From donniebird at yahoo.com Sat Jun 2 09:33:22 2007 From: donniebird at yahoo.com (donniebird@yahoo.com) Date: Sat Jun 2 08:32:59 2007 Subject: [BCNnet] FW: Birding Community E-bulletin - June 2007 Message-ID: <002801c7a522$f9820f70$0200a8c0@DONNIERTMEJESV> Bird conservationists: For many years I have excerpted and included on BCNnet the bird conservation writings of my long time friends Paul Baicich and Wayne Peterson. Because I thought their entire June 2007 newsletter is so loaded with worthwhile birding and conservation news I've copied the entire message. I encourage you to write Paul and ask that you be included on their distribution list for future editions. Good birding. Donnie Dann Highland Park, IL/Lake County donniebird@yahoo.com -----Original Message----- From: Paul J. Baicich [mailto:paul.baicich@verizon.net] Sent: Friday, June 01, 2007 1:45 PM To: Paul J. Baicich Cc: Wayne Petersen Subject: Birding Community E-bulletin - June 2007 THE BIRDING COMMUNITY E-BULLETIN June 2007 This Birding Community E-bulletin is being distributed through the generous support of Steiner Binoculars as a service to active and concerned birders, those dedicated to the joys of birding and the protection of birds and their habitats. You can access an archive of our past E-bulletins on the website of the National Wildlife Refuge Association (NWRA): http://www.refugenet.org/birding/birding5.html and on the birding pages for Steiner Binoculars http://www.steiner-birding.com/bulletin.html RARITY FOCUS The rarity for May is a Bahama Mockingbird found on 6 May at Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park, Dade County, Florida. (For description and illustration, see the "big" Sibley guide, page 411 and the National Geographic Guide, page 362-363.) What, another month with a Florida entry? Yes, this is four months in a row ( the previous three Florida rarities were Western Spindalis, Loggerhead Kingbird, and Black Noddy). This is purely a coincidence because all we try to do each month is try to pick out the month's accessible and interesting rarity, without regard to location. With this in mind, the Bahama Mockingbird is the bird of choice for the June E-Bulletin, even though it happens to be in Florida again. A resident of the Bahamas, Jamaica, and small islands on the coast of Cuba, Bahama Mockingbird has only been found in the U.S. about 20 times before. Most sightings have been in Florida from early April to mid-June, and mostly between the Dry Tortugas and West Palm Beach. The first individual ever found was at the Dry Tortugas in 1973. Interestingly, the Cape Florida bird was not the only Florida Mockingbird reported in May. On the morning of 2 May, a different Bahama Mockingbird was described from the NW side of Fort Jefferson in the Dry Tortugas. Another Bahama Mockingbird, or the same Fort Jefferson bird, was reported on 29 May. However, the Cape Florida bird stayed longer and was enjoyed by more observers. The mockingbird at Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park was found on a trail by the park's southernmost parking lot. Much to the delight of many observers the bird frequented buttonwood, strangler fig, and sea grape in the area through 9 May. Over the years, many birders believe that the increase in Bahama Mockingbird sightings is attributable to an increased number of observers, greater observer awareness, and increased coverage of birding localities. The species has been usually found in coastal parks and suburban habitat. May's mockingbird at Bill Baggs Cape Florida is at least the sixth occurrence of this species at that particular location. For a photo by Trey Mitchell of this most recent Cape Florida bird: http://www.photographwildlife.com/images/TASpost/CapeFlorida/May72007/index. htm NEAR-SHORE ATLANTIC ALBATROSS(ES) Seeing an albatross near shore in the U.S. or Canada is a rare experience anywhere outside of Alaska or Hawaii. One exception is the now-famous Laysan Albatross of Point Arena, California, a bird that has spent fourteen consecutive winters at that harbor. (Local fans have dubbed him "Mr. Al B. Tross," a bird that will even join local surfers beyond the waves right outside the harbor.) An albatross off the northeast coast of North America is another story. Over the last eight years there have been a spate of Yellow-nosed Albatross reports. This species is a bird of the southern Atlantic waters, breeding on a few isolated islands and only rarely found in the North Atlantic. Initially, a bird was sighted in February 2000 at sea about three miles off Salvo, North Carolina. This event was followed by a cluster of sightings in May, some of them actually on land, in Massachusetts, New York (Fire Island), New Jersey (Cape May area), Rhode Island, and in June, in Massachusetts again. Since then, there have been additional reports, mainly