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| "Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better." Albert Einstein |
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"Conservation is sometimes perceived as stopping
everything cold, as holding whooping cranes in
higher esteem than people. It is up to science to
spread the understanding that the choice is not
between wild places or people, it is between a rich
or an impoverished existence for Man." - Thomas
Lovejoy |
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For up to date
conservation news, please check our
Facebook page.
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Better Bottle Bill Goes Into Effect October
31st, 2009!
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Starting October 31st, (with a grace period
until November 8th for stores to comply
selling only bottled water that complies
with the ruling) all containers of water
sold in New York under a gallon in size will
have a 5-cent refundable deposit. This law
expands the state’s 5-cent deposit on beer
and soda containers to include water
bottles.
The new law also requires beverage companies
to transfer 80% of the unclaimed deposits
they collect to the state, and make other
changes to improve and update the program.
Finally, the new law will improve the
infrastructure for collecting and recycling
bottles and cans, making it more convenient
for people to return their empty containers.
This is a major grassroots victory, and one
that will have huge benefits for New York.
Together, these reforms will result in
noticeably cleaner communities, higher
recycling rates and new revenue for the
state!
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State of the Birds
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Birds
are a priceless part of America’s heritage. They are
beautiful, they are economically important—and they
reflect the health of our environment. This
State of the Birds report reveals troubling declines
of bird populations during the past 40 years—a
warning signal of the failing health of our
ecosystems. At the same time, we see heartening
evidence that strategic land management and
conservation action can reverse declines of birds.
This report calls attention to the collective
efforts needed to protect nature’s resources for the
benefit of people and wildlife.
http://www.stateofthebirds.org for more on this
report.
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PETITIONERS URGE FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS
COMMISSION TO PROTECT MILLIONS OF MIGRATORY BIRDS |
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Audubon Partners with American Bird Conservancy and
Defenders of Wildlife
Washington, DC, April 14, 2009 - Conservation
organizations and concerned citizens are petitioning
the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to
address the killing of millions of migratory birds
from collisions with the more than 100,000
communications towers throughout the United States.
American Bird Conservancy, National Audubon Society,
and Defenders of Wildlife filed a petition with the
FCC today asking the agency to adopt new rules to
comply with federal environmental laws, including
the National Environmental Policy Act and the
Endangered Species Act, in order to ensure that the
impact of towers on migratory birds is properly
considered and addressed in agency decisions. The
groups are also delivering over 15,000 petitions to
the regulatory agency signed by citizens concerned
for threatened wildlife. Click
here for full story:
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Raptors/Methane Burners Conflict |
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by Stella Miller
Early in November 2007 I was made aware of an issue
concerning methane burner/raptor conflicts at
landfills and I quickly brought it to the attention
of Rob Fergus from National Audubon Society. Rob
posted the issue on his blog, spoke with various
rehabbers across the USA and he and I began to
brainstorm with others on how this problem could be
solved.
 Landfills
consist of a treeless landscape which attract
rodents, a favorite food source of raptors. The
height of the methane burners (or flares as they are
called in the industry) are a perfect perch for
raptors hunting for tasty rodents and other prey.
Unfortunately, methane burners usually have an
igniter which causes a sudden or continual invisible
flame that can scorch or kill anything perched or
flying over them. Because landfills are very
low-traffic areas, a very small percentage of these
birds are ever found and treated, and most painfully
succumb to their injuries.
Birds have been found in Texas, Illinois, Delaware,
Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, New York and Oklahoma to
name just a few states. Raptors are not the only
victims. At some landfills bird skeletons, including
songbirds, have been found littered around the
burners. For the few birds that survive,
rehabilitation is an extremely lengthy process as
the singed feathers must grow out and be replaced by
new. If a bird is freshly molted, this process will
take a year.
The ultimate solution to this problem is an
environmentally friendly one: Reclaim and
recycle the methane. If this is not feasible, then
spikes or other excluder devices on top of the
burners should be installed. This will prevent the
birds from landing and perching on these burners. In
addition, there should be taller “T” perches
provided outside the flame's reach, as the birds
that are not aware of the spikes may still try and
land on the stacks and will be burned on approach.
As you are probably aware, raptors are fully
protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of
1918 and as such, it is illegal to harm them. In
fact, the fine for harming any bird, from the
smallest songbird to the largest raptor is $15,000
per bird.
In September, Sweetbriar Nature Centre Center on
Long Island received a burned kestrel in for rehab,
which they believe was injured at a landfill. In mid
December they approached me for assistance. I have
created a PowerPoint presentation on the issue and
someone from Sweetbriar has spoken to a local
assemblyman who is concerned about this issue and he
has stated he will assist in any way he can.
