 wind turbines operating in the =
U.S. at
the beginning of 2002 but this number is growing rapidly.&nbsp; As =
contrasted
with coal-fired power plants as an energy source, wind turbines appear =
to be
far better.<o:p></o:p>

<![if !supportLists]>=B7&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
<![endif]>ABC =
and its
partners were successful in blocking litigation filed by an animal =
rights group
that wanted to protect introduced rats on Anacapa Island in =
California.&nbsp; The rats were depredating =
populations
of Xantus&#8217;s
Murrelet, a globally red listed seabird whose population threats have =
led to a
U.S. Endangered Species Act listing petition.&nbsp; The rats also heavily predate other sea and land =
birds, such
as the Ashy Storm-petrel. <o:p></o:p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><span class=3DEmailStyle19><font size=3D4 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Times New Roman"><span =
style=3D'font-size:14.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"'><![if =
!supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]></span></font></span><span
class=3DEmailStyle19><font color=3Dblack><span =
style=3D'mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New =
Roman"'><o:p></o:p></span></font></span></p>

This touches on only a few of the =
many ABC
activities in bird conservation.&nbsp; =
I
urge all BCN folks to visit <a =
href=3D"http://www.abcbirds.org/">www.abcbirds.org</a>.&nbsp; There is a range of =
interactive links
to provide you an opportunity, with a single mouse click, to participate =
in
some of the programs I&#8217;ve described as well as others. =
<o:p></o:p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><span class=3DEmailStyle19><font size=3D4 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Times New Roman"><span =
style=3D'font-size:14.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"'><![if =
!supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]></span></font></span><span
class=3DEmailStyle19><font color=3Dblack><span =
style=3D'mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New =
Roman"'><o:p></o:p></span></font></span></p>

Donald R. =
Dann<o:p></o:p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><span class=3DEmailStyle20><font size=3D4 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Times New Roman"><span =
style=3D'font-size:14.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"'><span
style=3D'mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt'>Highland Park/Lake County<span
style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; =
</span></span></span></font></span><span
class=3DEmailStyle19><font color=3Dblack><span =
style=3D'mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New =
Roman"'><o:p></o:p></span></font></span></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><span class=3DEmailStyle18><font size=3D4 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Times New Roman"><span =
style=3D'font-size:13.5pt;mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"'><![if =
!supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]><o:p></o:p></span></font></span></p>

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