along the New England coast, particularly in Massachusetts and Maine. Some observers believe this is a single stray Yellow-nosed Albatross being spotted again and again. Others feel that several Yellow-nosed Albatrosses may be involved. In any case, in late April a Yellow-nosed Albatross was found dazed and emaciated in a cow pasture behind the home of Shelley and Ryan Coite in Cape Neddick, Maine. The Coites contacted the Center for Wildlife, also in Cape Neddick, and the center eventually delivered the bird to the Tufts Wildlife Clinic in North Grafton, Massachusetts, a facility capable of sophisticated treatment. There, the albatross was fed squid and fresh fish until it doubled its weight, eventually attaining a healthy 4.2 pounds. In late May, the bird was released at a beach in Falmouth, Massachusetts, and on its back it carried a light satellite transmitter - a $3,000-device donated by Habit Research, a Canadian manufacturing company. The bird's wanderings were to be tracked until the batteries wear out, or until the albatross molts the feathers carrying the unit. Unfortunately, the bird was tracked back to land on Cape Cod a few days later. As of this writing the bird is back at Tufts, but should soon be released again offshore. Eventually, a website will be established so the public can follow the travels of this remarkable wanderer. (Once a web site is made public, we will let you know via this E-bulletin.) Among other things, we might eventually determine if future reports of Yellow-nosed Albatross off the NE coast involve the same bird or multiple individuals. For a map of the normal range of the species, plus some New England locales, see: http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2007/05/21/Map_of_al batross_breeding_ground/ WINDPOWER: NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES ANNOUNCES THE OBVIOUS In early May, a report was released by the National Academy of Sciences on the environmental impact of wind-energy projects. Among other things, the report criticized "the lack of any truly coordinated planning" in the rapid growth of wind farms across the country. It specifically encouraged federal, state, and local governments to pay more attention to the planning, regulation, and location of wind-energy projects at sites where there could be threats to wildlife, or where scenic landscapes could be adversely impacted. Wind currently provides less than one percent of the nation's electricity; however, it is still the fastest-growing alternative to fossil fuel-produced power. The report noted that the percentage of birds killed by collisions with wind towers and their spinning blades is relatively low compared to the numbers killed by automobiles or collisions with buildings and other lighted structures. As wind power increases during the next two decades, wind turbines could also begin to threaten local populations of certain bat species and continue to impact birds, especially along unspecified "migration corridors." Although the report failed to break any new ground, it did report that, "In light of the lack of follow-up by environmental impact studies. . . more careful tracking of bird and bat populations, behavior, migration corridors, and other factors that may affect their risk of collisions with turbines is warranted, especially for threatened or endangered species." To provide an organized approach to the use of wind energy and its effects on the environment, the report's evaluation guide recommended using systematic pre- and post-construction studies to explore potential wildlife and other impacts to improve how such facilities are built, located, and operated. Mandated by Congress, this report was drafted by a group of academics assembled by the National Research Council, an arm of the National Academy of Science. That the obvious findings were accompanied with trumpet and fanfare came as a surprise to some observers, as did the recommended guidelines on "aesthetic impacts" since the recommendations came from a body ostensibly assigned a "scientific" task. The Academy's summary can be found here: http://dels.nas.edu/dels/rpt_briefs/wind_energy_final.pdf BIOFUELS AND BIRD CONSERVATION And speaking of energy and birds, we recommend you take a look at an article, "Biofuels and Ducks" in the May/June issue of DUCKS UNLIMITED magazine. Although this article by Jim Ringelman has a waterfowl emphasis, concentrating on the Prairie Pothole Region of the northern Great Plains, its message has almost as much to do with all the birds living in the Prairie Pothole Region, including grassland and wetland songbirds, shorebirds, and other waterbirds. We've previously addressed concerns in this arena mostly focusing on CRP and ethanol. Ringelman's article is a thoughtful primer on the options inherent in the ethanol-and-biomass choices increasingly