[BCNnet] Report on BCA and ABC meetings

Sun, 14 Mar 2004 10:17:14 -0600

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BCN friends;

On Thursday and Friday, the 11th and 12th of March I was in Washington at
the meetings of the greatly expanded Bird Conservation Alliance (formerly
known as the Policy Council) and the Board of the American Bird Conservancy
(ABC).  There is much to report on a national level in bird conservation.

The Bird Conservation Alliance (BCA) is a network of organizations,
including BCN, whose focus is the conservation, study, education, and
observation of birds. Through the Alliance, millions of birdwatchers and
concerned citizens will be united with conservation professionals,
scientists, and educators for the conservation of wild birds. For more
information see www.birdconservationalliance.org
<http://www.birdconservationalliance.org/> .

The following summarizes some of the key issues discussed at both meetings
and happily there is some small but positive actions on horseshoe crabs,
longline fisheries, communication towers and other efforts.

Wind Energy

The ABC Board adopted the following statement on this issue: "ABC supports
the development of wind energy in the U.S. as an alternative to fossil
fueled power plants to help meet the current and growing demand for
electrical energy, provided that before construction proceeds of new wind
energy projects, thorough site analyses for bird abundance, migration and
use patterns should be conducted and location, design, operation, and
lighting should be carefully implemented to prevent/minimize avian mortality
and adverse impacts to birds through habitat fragmentation, avian
disturbance and site avoidance."

The details of this policy are in draft form – please contact me if you
would want a copy of the complete statement when it is published.

Horseshoe Crabs

On March 10, 2004 the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Conference reversed
themselves and voted 12-0 to ban ALL further harvesting of horseshoe crabs
from Delaware Bay between May 1 and June 7.  In the last 4 years, the
efforts of ABC and other partners have resulted in a 62% reduction in the
take of this crucial animal, so further reductions in Red Knot and other
shorebird species that feed on their eggs could be avoided.  As it is some
populations have had declined precipitously because of inadequate crab eggs
on which to feed.

Longline Fisheries
Of the world’s 21 species of albatrosses, 19 are now considered threatened
with extinction. More than 100,000 albatrosses killed each year, along with
at least 200,000 other seabirds, mostly petrels. However, Argentina has
just become the most recent country to ratify a new global treaty aimed at
protecting some of the world’s most imperiled seabird species. Longline
fishing is the primary reason behind recent population declines, with some
1.4 billion hooks and 30,000 miles of lines are set worldwide every day.
Signatories to the new accord agree to implement measures to reduce seabird
by-catch in their fisheries and further agree to protect the seabird
breeding grounds, reduce habitat loss, and tackle marine pollution in waters
under their jurisdiction. This includes the use of paired streamer lines,
which, when employed are 100% effective. Though non-binding, the new
agreement shows a clear commitment on behalf of the participating countries
to address the threat of longline fishing to seabirds, and is a step towards
the restoration of declining albatross populations. The full Agreement can
be viewed at
www.austlii.edu.au/au/other/dfat/treaties/notinforce/2001/8.html
<http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/other/dfat/treaties/notinforce/2001/8.html> .
 “Off the Hook” is a new educational video to help Alaskan longline
fishermen understand and avoid seabird bycatch. This well conceived and
produced video clearly demonstrates the use and benefit of streamer lines
and is being distributed to fishermen affected by new regulations mandating
The video can be viewed and downloaded over the web at:
www.wsg.washington.edu/outreach/mas/fisheries/seabirdvideo.html
<http://www.wsg.washington.edu/outreach/mas/fisheries/seabirdvideo.html> ,
and a limited number of copies are also available for purchase. Contact: the
Washington Sea Grant Program <mailto:sgpubs@u.washington.edu> , (206)
543-0555.

