From bobolnk@ix.netcom.com Sat May 1 21:26:31 2004 From: bobolnk@ix.netcom.com (Judy Pollock) Date: Sat, 01 May 2004 15:26:31 -0500 Subject: [BCNnet] south suburbs - advocate for Illinois Conservation Funding Message-ID: <6.0.3.0.2.20040501152349.0299c990@popd.ix.netcom.com>
By AMY WIMMER SCHWARB, Times Staff Writer
Published May 4, 2004
Humans
likely got these birds into this mess. Now the question is: Should =
humans get
them out of it?
Eight
whooping cranes, hatched in captivity one year ago and trying to migrate =
on
their own for the first time, are stuck on the east side of Lake =
Michigan.
Their summer home, where they were raised and taught to follow the
human-piloted ultralight aircraft that led them along their migratory =
route to
And
cranes don't fly over water.
"They're
sitting on the
In
a conference call scheduled for today, organizations that help hatch, =
train and
monitor the cranes will discuss what to do about the birds. One option =
is to
let them fend for themselves. Another is to capture and relocate them to =
Crane-watchers
had hoped the birds would head south toward
The
other three are, indeed, looking for a way around the lake, but they =
headed the
wrong direction.
"We
were hoping they might then continue going west around the lake," =
said
Joan Garland, a spokeswoman for the International Crane Foundation. =
"Now
they're heading farther northeast, instead of going around it the way =
they
should be going."
Meanwhile,
at least five young cranes have hatched at the U.S. Geological Survey's =
They
are the beginning of the Class of 2004, which will be trained to fly =
with an
ultralight aircraft to the Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge this =
fall.
Ray
believes the cranes were disoriented after a run-in with humans in =
At
one point, when Richard Urbanek, a crane monitor from the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, left to find a motel room, a family of five exited =
their car
and approached the birds, frightening the birds so much that they took =
off.
They circled overhead for almost an hour before finally flying =
northward,
according to Operation Migration. One crane hit a power line, a move =
that has
killed whooping cranes in the past, but he =
survived.
The
scare forced the birds to fly by moonlight, which they seldom if ever =
do. Some
crane officials blame this moonlit flight for their =
disorientation.
Fewer
than 500 whooping cranes are known to exist. Of those, 39 of them are in =
this
captive-born flock, in which the cranes are trained as chicks to follow =
the hum
of an ultralight aircraft that eventually guides them on a migratory =
route to
Chassahowitzka.
The
birds are then expected to return to
The
flock of 16 now trying to return home to
In
the history of the project, four birds have been captured and relocated =
to
Necedah. One bird got off-course and was in
Three
birds were captured last year from
For
Ray, the cranes' difficulty is a lesson in why humans should limit their
interactions with wildlife.
"The
bottom line is, these people should not have gotten anywhere near them. =
They're
wild creatures," Ray said. "Every time you stop your car at =
the side
of the road to look at a deer, you're teaching that deer =
tolerance."
-
Amy Wimmer Schwarb can be reached at 352 860-7305 or wimmer@sptimes.com =
© =
Copyright 2003 St. Petersburg =
Times.
All rights reserved
BCNnet friends;
Yesterday at the meeting of the commissioners of the Forest =
Preserve
District of Cook County, I gave BCN’s testimony endorsing the =
District’s
proposed strict Land Use Policy, which will =
reaffirm the core mission of =
the forest
preserves. Further, we indicated our great =
support for passage of an =
ordinance that
further strengthens the protection of the public =
lands.
Also at the meeting the following Resolution pertaining to BCN, =
recognizing
our work and us was passed unanimously by the Commissioners. =
Congratulations to all, as all of your hard work made this =
possible.