confronting us. You can find an on-line version of Ringelman's article here: http://www.ducks.org/DU_Magazine/DUMagazineMayJune2007/3213/BiofuelsandDucks .html FLAP OVER BIRD COLLISIONS: KILL THE LIGHTS In March 2006, we wrote of cooperative bird-conservation efforts in Toronto to reduce avian mortality as result of collisions with glass and lights: http://www.refugenet.org/birding/marSBC06.html#TOC03 and http://www.steiner-birding.com/bulletin/mar06.html In early May of this year, the volunteers at the Fatal Light Awareness Program (FLAP) in Toronto announced that they had recovered a "record number of birds in 2006: over 5,400 birds from 93 species" that had collided with buildings within the Greater Toronto Area. Forty percent of the birds rescued were released back into the wild. Another 2,500 dead birds killed during fall migration in 2006 were dramatically displayed at the local Metro Hall Rotunda. The display of these dead collision victims, though grim and theatrical, was also most effective: http://www.toronto.ca/lightsout/news.htm The creative project, "Lights Out Toronto," involving the city and multiple partners, has resulted in a public awareness campaign aimed at drawing attention to the issue of glass-and-light induced bird-strikes, along with establishing a practical set of new building- and lighting-guidelines. For more information see: http://www.toronto.ca/lightsout/pdf/development_guidelines.pdf At a time when Global Warming has drawn the well-deserved attention of many, the reduction of light pollution (and parallel energy savings) is an element that can easily be brought into the discussion. One campaign slogan in Toronto is: "Kill the Lights. Save the Birds." We have, of course, discussed building strikes and glass-issues multiple times in the E-bulletin, including Chicago's parallel Light-Out program. For more details see: http://www.lightsout.audubon.org/ and http://www.birdsandbuildings.org/index1024.html STUDY SUMMARIZES WEST NILE BIRD LOSSES A study in NATURE last month summarized some of the losses in bird populations as a result of the emergence of West Nile Virus in 1999. The research examined 26 years of Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) data to assess declines among certain common bird species. The researchers, S. L. LaDeau, A. M. Kilpatrick, and P. P. Marra, actually focused on 20 common species that are regularly surveyed each breeding season. Populations of seven of these species have shown measurable, if not dramatic, declines across the continent since West Nile's arrival. West Nile Virus hit seven species - American Crow, Blue Jay, Tufted Titmouse, American Robin, House Wren, Black-capped/Carolina Chickadee and Eastern Bluebird - hard enough to be statistically significant. Only the Blue Jay and House Wren have bounced back since 2005. The hardest-hit species was the American Crow. According to this study about one-third of the crows in the United States may have been killed by West Nile virus. Suburban America, where many of these species are found in numbers, may offer a ready home for the virus, with an abundance of all the things the virus needs to spread. In the case of the eastern seaboard, Dr LaDeau said, "That heavily packed urban corridor is a bad place to be a bird. The reason for that is that the mosquito prefers human landscape. They do very well in suburbia." Among the 20 bird species examined, 13 species did not show declines attributed to West Nile. Biologists say that other species have exhibited significant mortality, such as owls, hawks, sage-grouse and Yellow-billed Magpie, but there are no reliable or broad-based surveys to quantify (before and after) how bad the losses may have been. Researchers suggest that birds of prey could be particularly vulnerable. West Nile Virus has been mentioned numerous times in the E-bulletin, including its impact on beleaguered sage-grouse populations that we summarized last September: http://www.refugenet.org/birding/sepSBC06.html#TOC14 and http://www.steiner-birding.com/bulletin/sept06.html For a concise abstract of the study from NATURE, see: http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/vaop/ncurrent/abs/nature05829.html For another summary see: http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?alias=west-nile-killing-off-bel&chanID=sa00 3&modsrc=reuters DO FENCES REALLY "MAKE GOOD NEIGHBORS"? Birders have been among those watching with dismay the plans by the U. S. Department of Homeland Security to build a 700-mile barrier of fencing, raised levee-like roads, vehicle barriers, radar units, flood lights, and video surveillance along the U.S.