President’s Budget: Bird Funding Facts and Figures

The President submitted his FY 2005 proposed budget this January for
Congressional approval. It is available online at
www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/fy2005/budget.html
<http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/fy2005/budget.html> . While the
complete details of the budget are beyond the scope of this letter, below
are the most pertinent sections for bird conservation.
The good news is an overall increase for FWS of $22.6 million over this year
to $1.3 billion - by comparison, the EPA budget would drop by 7%, the
largest decrease for any agency. Troubling, though, is the President’s
proposal to generate revenue by opening up the Arctic National Wildlife
Refuge to drilling, something that conservationists have fought strongly
against in recent years (Bird Calls Vol. 5, No. 1). However, Congressional
approval for this appears unlikely in this election year.
The North American Wetlands Conservation Act Fund, which provides matching
grants for wetlands conservation projects throughout North America, gets an
increase of $16.5 million for a total of $54 million. The Neotropical
Migratory Bird Conservation Act is slated for $4 million, up slightly from
last year but not the $5 million sought by conservationists (see article p.
13). The Migratory Bird Management program would receive more than a $4.5
million increase for work including surveys and monitoring ($2.1 million),
environmental impact statements/management actions ($1 million), webless
migratory gamebirds ($250,000), and the Harvest Information Program
($655,000).
Joint Venture administration gets $11.6 million (up $1.2 million) for 15
projects around the country, and money for State Wildlife Grants is
increased by $10.9 million to $80 million for state and tribal wildlife
conservation.
One of the biggest budget losers is FWS Endangered Species Act funding,
which would be decreased by 5% to $58 million, including cuts to the
recovery program that helps move species off the Endangered Species List.
Listing and critical habitat designation funds, however, increase from $12
million to $17 million, possibly due to court orders, though money for work
on “candidate” species drops from $9.8 million to $8.6 million, and
consultation funding drops by $2 million to $45 million.
The President’s budget proposes only $314 million for land purchases under
the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), well below the FY ’04 request
of $348 million and the FY ’03 enacted figure of $414 million. This breaks
down to $24 million for BLM, $45 million for FWS, $84 million for the Park
Service, $67 million for the Forest Service, and $94 million in stateside
matching grants. The President had vowed during his last election campaign
to provide $900 million for traditional federal and state LWCF funding.
The Army Corps of Engineers budget for Everglades restoration work is
slashed from $150 million to $125 million, and funding is zeroed out for
potentially hundreds of beach and shoreline restoration projects that the
Corps has funded in the past, but the budget for the Louisiana Coastal Area
increases nearly ten-fold to $8 million. This area is home to nearly 40
percent of the coastal wetlands in the lower 48 states, but is losing 34
square miles of wetlands each year due to saltwater intrusion brought on by
erosion of barrier islands in the Gulf of Mexico. Contact: Gerald Winegrad
<mailto:gww@abcbirds.org> , ABC.