There is no quick and easy solution to this
situation. There is no government oversight with
regards to landfills and we still have a long way to
go in order to solve this problem. A wonderful
example of what can go right is happening in
Wisconsin. Dianne Moeller, a wildlife rehabilitator,
has been working to resolve this issue and has
obtained a pledge from the Wisconsin DNR (Department
of Natural Resources) to inspect every landfill in
Wisconsin and work to implement the changes needed
to protect these birds. Sadly, before this could be
implemented, another raptor was killed. In January a
red tailed hawk was found near Madison, both legs
and its lower body burned off.
How can you help? First, please go to
www.thepetitionsite.com/1/save-our-raptors. Sign
the petition and pass it on to as many people as you
can. You will note that the petition is targeting
the Sanitation Waste Association of America (“SWANA”).
SWANA does not have enforcement authority, but as an
industry leader, they can provide a voice of reason
and bring awareness to landfill owners (I think that
a PowerPoint presentation, along with a live raptor
program at a SWANA national conference would be a
powerful and effective way of getting our message
across. I believe that the more industry leaders are
made aware of this problem, the easier it would be
to work with landfill owners on the local level.
Introducing live birds to the attendees would drive
home just how magnificent these animals really are).
Next, investigate as to whether or not your local
landfills are engaged in the burning of methane. If
so, contact your local wildlife rehabilitators to
see if they have received any burned birds. They may
not even be aware of how these injuries are
occurring. Let landfill owners know about this issue
and encourage them to take measures to protect
birds. One thing chapters can do is help with
fundraising for alternate perches, or ask your local
lighting companies to donate poles. I can supply
names of excluder device manufacturers if anyone is
able to get that far in the process.
Finally, it is important that chapters support their
local wildlife rehabilitators. It can take up to a
year of recovery for these birds and it is not
cheap. Rehabbers are unsung heroes who are mostly
overlooked when it comes to grants and donations.
They work tirelessly and out of their own pockets
and chapters should support them as much as they
can.
This will be a long, tough road. Most people are not
even aware of this issue. Each time I have a
conference call on this topic, I learn something
new. What never changes is this: we need to bring
awareness in order to push for oversight and
regulations at our landfills. These magnificent
birds of prey fill an important ecological niche at
landfills and they deserve to be protected!
Good news from New York State
Pretty exciting news here in New York! The NYS
Association for Solid Waste Management and the
Federation of New York Solid Waste Associations have
pledged to reach out to each NYS region and advise
them on this issue. A NYSASWM board memberjust
happened to read the article on the topic in the
latest edition of Huntington-Oyster Bay Audubon's newsletter
and was so moved by it that he brought it to his
board of directors. They then made the decision to
act on this. We are now in the process of issuing a
joint press release, along with NYS Audubon. Both
organizations are eager to be the industry leaders
on this issue and next want to take it nationally. |
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Click here to sign the petition!
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AUDUBON REPORT ON COMMON BIRDS IN DECLINE
ECHOED WORLDWIDE |
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Growing Threats Include Logging,
Invasive Species & Agriculture
New York, NY, September 22, 2008 - A new
international report entitled State of the World's
Birds reveals precipitous declines in populations of
many of the world's most familiar birds, broadening
the alarm first sounded in the U.S. by Audubon's
2007 Common Birds in Decline analysis.
"All the world's governments have committed
themselves to slowing or halting the loss of
biodiversity by 2010," says the new BirdLife
International report launched today at
organization's World Conference in Buenos Aires;
"Reluctance to commit what are often trivial sums in
terms of national budgets means that this target is
almost certain to be missed.
The BirdLife report highlights avian losses
worldwide.
Click
here for full story.
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Wolves protected again! FWS voluntarily removes
own delisting rule. |
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September 17, 2008, WASHINGTON -
According to recent statements by senior U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service (FWS) officials, FWS intends to
rescind its own wolf delisting rule - issued in
March - sometime this week. This will place the
Northern Rockies gray wolf back under federal
protections. This action comes on the heels of a
decision in July by the U.S. District Court in
Missoula granting a request by a coalition of twelve
conservation groups for a preliminary injunction,
which temporarily placed wolves back under federal
protection. The court determined that plaintiffs
were likely to prevail against FWS on its claims
that delisting was premature because of concerns
regarding genetic isolation and the adequacy of
state management plans. FWS now intends to ask the
court to remand the issue to FWS so it can
reconsider its delisting decision.
Click here for full story.
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Elephant
Elders Know Better |
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Experience breeds wisdom,
especially for elephants. On the East African
savanna, where wildlife must contend with regular
famine and drought, elephant matriarchs rely on
their long-term memories of distant sources of food
and water to help their groups get through the worst
of times.
According to a recent study by the Wildlife
Conservation Society (WCS) and the Zoological
Society of London (ZSL) published in The Royal
Society’s Biology Letters, old female elephants seem
to give their family groups an edge in the struggle
for survival.
Click here for full story.
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