-Mexican border. The focus last month was the Rio Grande Valley. (Previously, the issue, particularly with bird-and-wildlife impact, has focused on Arizona and California.) After decades of turning back the clock along the banks of the Rio Grande, planting cleared agricultural fields with native trees and brushy thickets to shelter wildlife, and otherwise building a natural corridor that had severely suffered through the years as a result of inappropriate previous development, these restoration efforts are now facing a stark new barrier, quite literally. Local mayors in The Valley were appalled in February to learn of a map showing 153 miles of border fencing in Texas, part of a plan to erect 370 miles by the end of 2008. The Mayors said that the effort would cut off landowners and endangered wildlife from the river, ruin flood-control systems, and send the wrong message to Texas' biggest trading partner. Things looked worse in early May when it became clearer that such core sites as Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge, Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge, and a number of county and state properties essential to nurturing an effective wildlife corridor, were not only not immune from the barrier plans, but were at times front-and-center. For example, wildlife refuge officials recently learned at a meeting with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that plans could impact the refuges much sooner than previously anticipated. This is because refuge property could be placed on the "fast track" because it is already owned by the federal government and no condemnation proceedings would be required. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has since said the map is no longer accurate, and was simply a "starting point" for discussions. Still, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection admits that "all areas of the border, including federal lands, are included in our efforts to gain effective control." Most local leaders in The Valley insist that the fence clearly sends the wrong message: "This wall would do damage to those of us living on both sides of the wall," said State Sen. Eddie Lucio from the border city of Brownsville. "This is a wall of shame that we neither want nor welcome. Texas is connected to Mexico by 23 bridges. Through these bridges we maintain our centuries-old friendships and blood ties with Mexico, as well as the trade and tourism which benefits this state and the entire United States of America." "No physical wall is going to keep people from coming in. The core of the problem is an economic issue. We have integrated all of the markets in North America but we have failed to integrate the labor market," said McAllen Mayor Richard Cortez. Father Tom Pincelli, a Catholic priest and birder in The Valley who chairs the American Birding Association board of directors, commented on the $125 million pumped into the Valley's economy each year by nature tourists, by saying , "They've opened up a tremendous amount of land, and eco-tourism is growing by leaps and bounds. This is one more step backward. And the municipalities, right and left, are dead-set against it." For a summary of developments, see: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/4799025.html BOOK REVIEW: GOOD BIRDERS Lisa White, editor at Houghton Mifflin, has assembled an easy-going and lively collection of birding advice, with 50 short essays by well-known birders. The collection, GOOD BIRDERS DON'T WEAR WHITE, dispenses recommendations and advice to birders at every level, on topics ranging from feeding birds and cleaning binoculars to the value of birding traditions and introducing children to birds. From satirizing bird snobs to sharpening your field skills, the essays can be viewed as both entertaining and useful. Most importantly, they are presented in a lighthearted manner. Among others, the essayists include: Jon Dunn, Pete Dunne, Victor Emanuel, Laura Erickson, Tim Gallagher, Jeff Gordon, Kevin Karlson, Kenn Kaufman, Paul Lehman, David Sibley, Don and Lillian Stokes, Clay Sutton, Bill Thompson III, Dick Walton, Scott Weidensaul, Sheri Williamson, and Julie Zickefoose. Artist Robert Braunfield illustrates many of the essays with comical black-and-white line drawings. A portion of the proceeds of the book will be donated to the Roger Tory Peterson Institute, dedicated to the teaching and study of nature and an appreciation of birds: http://www.rtpi.org/ In the interest of full disclosure, both of the E-bulletin's editors also have little essays in the book. This should not discourage you from buying the book, however! SCIENTISTS WORLDWIDE CALL FOR BOREAL FOREST PROTECTION Last month, some 1,500 highly respected scientists from more than 50 countries around the world called for the protection of Canada's Boreal Forest. The scientists identified the 1.4 billion-acre Canadian Boreal Forest as one of the largest intact forest and wetland ecosystems remaining on earth. Its health is vital to the survival of North America's