Tower Kill Work Advances

Continued pressure from ABC and its partners has begun to yield tangible
results in the effort to prevent the deaths of possibly tens of millions of
migratory birds annually at more than 80,000 lit communication towers across
the United States. After ABC arranged a meeting last year with Federal
Aviation Administration (FAA) officials, the agency announced in February
2004 that it was preparing to release a guidance memo to all its regions
that continuous or slow pulsing red lights no longer be recommended for new
towers (unless absolutely required for aviation safety in limited areas).
White or red strobe lights would be the preferred lighting system.
Research to date points to continuous or slow pulsing red lights as one of
the main causes of the deaths of night migrating neotropical songbirds at
towers, so this switch by the FAA may substantially reduce avian mortality
at new structures. Retrofitting existing towers with the more bird-friendly
strobe lighting will require further effort from conservationists.
After receiving 250 comments to its Notice of Inquiry (NOI) on birds and
towers, over 90% of which urged action to prevent avian mortality, the
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is, for the first time, hiring a
biologist. The new staffer will aid in data analysis, help make
recommendations on the research and comments submitted under the NOI, review
individual tower cases for migratory bird impacts, and assist with
environmental reviews under the National Environmental Policy Act, the
Endangered Species Act, and the Commission’s own rules.
ABC and co-plaintiffs prepared detailed comments in ongoing litigation
against the FCC (Bird Calls Vol. 6, No. 3). Thirty-three national and
regional conservation and scientific organizations signed a letter urging
the FCC to require preventative measures on all new and existing
communications towers to prevent avian mortality. These measures follow FWS
guidelines and are supported by the best available scientific data.
Meanwhile, ABC and the Forest Conservation Council have appealed and stopped
the construction of seven new towers in North Carolina, Louisiana, Arkansas,
and Ohio. Regional appeals for Hawaii and the Mississippi Flyway are being
prepared, and research on tower kills is underway in Michigan, Arizona, and
Pennsylvania. Contact: Gerald Winegrad <mailto:gww@abcbirds.org> , ABC.
Free Roaming Cats
The practice of Trap/Neuter/Release (TNR) to allegedly “manage” unowned cats
is on the rise in the United States. TNR programs now exist in at least 40
states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. Some counties, such as
Santa Cruz in California and Palm Beach in Florida, even have ordinances
that legalize the practice, while the Animal Control Department of the City
of Cape May, New Jersey actively traps and then sterilizes cats for release.
Scientists estimate that free-roaming cats kill hundreds of millions of
birds in the U.S. each year.
One of the largest TNR efforts has been in California. From 1999 to 2002,
Maddie’s Fund gave $9.5 million to the California Veterinary Medical
Association to reimburse 1,116 veterinarians who spayed or neutered 170,334
unowned cats for release. The California Department of Fish and Game was not
consulted, nor were the cat feeders instructed to avoid releasing cats in or
near sensitive wildlife areas. The majority of California’s rare birds,
including the “Western” Snowy Plover, “California” Clapper Rail, and
“California” Least Tern, are vulnerable to cat predation. Historically,
California Quail were abundant in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco when cats
were controlled, but since the early 1990s, when TNR was allowed, the Park’s
quail population has been decimated.
In Florida, free-roaming cats threaten rare species such as the Florida
Scrub Jay and Least Tern, yet Brevard County legalized TNR in 1999, and has
given more than $100,000 in government funds to the Space Coast Feline
Network to pay for the spay/neuter of more than 2,000 cats for release.
After three years of legalized TNR, the stray cat population in Brevard
County grew to an estimated 200,000 cats, and a Feral Cat Advisory Committee
was formed. However, the committee disbanded without making any
recommendations to the county commissioners because the pro-TNR members
would not compromise or be held more accountable for their actions.
Incredibly, their intransigence was recently rewarded when the commissioners
granted yet another $25,000 to continue the TNR efforts.
More than just being misguided, TNR may not even be legal. Former University
of Florida law student Pamela Jo Hatley, commissioned by FWS, conducted a
thorough review of wildlife protection and animal cruelty laws. Hatley
concluded that TNR violates the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, the Endangered
Species Act, and Florida state laws prohibiting abandonment and release of
non-native animals (see www.law.ufl.edu/conservation/projects/projects_u_
feralcats.shtml
<http://www.law.ufl.edu/conservation/projects/projects_u_%20feralcats.shtml>
 ).
Contact: Linda Winter <mailto:lwinter@abcbirds.org> , ABC.

For further information on these issues please contact me.
Donald R. Dann, Highland Park/Lake County

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<div class=3DSection1>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><span class=3DEmailStyle15><font size=3D4 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Times New Roman"><span style=3D'font-size:14.0pt'><span =
style=3D'mso-bidi-font-size:
10.0pt'>BCN friends;<o:p></o:p></span></span></font></span></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><span class=3DEmailStyle15><font size=3D4 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Times New Roman"><span style=3D'font-size:14.0pt'><![if =
!supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]></span><o:p></o:p></font></span></p>

On Thursday and Friday, the 11th and 12th =
of
March I was in Washington at the meetings of the greatly expanded Bird
Conservation Alliance (formerly known as the Policy Council) and the =
Board of
the American Bird Conservancy (ABC).&nbsp;
There is much to report on a national level in bird conservation. =
&nbsp;<o:p></o:p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><span class=3DEmailStyle15><font size=3D4 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Times New Roman"><span style=3D'font-size:14.0pt'><![if =
!supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]></span><o:p></o:p></font></span></p>