Donnie
Donald
R. Dann
President,
On behalf of the Executive Committee,
Bird
Conservation Network
Ph/Fx:
847-266-2222
Cell:
847-997-1011
Email:
donniebird@yahoo.com =
RESOLUTION
Sponsored =
by
THE =
HONORABLE
LARRY SUFFREDIN, FOREST PRESERVE =
DISTRICTCOMMISSIONER
In
Recognition of the Work of the Bird Conservation =
Network
WHEREAS, The Bird Conservation Network was started in 1997 =
and
works to help protect and promote the conservation of birds and the =
habitats
they need to survive; and
WHEREAS, The Bird Conservation Network includes more than =
40,000
individual members and is a coalition of 19 bird clubs, Audubon groups,
ornithological societies, and other conservation organizations that work
throughout Cook County and regionally in the neighboring counties of =
Will,
McHenry, DuPage, Kane, Lake and Lake County Indiana, and =
WHEREAS, Bird Conservation Network volunteers monitor bird
populations, both breeding and migratory, following established =
scientific
protocols; and
WHEREAS, Volunteers trained by the Bird Conservation =
Network and
its coalition members are an important community resource, providing =
informed,
science based information on bird related issues to the public and =
private
landowners; and
WHEREAS, The members of the Bird Conservation Network =
recognize
the importance of education in seeking to protect birds and their =
habitats,
they regularly convene conferences and educational seminars for the =
public,
government agencies, and ornithological and environmental students and
professionals; and
WHEREAS, In addition to working with its 19 member =
organizations,
the Bird Conservation Network regularly partners with governmental and
non-profit agencies such as the Forest Preserve District of Cook County,
Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Chicago Park District, Open =
Lands
Project, Sierra Club, Chicago Department of Environment, and Chicago
Wilderness; and
WHEREAS, Although it has no paid staff, the Bird =
Conservation
Network and its members have made countless contributions to our local =
forest
preserves, parks, and regional ecosystems by their participation in =
activities
such as habitat restoration, consulting on issues such as bird friendly
landscaping, and helping to design and improve lakefront birding =
hotspots like
the Montrose Magic Hedge, Jarvis Bird Sanctuary, and Wooded Island in =
Jackson
Park.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOVLED, That the Board of =
Commissioners of
the Forest Preserve District of Cook County does here by recognize the =
work of
the Bird Conservation Network and thanks its members for their many
contributions to Cook County and our regional ecosystems; and =
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that a suitable copy of this =
resolution be
tendered to the Bird Conservation Network as a symbol of this auspicious
occasion and let it also be spread upon the official proceedings of this
Honorable Body.
BCN
friends:
The
American Bird Conservancy recently adopted a Wind Energy and Birds =
policy. The following letter from ABC
Vice-President Gerald Winegrad and the attached documents describe that =
policy
and provide the agenda for an upcoming meeting with interested =
parties. Over the years, many of you =
have asked
me about this issue. I =
believe
this is a thoughtful and well-balanced approach that recognizes the =
great
advantage of this energy source vis-=E0-vis the use of fossil fuels. =
Regards,
Donnie =
Donald
R. Dann
Highland
Park/Lake County =
1) We have completed
the attached ABC Wind Energy and Birds Policy. It is the =
result
of much input from Board, staff, and wind energy =
specialists. We
think we have struck a good, science-based balance and formulated a =
sound
policy that continues ABC's tradition of leadership on such issues. =
We will post the ABC Wind =
Energy
Policy on our web site and disseminate it to our partner organizations, =
as many
have requested such information from us. You also may want to =
pass
the Policy to others and should feel free to do so. The Policy
attached adheres to the Board's adoption on March 12 of a =
wind
energy policy that is based on this statement:
"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."
2) The two-day Wind Energy and Birds/Bats =
Workshop:
Understanding and Resolving Bird and Bat Impacts is set for =
next week
in Washington, DC. About 75 folks will be attending from =
around the
U.S, Canada, and Europe. Some of the best experts on wind energy =
and
wildlife impacts will be presenting. The Workshop will =
be very
interesting and informative. If you are interested in =
attending all
or part of the workshop, please let me know as soon as you =
can. I can
probably have the registration fee waived. The meetings on May =
17 and
18 will be at CI Hdqtrs 1919 M St. NW; May 19 at WWF Hdqrts, 1250 =
24th
St., NW. There is a pre-meeting reception on Monday, May 17 at =
6:00 p.m.