migratory birds. As regular readers of this E-bulletin know, the Boreal Forest is under increasing pressure from corporate logging, mining and oil and gas operations, and only ten percent has been protected to date, far less than what is scientifically recognized as necessary to sustain the ecosystem over time. The scientists' letter recommends preserving a minimum of half of Canada's Boreal Forest in protected areas, and only allowing carefully managed development on the rest. This plan is in accordance with the Boreal Forest Conservation Framework, a program already endorsed by Canadian conservation groups, 25 Canadian First Nations, and more than 75 major businesses having annual sales of $30 billion or more. Here is the link for more information (press release, the letter itself, scientist signatures by region, and more): http://www.borealbirds.org/scienceletter.shtml NOT ENOUGH FUNDING FOR BIRD CONSERVATION? Recently, when bird conservationists have gone to Congress with proverbial hat in hand, the response has often been that "there is just not enough money to go around." This is because each appropriations subcommittee in Congress works under a finite spending cap. The result is that there is often unpleasant squabbling over insufficient slices from the same small pie. This year might be different. This year there may be more money to address some of our conservation concerns. On 17 May, Congress passed its fiscal year 2008 Budget Resolution that sets overall caps on various categories of spending within which the individual appropriations committees must operate. This included $31.94 billion for "Function 300" which encompasses most natural resource and environmental spending. That's a $1.5 billion increase over last year and $3.1 billion more than the President's budget requested. Indeed, the "Function 300" increase means that there is more for FY08 for multiple issues of concern to bird conservationists, resulting in better potential distribution from that larger pie. Some of these conservation-spending numbers passed their first important hurdle through a late May "mark-up" in the House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee. They appear below in millions (m), after some Bird Conservation Funding Coalition (BCFC) or Cooperative Alliance for Refuge Enhancement (CARE) requests and last year's FY07 approved spending in parentheses Program (number requested through BCFC or CARE - FY07 enacted - actual mark-up) Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act ($5.5m - $4m - $5m) Migratory Bird Joint Ventures ($15.1m - $10.8m - $11.1m) Fish and Wildlife Science and Support ($29.52m - $26.94m - $27.94m) North American Wetlands Cons. Act - NAWCA ($50m - $39.4m - $42.6m) State Wildlife Grants ($85m - $67.5m - $85m) Forest Service International Programs ($8m - $6.9m - $8m) National Wildlife Refuge System Operations & Maintenance ($451.5m - $395m - $451m) As the last listed numbers show, these all went up, some significantly. Further decisions on spending must go through the House Appropriations Committee, the full House, the Senate Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriation Subcommittee, and the full Senate. Still, indications are encouraging, as long as Congress hears from a concerned public. - - - - - - You can access an archive of past E-bulletins on the National Wildlife Refuge Association (NWRA) website: http://www.refugenet.org/birding/birding5.html and on the birding pages for Steiner Binoculars http://www.steiner-birding.com/bulletin.html If you wish to distribute all or parts of any of the monthly Birding Community E-bulletins, we simply request that you mention the source of any material used. (Include a URL for the E-bulletin archives, if possible.) If you have any friends or co-workers who want to get onto the monthly E-bulletin mailing list, have them contact either: Wayne R. Petersen, Director Massachusetts Important Bird Areas (IBA) Program Mass Audubon 718/259-2178 wpetersen@massaudubon.org OR Paul J. Baicich 410/992-9736 paul.baicich@verizon.net From bobolnk at ix.netcom.com Mon Jun 4 10:32:01 2007 From: bobolnk at ix.netcom.com (bobolnk@ix.netcom.com) Date: Mon Jun 4 10:32:12 2007 Subject: [BCNnet] gull surveyors needed Message-ID: <10056281.1180971122417.JavaMail.root@elwamui-karabash.atl.sa.earthlink.net> I'm posting this on behalf of Joyce Coffee ... please direct any responses to birds@cityofchicago.org RING BILLED GULL POPULATION INDEX The City of Chicago Department of Environment is seeking volunteers to help us with data collection for a ring billed gull population index we are carrying out in partnership with the Chicago Park District on Chicago's beaches during beach season 2007. The purpose of this index is to determine the number of ring billed gulls that use Chicago's beaches for loafing, feeding and sleeping. The