The Bird Conservation Alliance =
(BCA) is a network of =
organizations, including
BCN, whose focus is the conservation, study, education, and observation =
of
birds. Through the Alliance, millions of birdwatchers and concerned =
citizens will
be united with conservation professionals, scientists, and educators for =
the
conservation of wild birds. &nbsp;For more =
information
see <a =
href=3D"http://www.birdconservationalliance.org/">www.birdconservationall=
iance.org</a>.
<o:p></o:p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><span class=3DEmailStyle15><font size=3D4 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Times New Roman"><span style=3D'font-size:14.0pt'><![if =
!supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]></span><o:p></o:p></font></span></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><span class=3DEmailStyle15><font size=3D4 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Times New Roman"><span style=3D'font-size:14.0pt'><span =
style=3D'mso-bidi-font-size:
10.0pt'>The following summarizes some of the key issues discussed at =
both
meetings and happily there is some small but positive actions on =
horseshoe crabs,
longline fisheries, communication towers and other efforts.<span
style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span><span style=3D"mso-spacerun:
yes">&nbsp;&nbsp;</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></font></span></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><span class=3DEmailStyle15><font size=3D4 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Times New Roman"><span style=3D'font-size:14.0pt'><![if =
!supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]></span><o:p></o:p></font></span></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><span class=3DEmailStyle15><u><font size=3D4 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Times New Roman"><span =
style=3D'font-size:14.0pt;font-weight:bold'><span
style=3D'mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt'>Wind Energy =
<o:p></o:p></span></span></font></u></span></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><span class=3DEmailStyle15><u><font size=3D4 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Times New Roman"><span =
style=3D'font-size:14.0pt;font-weight:bold'><![if =
!supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]></span></font></u></span><span
class=3DEmailStyle15><u><font color=3Dblack><span =
style=3D'font-weight:bold'><o:p></o:p></span></font></u></span></p>

The
ABC Board adopted the following statement on this issue: &quot;ABC =
supports the
development of wind energy in the U.S. as an alternative to fossil =
fueled power
plants to help meet the current and growing demand for electrical =
energy,
provided that before construction proceeds of new wind energy projects,
thorough site analyses for bird abundance, migration and use patterns =
should be
conducted and location, design, operation, and lighting should be =
carefully
implemented to prevent/minimize avian mortality and adverse impacts to =
birds
through habitat fragmentation, avian disturbance and site =
avoidance.&quot;<o:p></o:p><=
/p>

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

The
details of this policy are in draft form &#8211; please contact me if =
you would want a
copy of the complete statement when it is published. &nbsp;<o:p></o:p><=
/p>

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

<p class=3DMsoNormal><b><u><font size=3D4 color=3Dblack face=3D"Times =
New Roman"><span
style=3D'font-size:14.0pt;color:black;font-weight:bold'><span =
style=3D'mso-bidi-font-size:
10.0pt'>Horseshoe Crabs</span></span></font><font color=3Dblack><span
style=3D'color:black;mso-color-alt:windowtext'><o:p></o:p></span></font><=
/u></b></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><b><u><font size=3D4 color=3Dblack face=3D"Times =
New Roman"><span
style=3D'font-size:14.0pt;color:black;font-weight:bold'><![if =
!supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]></span></font><font
color=3Dblack><span =
style=3D'color:black;mso-color-alt:windowtext'><o:p></o:p></span></font><=
/u></b></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D4 color=3Dblack face=3D"Times New =
Roman"><span
style=3D'font-size:14.0pt;color:black'><span =
style=3D'mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt'>On
March 10, 2004 the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Conference reversed
themselves and voted 12-0 to ban ALL further harvesting of horseshoe =
crabs from
Delaware Bay between May 1 and June 7.<span style=3D"mso-spacerun: =
yes">&nbsp;
</span>In the last 4 years, the efforts of ABC and other partners have =
resulted
in a 62% reduction in the take of this crucial animal, so further =
reductions in
Red Knot and other shorebird species that feed on their eggs could be =
avoided.<span
style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>As it is some populations have =
had
declined precipitously because of inadequate crab eggs on which to =
feed.<span
style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span></span></span></font><font =
color=3Dblack><span
style=3D'color:black;mso-color-alt:windowtext'><o:p></o:p></span></font><=
/p>