American Bird Conservancy has worked over the last 8 months =
with
colleagues in the Bird Conservation Alliance, other scientists, and the =
wind
industry to try and resolve issues related to the best science on wind =
energy
and avian and bat impacts and how to prevent or minimize such =
impacts. We
organized the workshop in order to help answer the many questions
surrounding wind energy and birds and bats. Al Manville of US Fish and =
Wildlife
will be presenting. The workshop will allow for thorough =
discussions to
comprehensibly examine the best data on wind energy impacts to birds and =
bats
and the measures that are and could be employed to prevent/minimize such
impacts. See the attached agenda.
American Bird
Conservancy, the American Wind Energy Association
and other =
Steering
Committee Members (see below for list)
cordially =
invite
you to attend
Wind
Energy and Birds/Bats Workshop:
Understanding
and Resolving Bird and Bat Impacts
May
18-19th, 2004
in
Washington, DC=
Meeting Purpose: to =
thoroughly
examine the best data on wind energy impacts to birds and bats and the =
measures
that are and could be employed to prevent/minimize such =
impacts
A hard copy invitation, the agenda and meeting logistics information =
will be
mailed to you should you desire to attend. When you receive =
the
invitation, please return the RSVP form at your earliest convenience. =
The
workshop will be staffed and professionally facilitated by RESOLVE, Inc. =
Please
contact Gerald Winegrad at gww@abcbirds.org with
any questions.
The Workshop Steering Committee =
includes:
Gerald Winegrad, American Bird Conservancy
Tom Gray, American Wind Energy Association
Matthew Banks, World Wildlife Fund
Taber Allison, Massachusetts Audubon Society
David Blockstein, National Council for Science and the =
Environment
Ed DeMeo, Renewable Energy Consulting Services
Sam Enfield, Atlantic Renewable Energy Corporation
Caroline Kennedy and Aimee =
Delach, Defenders of Wildlife
Steve Sheffield, Department of Environment and Science =
Policy
Steve Steinhour, SeaWest Wind Power
Dale Strickland and Wally =
Erickson, Western EcoSystems Technology
Carl Thelander, BioResources Consultants
Hi
BCN friends of Conservation:
This
is self-explanatory. We =
must
restore these budget cuts. =
Thanks
for helping.
Donnie =
Donald
R. Dann
Highland
Park/Lake County =
-----Original Message-----
From: Jennifer Sublett
[mailto:jsublett@ilenviro.org]
Sent: Wednesday, May 12, =
2004 5:52
PM
To: =
openspace@lists.ilenviro.org
Subject: [openspace] =
ACTION ALERT:
Please distribute alert to save OSLAD/NAAF
Partners for Parks & Wildlife
Members:
ACT TODAY TO SAVE OSLAD & NAAF =
FUNDING!!
Your help is =
needed
today!
The Spring session of the IL =
General
Assembly is winding down and the budget
negotiations are heating up. We need to keep the pressure =
on in
order to
ensure funding for OSLAD & NAAF is restored to next year's =
budget.
Thus far, PPW members have sent over 3,100 faxes and letters to the
Governor, his budget director & state senators and =
representatives.
We want
to see 10,000 sent in the next two weeks!!
This is a tall order but if each of your members acts on this action =
alert,
we can reach that goal!!
The Illinois Action Project (I-ACT) system is simple to use and takes =
two
minutes to send faxes to the decision makers. PLEASE forward this =
alert
to all of your members and
strongly encourage them to ACT TODAY!
If you have =
already sent
this message to your membership, please send it =
again!! We want those who have sent letters to now call =
the
Governor and their legislators. With your help, we can insure that
restoring OSLAD and NAAF is a priority for our =
lawmakers.
THANK YOU!
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
Example alert:
ACT TODAY TO SAVE OSLAD & NAAF
FUNDING!!