data gathered from this index will be analyzed in conjunction with other research taking place this summer, including the colonial water bird survey and the Chicago ring-billed gull management pilot project, which is gauging differences in behavior between ring-billed gulls with and without young. The City of Chicago Department of Environment is glad for the assistance of the following institutions on this population index project: Chicago Park District Field Museum Illinois Natural History Survey US Department of Agriculture - Wildlife Services FOR INTERESTED VOLUNTEERS: The Department of Environment would like your help in gathering "snapshot" ring billed gull counts, using a survey form. We would prefer that data were gathered at a consistent time at least once a week at a particular beach by the same individual (e.g. 6:00 a.m. every Wednesday morning at Rainbow beach). (DOE will also be gathering several day-long data samples at individual beaches throughout the summer), If you are interested, please contact us at birds@cityofchicago.org and we will provide you with the survey form and respond to any questions you may have. We will share the index results with you when they are compiled in late September, 2007. Thank you for your efforts! Judy Pollock Bobolnk@ix.netcom.com Evanston (Cook) IL From bobolnk at ix.netcom.com Mon Jun 4 10:34:03 2007 From: bobolnk at ix.netcom.com (bobolnk@ix.netcom.com) Date: Mon Jun 4 10:34:10 2007 Subject: [BCNnet] birders needed to monitor restoration efforts Message-ID: <32286221.1180971243642.JavaMail.root@elwamui-karabash.atl.sa.earthlink.net> There are a number of sites in the general Chicago area where restoration efforts, large and small, are underway and landowners and partners are eager to have birders knowledgeable about the site as part of the team. The monitoring at these sites is beginning this weekend. There are opportunites throught the entire Chicago Wilderness region to really make a differnce for birds and get involved in a very detailed way with observing bird habitat needs and implenting good management. Three projects particularly need monitors this year: Orland Grassland (southwest cook) Model Airplane Field in Tinley Preserves, just north of Bartel (south Cook) Morton Arboretum in DuPage County although sites can be found anywhere in the region. Minimum requirement is two visits in June, but more involvement is encouraged. Audubon Chicago Region is a partner in the effort and can provide assistance and resources for translating bird findings into management recommendations. Please contact me if this sounds intriguing to you. Thanks. Judy Judy Pollock Director of Bird Conservation Audubon Chicago Region ph. 847 965-1150 jpollock@audubon.org From donniebird at yahoo.com Tue Jun 19 16:14:30 2007 From: donniebird at yahoo.com (donniebird@yahoo.com) Date: Tue Jun 19 16:14:34 2007 Subject: [BCNnet] FW: [BCAlist] FWS Wildlife Related Survey Message-ID: <00cd01c7b2b6$d3cdcb60$0200a8c0@DONNIERTMEJESV> BCNnet friends: I thought this (forwarded from the Bird Conservation Alliance) would be of interest to many of you. Donnie Dann Highland Park, IL/Lake County donniebird@yahoo.com FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contacts: June 18, 2007 Nicholas Throckmorton, 202/208-5634 EA 07-61 Preliminary Data Shows Americans Spent $120 billion on Wildlife Related Recreation in 2006 America's passion for wildlife and the outdoors continues to be a major engine of the nation's economy, according to preliminary survey data released today by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. In 2006, more than 87 million Americans, or 38 percent of the United States' population age 16 and older hunted, fished or observed wildlife. They spent $120 billion that year pursuing those activities - an amount roughly equal to Americans' total spending at all spectator sports, casinos, motion pictures, golf courses and country clubs, amusement parks and arcades combined. "This very important survey shows in real economic and participatory terms the impact that wildlife has on the nation's economy, but simply talking about dollars and cents doesn't fully capture the importance of wildlife to our nation. Wildlife related recreation rejuvenates our spirit and gets us outside pursuing healthy activities," said U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director H. Dale Hall at the Outdoor Writer Association of America's annual conference in Roanoke, Va. "Americans should be proud that the outdoor tradition continues to be such a prevalent part of our lives." Preliminary data from the 2006 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife-Associated Recreation shows the importance of wildlife-related recreation to the American people. Of all Americans age 16 or older, . 30 million or 13 percent fished and spent $41 billion on their activities, . 