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

<p class=3DMsoNormal><b><u><font size=3D4 color=3Dblack face=3D"Times =
New Roman"><span
style=3D'font-size:14.0pt;color:black;font-weight:bold'><span =
style=3D'mso-bidi-font-size:
10.0pt'>Longline Fisheries</span></span></font><font color=3Dblack><span
style=3D'color:black;mso-color-alt:windowtext'><o:p></o:p></span></font><=
/u></b></p>

Of the =
world&#8217;s
21 species of albatrosses, 19 are now considered threatened with =
extinction.&nbsp; More than 100,000 albatrosses =
killed
each year, along with at least 200,000 other seabirds, mostly =
petrels.&nbsp; However, Argentina has just =
become the
most recent country to ratify a new global treaty aimed at protecting =
some of
the world&#8217;s most imperiled seabird species. Longline fishing is =
the primary
reason behind recent population declines, with some 1.4 billion hooks =
and
30,000 miles of lines are set worldwide every day.&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>

Signatories to
the new accord agree to implement measures to reduce seabird by-catch in =
their
fisheries and further agree to protect the seabird breeding grounds, =
reduce
habitat loss, and tackle marine pollution in waters under their =
jurisdiction.&nbsp; This includes the use of =
paired streamer
lines, which, when employed are 100% effective.&nbsp; Though non-binding, the new agreement shows a clear
commitment on behalf of the participating countries to address the =
threat of
longline fishing to seabirds, and is a step towards the restoration of
declining albatross populations. The full Agreement can be viewed at <a
href=3D"http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/other/dfat/treaties/notinforce/2001/=
8.html">www.austlii.edu.au/au/other/dfat/treaties/notinforce/2001/8.html<=
/a>
. <o:p></o:p>

<p><font size=3D4 color=3D"#333333" face=3D"Times New Roman"><span =
style=3D'font-size:
14.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman"'><span
style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp;</span>&#8220;Off the Hook&#8221; is a =
new educational
video to help Alaskan longline fishermen understand and avoid seabird =
bycatch. This
well conceived and produced video clearly demonstrates the use and =
benefit of
streamer lines and is being distributed to fishermen affected by new
regulations mandating The video can be viewed and downloaded over the =
web at: <a
href=3D"http://www.wsg.washington.edu/outreach/mas/fisheries/seabirdvideo=
.html">www.wsg.washington.edu/outreach/mas/fisheries/seabirdvideo.html</a=
>,
and a limited number of copies are also available for purchase. Contact: =
<a
href=3D"mailto:sgpubs@u.washington.edu">the Washington Sea Grant =
Program</a>,
(206) 543-0555.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<h3><b><u><font size=3D4 color=3Dblack face=3D"Times New Roman"><span
style=3D'font-size:14.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times =
New Roman"'>President&#8217;s
Budget: Bird Funding Facts and =
Figures<o:p></o:p></span></font></u></b></h3>

The =
President
submitted his FY 2005 proposed budget this January for Congressional =
approval.
It is available online at <a
href=3D"http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/fy2005/budget.html">www.whit=
ehouse.gov/omb/budget/fy2005/budget.html</a>.
While the complete details of the budget are beyond the scope of this =
letter,
below are the most pertinent sections for bird =
conservation.<o:p></o:p>

<p><font size=3D4 color=3D"#333333" face=3D"Times New Roman"><span =
style=3D'font-size:
14.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman"'>The good =
news
is an overall increase for FWS of $22.6 million over this year to $1.3 =
billion
- by comparison, the EPA budget would drop by 7%, the largest decrease =
for any
agency. Troubling, though, is the President&#8217;s proposal to generate =
revenue by
opening up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to drilling, something =
that
conservationists have fought strongly against in recent years (Bird =
Calls Vol.
5, No. 1). However, Congressional approval for this appears unlikely in =
this
election year.<br>
The North American Wetlands Conservation Act Fund, which provides =
matching grants
for wetlands conservation projects throughout North America, gets an =
increase
of $16.5 million for a total of $54 million. The Neotropical Migratory =
Bird
Conservation Act is slated for $4 million, up slightly from last year =
but not
the $5 million sought by conservationists (see article p. 13). The =
Migratory
Bird Management program would receive more than a $4.5 million increase =
for
work including surveys and monitoring ($2.1 million), environmental =
impact
statements/management actions ($1 million), webless migratory gamebirds
($250,000), and the Harvest Information Program =
($655,000).<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p><font size=3D4 color=3D"#333333" face=3D"Times New Roman"><span =
style=3D'font-size:
14.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman"'>Joint =
Venture
administration gets $11.6 million (up $1.2 million) for 15 projects =
around the
country, and money for State Wildlife Grants is increased by $10.9 =
million to $80
million for state and tribal wildlife =
conservation.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