The Spring session of the IL General Assembly is winding down and the =
budget
negotiations are heating up. We need to keep the pressure =
on in
order to
ensure funding for OSLAD (Open Space Land Acquisition and Development =
Fund)
& NAAF (Natural Areas Acquisition Fund) is restored to next =
year's
budget.
Thus far, Partners for Parks and Wildlife has sent over 3,100 =
faxes
and letters to the
Governor, his budget director & state senators and =
representatives.
We want
to see 10,000 sent in the next two weeks!! We can =
reach
that goal with your help!!
The I-ACT system is simple to use and takes two minutes to send faxes to =
the
decision makers. PLEASE follow the link below =
to ACT
TODAY to restore the funding for OSLAD & NAAF.
If you have =
already
taken action on this issue, please forward this message to 5 =
friends
and call the targets today!!
Governor Rod Blagojevich
217-782-6830
Budget Director John
Filan =
217-782-4520
Your state =
senator
Your state =
representative
(To find =
senator/rep
numbers: www.elections.state.il.us/dls/pages/SelectOfficialSearch.asp)
Please visit our updated website for more
information: www.partnersforparksandwildl=
ife.org.
Jennifer Sublett
Outreach Coordinator
Illinois Environmental Council
107 W. Cook St., Suite E
Springfield, IL 62704
217.544.5954
www.ilenviro.org
To BCN =
people:
Normally I would not ask you to =
take part
in a form letter drive like this, but this is a strategy Partners for =
Parks and
Wildlife (PPW) has come up with to continue the pressure on the General
Assembly and the Governor's office. Form letters are not really =
effective, but
we are aiming for sheer volume and this type of email connection makes =
it easy
to deliver "personal" letters to your legislators, the =
Governor and
the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, John =
Filan.
Note that if you decide to =
personalize
your letter, the same letter goes to all four targets, so if you decide =
to edit
the letter, make it general edits, not specific to one of the four
targets. the four targets are your state rep, state senator, =
Governor
Blagojevich and John Filan. when you register on the I-ACT site, it will
automatically "know" who your state legislators are. it isn't
complicated and only takes a few minutes.
PPW goal is to get 10,000 letters =
to the
Governor and John Filan, with letters distributed across the =
General
Assembly, too. we want to make sure every legislator gets a letter =
through
I-ACT. thus far about 3,100 letters have been =
emailed.
If you are inclined, please go to =
the
website, register and send your letters. Thank you!
Donnie
Donald R. =
Dann
Highland Park/Lake County
ACT =
TODAY TO SAVE
OSLAD & NAAF FUNDING!!
The Spring session of the IL General Assembly is winding down and the =
budget
negotiations are heating up. We need to keep the pressure =
on in order
to
ensure funding for OSLAD (Open Space Land Acquisition and Development =
Fund)
& NAAF (Natural Areas Acquisition Fund) is restored to next =
year's
budget.
Thus far, Partners for Parks and Wildlife has sent over 3,100 =
faxes
and letters to the
Governor, his budget director & state senators and =
representatives.
We want
to see 10,000 sent in the next two weeks!! We can =
reach
that goal with your help!!
The I-ACT system is simple to use and takes two minutes to send faxes to =
the
decision makers. PLEASE follow the link below =
to ACT
TODAY to restore the funding for OSLAD & NAAF.
http://www.illinoisactionproject.org/=
showalert.asp?aaid=3D538
If you =
have
already taken action on this issue, please forward this message =
to 5
friends and call the targets today!!
Governor=
Rod
Blagojevich =
217-782-6830
Budget =
Director
John Filan =
217-782-4520
Your =
state
senator
Your =
state
representative
&n=
bsp;
(To find senator/rep numbers: www.elections.state.il.us/dls/pages/SelectOfficialSearch.asp)
Please visit our updated website for more information: =
www.partnersforparksandwildlife.org.