12.5 million or 5 percent hunted and spent $23 billion, and . 71 million or 31 percent observed wildlife and spent $45 billion. The National Survey of Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife-Associated Recreation has been conducted every 5 years since 1955 and is one of the nation's most important wildlife recreation databases. It is considered to be the definitive source of information concerning participation and expenditures associated with hunting, fishing and other forms of wildlife recreation nationwide. The Survey is conducted at the request of State fish and wildlife agencies and is funded by grants from the Multistate Conservation Grant Program. A wide range of individuals and groups depend on the Survey to analyze participation rates, economic impacts of expenditures, demographic characteristics, and trends in participation and activities. "This expenditure of $120 billion highlights the benefits of these activities on national and state economies," said Survey economist Jerry Leonard. "It is roughly equivalent to one out of every one hundred dollars of goods and services produced in our economy. And much of this activity occurs in places which rely significantly on wildlife-related recreation expenditures for their economic well being." After losing ground in the early 1990s, wildlife-related activities such as bird watching and photography increased 13 percent over the last decade. In 1996, 62.9 million Americans observed wildlife; 66.1 million did so in 2001, and 71.1 million in 2006. Wildlife watchers spending increased 19 percent, from $37.5 billion in 1996, $43.7 billion in 2001 to $44.7 billion last year. The preliminary data shows decreases in both angling and hunting participation from 1996 to 2006. In 1996, 35.2 million anglers fished compared to 34.1 million in 2001 and 30.0 million in 2006, representing a 15 percent decline in participation of the ten year span. "Participation levels in 2006 were likely reduced due to several factors: higher gas prices, hurricanes, the increasing age of baby boomers, and continuing urbanization," said Leonard. Anglers spent $40.6 billion last year, which is similar to 2001 but 16 percent lower than 1996. While overall spending-including trips, fishing equipment, special equipment, and other related items-was flat from 2001 to 2006, spending on fishing equipment such as rods and reels and travel-related items such as food and lodging were up. For hunting, there was a 10 percent decline in participation from 1996 to 2006. In 1996, 14.0 million Americans hunted compared to 13.0 million in 2001 and 12.5 million in 2006. Hunters spent $22.7 billion last year, 3 percent lower than 2001 and 14 percent lower than 1996. Similar to fishing, while overall spending was down, expenditures on hunting equipment such as rifles and ammunition were up 3 percent since 2001. It is important to note that the National Survey is a snapshot for the specific year in which it is conducted and does not necessarily represent the total number of anglers, hunters, and wildlife watchers in the U.S. because they do not consistently participate every year. For example, examination of survey data shows that over the five year period from 2002 to 2006, cumulatively over 44.4 million fished and 18.6 million hunted. However, this information serves as a valuable tool to gauge general trends in the participation of Americans in wildlife related activities and related expenditures. The report is available at . The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal Federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 97-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System, which encompasses 547 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 69 national fish hatcheries, 64 fishery resources offices and 81 ecological services field stations. The agency enforces federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign and Native American tribal governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Assistance program, which distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies. FWS 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 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://screamer.ece.iit.edu/pipermail/bcnnet/attachments/20070619/417cd538/attachment.html From donniebird at yahoo.com Wed Jun 20 08:04:01 2007 From: donniebird at yahoo.com (donniebird@yahoo.com) Date: Wed Jun 20 08:04:06 2007 Subject: [BCNnet] FW: June2007 issue of The All-Bird Bulletin - Special Issue on Private Land Conservation Message-ID: <000301c7b33b$799cf3c0$0200a8c0@DONNIERTMEJESV> Here's more national bird conservation news, forwarded from the North American Bird Conservation Initiative (NABCI), a coalition of public agencies and private groups including U. S. Fish and