One of =
the
biggest budget losers is FWS Endangered Species Act funding, which would =
be
decreased by 5% to $58 million, including cuts to the recovery program =
that
helps move species off the Endangered Species List. Listing and critical
habitat designation funds, however, increase from $12 million to $17 =
million,
possibly due to court orders, though money for work on =
&#8220;candidate&#8221; species
drops from $9.8 million to $8.6 million, and consultation funding drops =
by $2
million to $45 million.<o:p></o:p>

The =
President&#8217;s
budget proposes only $314 million for land purchases under the Land and =
Water
Conservation Fund (LWCF), well below the FY &#8217;04 request of $348 =
million and the
FY &#8217;03 enacted figure of $414 million. This breaks down to $24 =
million for BLM,
$45 million for FWS, $84 million for the Park Service, $67 million for =
the
Forest Service, and $94 million in stateside matching grants. The =
President had
vowed during his last election campaign to provide $900 million for =
traditional
federal and state LWCF funding.<o:p></o:p>

The Army =
Corps
of Engineers budget for Everglades restoration work is slashed from $150
million to $125 million, and funding is zeroed out for potentially =
hundreds of
beach and shoreline restoration projects that the Corps has funded in =
the past,
but the budget for the Louisiana Coastal Area increases nearly ten-fold =
to $8
million. This area is home to nearly 40 percent of the coastal wetlands =
in the
lower 48 states, but is losing 34 square miles of wetlands each year due =
to
saltwater intrusion brought on by erosion of barrier islands in the Gulf =
of
Mexico. Contact: <a href=3D"mailto:gww@abcbirds.org">Gerald =
Winegrad</a>, ABC.<o:p></o:p>

<h3><b><u><font size=3D4 color=3Dblack face=3D"Times New Roman"><span
style=3D'font-size:14.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times =
New Roman"'>Tower
Kill Work Advances<o:p></o:p></span></font></u></b></h3>

Continued
pressure from ABC and its partners has begun to yield tangible results =
in the
effort to prevent the deaths of possibly tens of millions of migratory =
birds
annually at more than 80,000 lit communication towers across the United =
States.
After ABC arranged a meeting last year with Federal Aviation =
Administration
(FAA) officials, the agency announced in February 2004 that it was =
preparing to
release a guidance memo to all its regions that continuous or slow =
pulsing red
lights no longer be recommended for new towers (unless absolutely =
required for
aviation safety in limited areas). White or red strobe lights would be =
the
preferred lighting system.<o:p></o:p>

Research =
to
date points to continuous or slow pulsing red lights as one of the main =
causes
of the deaths of night migrating neotropical songbirds at towers, so =
this
switch by the FAA may substantially reduce avian mortality at new =
structures.
Retrofitting existing towers with the more bird-friendly strobe lighting =
will
require further effort from =
conservationists.<o:p></o:p>

After =
receiving
250 comments to its Notice of Inquiry (NOI) on birds and towers, over =
90% of
which urged action to prevent avian mortality, the Federal =
Communications
Commission (FCC) is, for the first time, hiring a biologist. The new =
staffer
will aid in data analysis, help make recommendations on the research and
comments submitted under the NOI, review individual tower cases for =
migratory
bird impacts, and assist with environmental reviews under the National
Environmental Policy Act, the Endangered Species Act, and the =
Commission&#8217;s own
rules.<o:p></o:p>

ABC and
co-plaintiffs prepared detailed comments in ongoing litigation against =
the FCC
(Bird Calls Vol. 6, No. 3). Thirty-three national and regional =
conservation and
scientific organizations signed a letter urging the FCC to require =
preventative
measures on all new and existing communications towers to prevent avian
mortality. These measures follow FWS guidelines and are supported by the =
best
available scientific data.<o:p></o:p>

