[BCNnet] Fwd: [BCAlist] Request for Action of BCA members - Midway

Tue Jan 30 07:27:26 CST 2007

Bird conservationists:

Your help in contacting USF&W would be appreciated.

Donnie Dann
Highland Park, Lake County
donniebird at yahoo.com 

--- "Alicia F. Craig" <acraig at abcbirds.org> wrote:

> From: "Alicia F. Craig" <acraig at abcbirds.org>
> To: "'BCA Listserv'" <bcalist at lists.abcbirds.org>
> Date: Tue, 30 Jan 2007 08:24:22 -0500
> Subject: [BCAlist] Request for Action of BCA members - Midway
> 
> I am posting this on American Bird Conservancy Seabird Program
> Director,
> Jennifer Arnold's behalf: 
> 
>  
> 
> Dear BCA Members, 
> 
> As you all know from our BCA meeting in November '06 and from recent
> emails,
> large numbers of Laysan Albatross chicks are being killed annually at
> Midway
> Atoll NWR, in the heart of our new Northwestern Hawaiian Islands
> Marine
> National Monument.  If lead-based paint is not removed from these
> buildings,
> as many as 10,000 chicks may die from lead poisoning in a single
> year. 
> 
> It has now been proposed that Midway Atoll NWR reopen to visitors as
> early
> as this year.  USFWS, in consultation with NOAA, has developed a new
> visitor
> services plan that will allow regularly scheduled visits to Midway to
> resume
> under new guidelines.  This is an interim plan to guide visitor
> activities
> on Midway Atoll that would remain in place until such time as a
> "broader
> monument management plan that meets the applicable requirements of a
> refuge
> comprehensive conservation plan and visitor services plan is
> completed". The
> plan would allow 30 overnight visitors on the island at one time in
> 2007,
> building up to 50 in 2008.  It would also allow continued visits by
> up to
> three cruise ships per year.  
> 
> We feel that it is completely inappropriate to invite visitors to the
> island
> when such large numbers of albatross chicks are being poisoned, and
> we ask
> you to join us in letting USFWS know that cleaning-up lead-based
> paint from
> this site should be an immediate priority before the visitor program
> is
> reinstated. 
> 
> For more information see:
> 
> http://www.fws.gov/midway/VSP/MidwayVSPindex.html
> 
>  
> 
> Requested action item #1 for BCA members:  
> 
> The proposed visitor services plan is now open for public review
> (http://www.fws.gov/midway/new.html) with comments due by the 6th of
> February.  Thus, we are asking BCA members to send comments on the
> draft
> report, indicating that it is not acceptable to welcome visitors on
> the
> refuge where birds are dying in large numbers, and that lead-based
> paint
> must be cleaned up before the visitor program commences.  To assist
> you in
> this matter, we have placed a sample letter on the BCA website (also
> below).
> Comments should be sent on or before February 6th. 
> 
>  
> 
> Requested action item #2 for BCA members:  
> 
> Please encourage your members to visit http://www.albatrossaction.org
> <http://www.albatrossaction.org/>  to view and send an
> automatically-generated email to President Bush. Posted on this site
> is
> background information and a report on lead at Midway. 
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> For more information visit www.albatrossaction.org
> <http://www.albatrossaction.org/>   or contact Jennifer Arnold at
> jarnold at abcbird.org.  
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
> Pacific Islands Division of External Affairs and Visitor Services
> Box 50187
> Honolulu, HI 96850
> 
>  
> 
> Comments may also be sent by email to:
> 
> midway at fws.gov
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
> Pacific Islands Division of External Affairs and Visitor Services
> Box 50187
> Honolulu, HI 96850
> 
>  
> 
> Dear Fish and Wildlife Service, 
> 
>  
> 
> I am writing on behalf of ____________ to comment on the "Draft
> Interim
> Visitor Services Plan for Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge and
> the
> Battle of Midway National Memorial and the Northwestern Hawaiian
> Islands
> Marine National Monument's Midway Atoll Special Management Area" that
> has
> been developed by the Fish and Wildlife Service in consultation with
> the
> National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration.  The proposed program
> offers
> a great opportunity for the general public, particularly the American
> people, to view some of America's most stunning natural and cultural
> resources.  However, as you may be aware, approximately 10,000 Laysan
> albatross chicks are killed annually from lead poisoning on Sand
> Island the
> main site of visitation.  While we are excited about the visitor
> plan, we
> feel that it is unacceptable to allow this large scale destruction of
> wildlife to continue, particularly at a National Wildlife Refuge in a
> National Monument.  We urge you to remedy this problem and clean up
> the
> lead-based paint before instating the proposed visitors program. 
> 
>  
> 
> Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge is the largest breeding site in
> the
> world for Laysan Albatrosses, a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Bird
> of
> Conservation Concern.  Laysan Albatross chicks at Midway Atoll are
> exposed
> to lead-based paint that is chipping off of nearly 100 aging
> buildings on
> the island, the same buildings that will be used to host the visitors
> and
> their various activities.   As a result, large numbers of chicks die
> from
> immunological, neurologica l   and renal impairment, and other issues
> associated with lead poisoning.  Many chicks develop a neurological
> condition known as droopwing which causes paralysis of the wings. 
> Over all,
> it is estimated that as many as 10,000 chicks die from lead poisoning
> every
> year.  Thus, visitors to the island, expecting to see our nation's
> healthy
> wildlife will instead see dying and deformed chicks.   
> 
>  
> 
> We understand that refuge management has with limited funds begun a
> program
> to remove lead-based paint from buildings on the island, but feel
> that if
> the visitor program is to begin in 2007 more rapid progress must be
> made.
> It would be an embarrassment to the Nation to bring people to our
> showcase,
> our national monument, only to see dying chicks.  This is
> particularly true
> given that with proper allocation of funds, this problem could be
> solved and
> tens of thousands of albatross chicks could be saved.  
> 
>  
> 
> In conclusion, we support a program to bring visitors to Midway Atoll
> that
> is inline with protection of the wildlife resources of the site, but
> we feel
> strongly that such visitation would be inappropriate unless the
> harmful
> lead-based paint is removed from the island prior to the onset of the
> program.
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> Sincerely,
> 
> Organization here 
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> Jennifer M. Arnold, Ph.D.
> 
> Seabird Program Director
> 
> American Bird Conservancy
> 
> 15526 North Nemo Court
> 
> Bowie, MD 20716
> 
> Phone: 301-218-6225
> 
> jarnold at abcbirds.org
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> Alicia Frances Craig
> Director, Bird Conservation Alliance
> American Bird Conservancy
> 
> BCA office in Indiana
> PO Box 90290
> Indianapolis, IN 46240
> 317-251-2473
> 
> Washington DC ABC Office
> 1731 Connecticut Avenue NW 3rd Floor
> Washington DC 20009
> 202-234-7181
> 
> The Bird Conservation Alliance is a network of organizations whose
> focus is
> the conservation, study, and observation of birds. Through the
> Alliance,
> millions of birdwatchers and concerned citizens are united with
> conservation
> professionals, scientists, and educators for the conservation of wild
> birds.
> 
> http://www.birdconservationalliance.org
> 
> > 
> To unsubscribe mail:
> BCAlist-unsubscribe at lists.abcbirds.org
> 

Donald R. Dann
60 Ravinoaks Lane
Highland Park, IL 60035
Ph/Fx, 847-266-2222
Cell, 847-997-1011
Email, donniebird at yahoo.com

41355 Fleming Springs Rd.
Cave Creek, AZ 85331
480-575-5469
-------------- next part --------------

To unsubscribe mail:
BCAlist-unsubscribe at lists.abcbirds.org