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Audubon Washington Audubon
Washington E-Newswire Audubon Washington
E-Newswire March 2007 Volume 3 Number 3
AW's Budget Priorities for a Bird-Friendly
Washington
OLYMPIA - Heath Packard, Audubon Washington's Policy Director,
has submitted budget priorities to the Washington State House
natural resource budget writers for the new biennium. These
priorities ask for over $3 million in state funding to help
protect birds, wildlife and the environment we all share.
Here's a breakdown of the priorities: $300,000 for technical
assistance for wind power, renewable, and new energy technology;
$300,000 for bird, bat & wildlife assessments for state wind
power leases; $700,000 for increased capacity for the natural
heritage program (including implementation of the Important
Bird Areas program); $1.5 million for upland wildlife assessment;
and $850,000 to support nature tourism, festivals, conferences,
destination improvements and Great Washington State Birding
Trail signage. More information is here.
Sandhill Crane Festival
OTHELLO - According to the International Crane Foundation,
"A Miocene crane fossil, thought to be about ten million years
old, was found in Nebraska and is structurally identical to
the modern Sandhill crane, making it the oldest known bird
species still surviving." Today, loss of habitat in parts
of the migrating range threatens this ancient bird, but in
March there will be lots of fun opportunities to see them
in Othello. The Tenth Annual Sandhill Crane Festival, sponsored
by the Greater Othello Chamber of Commerce and the Columbia
National Wildlife Refuge, offers many tours for crane viewing
as well as other specialty tours. This year, in addition to
the main event weekend of March 23-25, there will be three
optional Saturdays (March 17, March 31, April 7) to view Sandhill
Cranes and Burrowing Owls in small-group settings. Visit the
website here,
and watch for updates. Teachers will have the opportunity
to earn clock hours for attending lecture series that cover
diverse topics of natural and cultural history. Pre-registration
is required to receive credit. Contact Amelia Boksenbaum at
the Columbia NWR office for details at 509-488-2668 ext 17,
or by e-mail.
Olympic Peninsula BirdFest
SEQUIM - Join Olympic Peninsula Audubon Society and the Dungeness
River Audubon Center on Friday, March 30th through Sunday,
April 1st for the fourth annual Olympic Peninsula BirdFest,
a great time to celebrate the birds and natural history of
this unique area. The River Center becomes "Bird Central,"
with journeys to exceptional habitats to see birds. Festival
events include special field trips, presentations, a banquet,
owl prowls, and lots of birdy activities. Start the spring
off right watching birds on the north Olympic Peninsula! Visit
http://www.olympicbirdfest.org
for information and registration.
It Was a GREAT Backyard Bird Count!
NEW YORK CITY - It was a record-breaking weekend for the Great
Backyard Bird Count! Nearly 68,000 checklists - more than
ever before - have already been submitted, and more are still
coming in. Nancy Severance, Director of Marketing Communications
for National Audubon Society, says, "Many thanks to everyone
in the Audubon family who took part in the tenth annual count!
… watch the Audubon.org
website, where we will soon be showcasing some first-person
accounts from this year's participants." The Great Backyard
Bird Count is a joint project of Audubon and the Cornell Laboratory
of Ornithology. It is one of the ways that Audubon is engaging
citizen scientists in helping us track bird population trends.
Look for results and highlights from this year's count in
March after all the data is in.
Washington Birding Trail Expands To Olympic Peninsula
OLYMPIA - Rep. Lynn Kessler and Sen. Ken Jacobsen unveiled
Audubon Washington's fourth and newest route of the Great
Washington State Birding Trail, the Olympic Loop, in the state
capitol on February 14th. "Birding trails are big business
all across the country," said Rep. Kessler (D-Hoquiam), lead
House sponsor of legislation last year that supported development
of the loop and completion of the statewide trail. "The trails
and their birds attract visitors to primarily rural locations,
which spurs economic development and gives residents increased
incentive to safeguard natural areas around their communities
and regions," she continued. The route, on a full-color map
with original artwork, explores Olympic National Park, four
national wildlife refuges, state and local parks, as well
as the natural and cultural history of six Native American
tribes. All Birding Trail maps contain information about habitat,
bird species, access, and when to go. Signs marking birding
trail sites will be installed along highways. Read The Olympian
story about the unveiling.
Copies of the Great Washington State Birding Trail maps can
be ordered online.
Tim Cullinan Representing Audubon on Northern Spotted Owl
OLYMPIA - After talking with a few major donors, Audubon Washington's Executive Director, Nina Carter, has been able to find new funding to hire Tim
Cullinan on a part-time basis as Audubon's negotiator and representative on Federal forest issues and Northern Spotted Owl recovery. Carter notes that
Audubon Washington's fundraising capacity is rebuilding after three years of very tight budgets. Cullinan just spent a successful week in Washington, D.C.
meeting with the Washington congressional delegation and with federal agencies. He is also working with several other conservation organizations to
protect the Northwest Forest Plan and create a credible owl recovery plan. "Tim is the best person to represent us in D.C. and at the negotiating table
in Portland, Oregon," Carter states. "We are fortunate to have special funding for this project."
Lobby Day Works for ELWAS Team; ELWAS Team Works Lobby Day
KIRKLAND - Environmental Lobby Day this past February 14th
worked for the five-member team from East Lake Washington
Audubon Society (ELWAS). Before heading to the Capitol, the
contingent met to iron out strategy and prepare a packet of
information on their chapter and the issues they were lobbying
for. Then in Olympia, after a training and orientation session,
they split up to visit their various representatives and senators.
Christy Anderson, President of ELWAS, reports, "Our packet
was well received, and the chance to visit our elected officials
in person was well worth the effort to get there. Just as
valuable was the chance to connect with others at the event.
We were able to talk to people in our communities who were
members of other organizations, and who were interested in
partnering in other projects. We even recruited a new member
for ELWAS! Previously, these folks had been strangers, but
now we felt like we were on the same team." For more ideas
on making Lobby Day work for your chapter, contact Christy
Anderson.
Public Input Invited for State's
Invasive Species Strategic Plan
OLYMPIA - The Washington Invasive Species Council will hold
its third meeting on March 20th in Room 172 of the Natural
Resources Building in Olympia. Like all Council meetings,
this meeting will be open to the public. Following morning
presentations from agencies working on invasive species, the
Council will begin discussing the Invasive Species Strategic
Plan. This Plan to control and manage invasive species in
our state is due to be presented to the legislature in March,
2008. The environmental community, through the Washington
Invasive Species Coalition, will work closely with the Council
to ensure that this strategic plan includes adequate protection
for vital bird habitat. To receive regular updates via the
Coalition's listserv, email Bríd
Nowlan. For additional information, click here.
Tidbits
for the Flock: Spring ACOW is coming - details and
reservation information is here.
Significant portions of the American landscape are no longer
providing adequate habitat for many native bird species, according
to the Top 20 Most Threatened Bird Habitats in the United
States, a new report by American Bird Conservancy that is
available online here.
(Six of these habitats are in Washington State.)
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