Meanwhile, ABC
and the Forest Conservation Council have appealed and stopped the =
construction
of seven new towers in North Carolina, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Ohio. =
Regional
appeals for Hawaii and the Mississippi Flyway are being prepared, and =
research
on tower kills is underway in Michigan, Arizona, and Pennsylvania. =
Contact: <a
href=3D"mailto:gww@abcbirds.org">Gerald Winegrad</a>, =
ABC.<o:p></o:p>

<p><b><u><font size=3D4 color=3D"#333333" face=3D"Times New Roman"><span
style=3D'font-size:14.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times =
New Roman";
font-weight:bold'>Free Roaming Cats<o:p></o:p></span></font></u></b></p>

The =
practice of
Trap/Neuter/Release (TNR) to allegedly &#8220;manage&#8221; unowned cats =
is on the rise in
the United States. TNR programs now exist in at least 40 states, the =
District
of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. Some counties, such as Santa Cruz in =
California
and Palm Beach in Florida, even have ordinances that legalize the =
practice,
while the Animal Control Department of the City of Cape May, New Jersey
actively traps and then sterilizes cats for release. Scientists estimate =
that
free-roaming cats kill hundreds of millions of birds in the U.S. each =
year.<o:p></o:p>

One of =
the
largest TNR efforts has been in California. From 1999 to 2002, =
Maddie&#8217;s Fund
gave $9.5 million to the California Veterinary Medical Association to =
reimburse
1,116 veterinarians who spayed or neutered 170,334 unowned cats for =
release.
The California Department of Fish and Game was not consulted, nor were =
the cat
feeders instructed to avoid releasing cats in or near sensitive wildlife =
areas.
The majority of California&#8217;s rare birds, including the =
&#8220;Western&#8221; Snowy Plover,
&#8220;California&#8221; Clapper Rail, and &#8220;California&#8221; =
Least Tern, are vulnerable to cat
predation. Historically, California Quail were abundant in Golden Gate =
Park,
San Francisco when cats were controlled, but since the early 1990s, when =
TNR
was allowed, the Park&#8217;s quail population has been =
decimated.<o:p></o:p>

In =
Florida,
free-roaming cats threaten rare species such as the Florida Scrub Jay =
and Least
Tern, yet Brevard County legalized TNR in 1999, and has given more than
$100,000 in government funds to the Space Coast Feline Network to pay =
for the
spay/neuter of more than 2,000 cats for release. After three years of =
legalized
TNR, the stray cat population in Brevard County grew to an estimated =
200,000
cats, and a Feral Cat Advisory Committee was formed. However, the =
committee
disbanded without making any recommendations to the county commissioners
because the pro-TNR members would not compromise or be held more =
accountable
for their actions. Incredibly, their intransigence was recently rewarded =
when
the commissioners granted yet another $25,000 to continue the TNR =
efforts.<o:p></o:p>

More =
than just
being misguided, TNR may not even be legal. Former University of Florida =
law
student Pamela Jo Hatley, commissioned by FWS, conducted a thorough =
review of
wildlife protection and animal cruelty laws. Hatley concluded that TNR =
violates
the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, the Endangered Species Act, and Florida =
state
laws prohibiting abandonment and release of non-native animals (see <a
href=3D"http://www.law.ufl.edu/conservation/projects/projects_u_%20feralc=
ats.shtml">www.law.ufl.edu/conservation/projects/projects_u_
feralcats.shtml</a>).<o:p></o:p>

<p><font size=3D4 color=3D"#333333" face=3D"Times New Roman"><span =
style=3D'font-size:
14.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman"'>Contact: =
<a
href=3D"mailto:lwinter@abcbirds.org">Linda Winter</a>, =
ABC.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p><font size=3D4 color=3D"#333333" face=3D"Times New Roman"><span =
style=3D'font-size:
14.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman"'><![if =
!supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

For =
further
information on these issues please contact me. =
<o:p></o:p>

Donald R. Dann, Highland Park/Lake County&nbsp; <o:p></o:p><=
/p>

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