To: Alderman O'Connor an= d River Park Offcials PAWS PARK IN CHICAGO
To: Alderman Patrick. O'Connor of Chicago 40th Ward and the River Park
Officials
This Petition, supported by the undersigned, is directed to the Alderman of=20=
the 40th Ward in Chicago, River Park Managers, and other interested City
Officials. Its goal is to support the construction of an enclosed dog
friendly area at River Park, which is located at Francisco Street and the river. Currently in the Chicago land area, there are such parks constructed=20=
at Wrigley Field, Hamlin, Wicker, Margate, Walsh, and Coliseum Parks.
Churchill Park and recently approved Challenger Park is in development stage= s
and Winnemac Dog Park has a petition in the works. Our community has
expressed such a need for a pet friendly area.
Birders =
and
Conservationists:
Support =
the
Illinois Wetland Protection Act
Call Your Senators. Ask them to support:
Senate Amendment 1 to House Bill =
913
the Illinois Wetland Protection Act,
and to ask their colleagues to support it.
Call your Senator:
Senator Ira Silverstein (8th District)
773-743-5015, 217-782-5500
Tell him HB 422 is now Ammendment 1 to HB 913, without =
fees.
Ask him for his support.
(S. Glenview)
Senator Jeff Schoenberg (9th District)
847-492-1200, 217-782-2119
Tell him HB 422 is now Ammendment 1 to HB 913, without =
fees.
Ask him for his support.
(Glencoe, Glenview, Northbrook) =
Senator Bill =
Peterson (26th District)
847-634-6060, 217-782-8010.
Tell him HB 422 is now Ammendment 1 to HB 913, without =
fees.
Ask him for his support.
SW Lake & E McHenry counties:
(W Libertyville, Mundelein, Buffalo Grove, Long Grove, Lake
Zurich,
Barrington, Wauconda, Island Lake, Round Lake, S =
Grayslake)
Senator Susan Garrett (29th District)
847-433-2002, 217-782-3650
Tell her HB 422 is now Ammendment 1 to HB 913, without =
fees.
Thank her for her support.
(Lake Bluff, Lake Forest, Highland Park, Northbrook,
Glencoe, Deerfield)
Senator Terry Link (30th District)
Amendment =
Sponsor
Thank him for his support.
217-782-8181, 847-735-8181
(Waukegan, Gurnee, E Libertyville, W Lake Bluff, Vernon =
Hills,
W Lake Forest, Lincolnshire, Riverwoods, N Northbrook) =
Senator Adeline =
Geo-Karis (31st District)
847-872-7500, 217-782-7353
Tell her HB 422 is now Ammendment 1 to HB 913, without =
fees.
Ask her for her support.
(Zion, N Waukegan, Gurnee, Grayslake,
Fox Lake, Antioch, Winthrop Harbor) =
Deadline:<=
br>
&nbs=
p;
Thursday, 5/27
but there will be a committee =
vote as
early as
&nbs=
p;
Tuesday, 5/25
If successful, the bill will then =
be
voted on by the House next week.
Background:
HB 422, which successfully passed the IL Assembly last fall, was =
rejected by
the Senate Energy and Environment Committee last =
week
In January 2001 a Supreme Court =
ruling
threw into question whether federal
Clean Water Act protections apply to any wetlands, streams and other =
waters
that may be considered "isolated." The Illinois Department of =
Natural
Resources estimates that over a third of Illinois' remaining =
wetlands
have suddenly lost all federal protection as a result of the =
decision.
While Lake County, Kane County and DuPage Counties, which have
Stormwater Management Commissions, have passed ordinances to
protect our wetlands, wetlands across the rest of the state remain
in jeopardy.
HB422, entitled the Illinois Wetland Protection Act, is presently an
empty bill. Its language has been in negotiation, lead by a =
volunteer
retired judge, Judge Getty.
After four months of extensive negotiations with all interested =
parties,
retired Judge Michael Getty has recommended a compromise solution
to a major problem that threatens Illinois with increased =
flooding,
water pollution, and lost wildlife habitat.
The Illinois Wetland Protect Act is the result of those discussions,
and 18 months of discussions that preceded the most recent round of
talks.
