[BCNnet] Great Texas/American birding areas & The Wall (s)

[Geoffrey Williamson]

The message below was sent by Steve Bailey 
(sdbailey at mail.inhs.uiuc.edu) to BCNNet on 7 Apr 2008, but it didn't 
manage to be posted to the list.
  - G. Williamson



Date: Mon, 07 Apr 2008 15:43:59 -0500
To: BCN Net
From: Steve Bailey <sdbailey at mail.inhs.uiuc.edu>
Subject: Great Texas/American birding areas & The Wall (s)

Hello all,
Hopefully this fits within the rules of BCN.   After Sheryl DeVore 
having just returned from a very enjoyable Rio Grande Valley birding 
trip a 
few weeks ago, I am extremely saddened, shocked and dismayed at many 
of the plans for a wall (actually a double-wall), that apparently is 
to be built through some of the United States best and most visited 
birding locations, very soon. There may not be anything that we can do 
at this 
point, but letters, phone calls and/or e-mails are appropriate from 
the many Illinois birders I know who bird this area. I check the sign-
in sheets at many of these places and there are always several 
Illinois birders names when I do. I strongly encourage folks to at 
least read several of the posts currently accessible on the Texas 
birding listserve 
( http://www.birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/TEXS.html ) involving the 
severe affects that will be had on places like Salineno, Sabal Palm 
Grove, Santa Margarita Ranch, Santa Ana NWR and many other areas near 
the Rio Grande River. To me it seems pretty amazing about the 
destruction that will be wrought on some of these areas!
        To me, especially from reading posts on the Texas birdlist, 
this issue could really benefit from the input from folks from out of 
the state of Texas speaking out about how important the Rio Grande 
Valley birding areas are to them.  I will likely dump my membership in 
the ABA if I find no active role from them on this topic.  After all, 
if the birding community has no role in helping concerning this topic, 
then who?!  Although there are other issues concerning this topic, 
other parties, not knowing all of the stakes involved in this project, 
will likely opt for putting up the wall(s).

Steve Bailey
Rantoul (Champaign Co)
sdbailey at mail.inhs.uiuc.edu