Wildlife, (USF&W), Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (AFWA), American Bird Conservancy (ABC), USGS, Ducks Unlimited, and others. http://www.nabci-us.org/aboutnabci/bulletin0607.pdf For more information on NABCI, visit http://www.nabci-us.org Donnie Dann Highland Park, IL/Lake County donniebird@yahoo.com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://screamer.ece.iit.edu/pipermail/bcnnet/attachments/20070620/39591e71/attachment-0001.html From donniebird at yahoo.com Wed Jun 27 07:17:36 2007 From: donniebird at yahoo.com (donniebird@yahoo.com) Date: Wed Jun 27 07:17:34 2007 Subject: [BCNnet] 1915 article Message-ID: <002901c7b8b5$260cc170$0200a8c0@DONNIERTMEJESV> BCNnet friends: I came across a newspaper article from 1915 about feral cats in the area I believe is now known as the Grove in Glenview. Amazing isn't it? Nothing has changed about the cat problem in almost 100 years!! Check out this link: http://www.ece.iit.edu/~gaw/daily_news_1915.pdf Donnie Dann Highland Park, IL/Lake County donniebird@yahoo.com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://screamer.ece.iit.edu/pipermail/bcnnet/attachments/20070627/221cb3ec/attachment.html From donniebird at yahoo.com Wed Jun 27 17:36:56 2007 From: donniebird at yahoo.com (donniebird@yahoo.com) Date: Wed Jun 27 17:36:56 2007 Subject: [BCNnet] FW: [Birdwire] BirdWire News Bulletin Message-ID: <01da01c7b90b$ab382230$0200a8c0@DONNIERTMEJESV> Skipped content of type multipart/alternative-------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: image/jpeg Size: 9831 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://screamer.ece.iit.edu/pipermail/bcnnet/attachments/20070627/120cd133/attachment-0009.jpe -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: image/jpeg Size: 24547 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://screamer.ece.iit.edu/pipermail/bcnnet/attachments/20070627/120cd133/attachment-0010.jpe -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: image/gif Size: 113357 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://screamer.ece.iit.edu/pipermail/bcnnet/attachments/20070627/120cd133/attachment-0002.gif -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: image/gif Size: 4213 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://screamer.ece.iit.edu/pipermail/bcnnet/attachments/20070627/120cd133/attachment-0003.gif -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: image/jpeg Size: 4788 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://screamer.ece.iit.edu/pipermail/bcnnet/attachments/20070627/120cd133/attachment-0011.jpe -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... 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Name: not available Type: image/jpeg Size: 6323 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://screamer.ece.iit.edu/pipermail/bcnnet/attachments/20070627/120cd133/attachment-0015.jpe -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: image/jpeg Size: 1527 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://screamer.ece.iit.edu/pipermail/bcnnet/attachments/20070627/120cd133/attachment-0016.jpe -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: image/jpeg Size: 1413 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://screamer.ece.iit.edu/pipermail/bcnnet/attachments/20070627/120cd133/attachment-0017.jpe From cmarshbird at prodigy.net Thu Jun 28 11:53:11 2007 From: cmarshbird at prodigy.net (Carolyn A. Marsh) Date: Thu Jun 28 11:53:14 2007 Subject: [BCNnet] U.S. Supreme Court rules against Endangered Species Act in AZ Message-ID: <006201c7b9a4$d1356120$1c164a0c@CLOVER> I don't know if the Chicago Tribune or Chicago Sun-Times covered the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision on an Arizona case dealing with the Endangered Species Act. Below is an article from the Arizona Daily Star and an article from the Washington Post in 2004. This legal decision affects Illinois and every state. Read the news: Arizona Daily Star Capitol Media Services Brushing aside concerns about endangering species, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled Monday that the state of Arizona can keep issuing water-discharge permits for new developments. For background: http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A26242-2004July3?language+printer Carolyn Marsh, Lake County, IN -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://screamer.ece.iit.edu/pipermail/bcnnet/attachments/20070628/7ae891c9/attachment.html From bobolnk at ix.netcom.com Thu Jun 28 21:57:30 2007 From: bobolnk at ix.netcom.com (bobolnk@ix.netcom.com) Date: Thu Jun 28 21:57:43 2007 Subject: [BCNnet] 1915 article Message-ID: <8288610.1183085851053.JavaMail.root@elwamui-norfolk.atl.sa.earthlink.net> An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://screamer.ece.iit.edu/pipermail/bcnnet/attachments/20070628/f77c0dae/attachment.html