The amendment to HB 422 includes major concessions to opponents of
wetland protection, and thus is substantially different than similar
legislation (HB 6013 from the 92nd General Assembly) debated
in the House in 2002.
The amendment to HB 422 would establish a wetland permitting program
that would have the following features:
* A permit from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources =
will
be
required to destroy any wetland not protected by the U.S. Army Corps
of Engineers. This ensures that wetlands abandoned by the federal
government will have some level of protection, but will avoid any
duplication by automatically exempting from the state program
anything requiring federal approval.
* Specific exemptions apply for all agricultural activities,
utility corridors,
mining and quarry activities, farm ponds, artificially created waters, =
and
many others. All farming activities are exempt.
* Classify wetlands so that the highest quality areas =
receive the
greatest protection, and degraded wetlands receive less protection.
* Counties with existing wetland protection authority
(Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry and Will counties)
retain existing authority - local control is not compromised.
Again, duplication is avoided by having the county program,
rather than the state, apply in these areas.
Counties would work together to seek uniform wetland protection
standards over time.
* A Wetlands Advisory Committee will advise the State in
implementing the program. Business interests are the largest
component of the Committee. The Committee will advise the
IDNR on implementation rules, assist counties in
coordinating and ultimately unifying their wetland protection
regulations. After 2007, the Committee may advise the State to =
seek
full delegation of the federal wetland protection program in =
Illinois.
* Fees will be established by rule. The IDNR will =
revisit the
fee
structure on an annual basis to ensure that fee levels are in line =
with
the costs of implementing the program.
The compromise amendment contains many concessions requested
by opponents. The Illinois Wetland Protection Act represents a =
fair
compromise that will provide an adequate level of protection for
wetlands that have recently lost all federal protection. We have =
already
lost approximately 90% of our state's original wetland acres.
Illinois’ few remaining wetland areas are critical for flood =
control,
water quality, and wildlife.
SUPPORT HB 422 -
PROTECT FAMILIES FROM FLOODS, KEEP OUR WATER CLEAN!
Thank you,
Donnie =
Donald
R. Dann
Highland Park/Lake =
County =
(This alert was =
provided by
the Sierra Club).
By Brett McNeil and Mick= ey Ciokajlo
Please support Cook County Forest Preserve District Superintendent
Steve Bylina in his new ban on non-pavement parking in the Forest
Preserves.
Superintendent Bylina is taking a lot of heat from banning cars, boats
and trailers from parking all over the Forest Preserve grasslands.
As you'll read below, Ravinia used to routinely park up to 800 cars
on Forest Preserve Grasslands -- and the old system even issued them
a permit to do it.
Bylina is taking a new conservationist approach -- and in addition to this n= ew
parking controversy, is also seeking to stop the common practice of
illegal township encroachments on Forest Preserve District land
(like the ten acres of soccer fields in the town of Westchester that were illegally set-up on Forest Preserve land and are regularly used and mowed.)&= nbsp;
The particular issue at hand -- and the subject of the article below is
a strict no-parking rule for non-paved and non-designated parking
areas -- is a tremendous step forward for conservation, in that it is so
politically significant about the new attitude and approach
the District is taking about use of the Preserves.
Please let Superintendent Bylina know you support his conservation efforts,=20=
and CALL his office and leave a message, SEND a fax, or better yet, WRITE
a hand-written note to demonstrate your support of his efforts. The Si= erra Club
is completely behind him on this initiative!
CALL
708-771-1511 (Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm)
Leave a message with Tracy McIntyre, Steve Bylina's Executive Assistant
FAX
708-771-1811
Goes to the desk of Tracy McIntyre, the Superintendent's Assistant
WRITE
Steve Bylina
General Superintendent
Forest Preserve District of Cook County
546 N. Harlem Avenue
River Forest, IL 60305
Any questions -- feel free to give me (Cory Jones) a call at 773/463-4072 (M= -F 9-5)
Thanks much.
Cory
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
SUNDAY'S CHICAGO TRIBUNE ARTICLE
Fests to feel forest ban on parking
Ravinia, Irish fetes among affected