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Audubon Washington Audubon
Washington E-Newswire Audubon Washington
E-Newswire November 2007 Volume 3 Number 11
Priorities
for a Healthy Washington
OLYMPIA - Each year, over 20 leading conservation groups,
including Audubon Washington, choose, and work together to
advance, four Priorities for a Healthy Washington. By focusing
our collaborative energy on just four legislative proposals,
we have achieved ever-increasing success for the health of
our land, air and water. The environmental community approached
the most recent Legislature with an ambitious and focused
set of its four Priorities, and achieved unprecedented success
with passage of all four of the community’s priorities: Clean
Air/Clean Fuels, Save our Sound, $100 Million for Wildlife
and Recreation Program and Eliminating Toxic Flame Retardants.
The 2008 Priorities are:
Washington Climate Action
Our state has set goals to reduce global warming pollution,
and now it’s time to make these goals real. Responsible limits
on climate pollution will establish Washington as a strong
leader in the clean energy economy, increase energy independence,
create good new jobs, and deliver a better future for our
children.
Local Solutions to Global Warming
This approach will help local governments make responsible
plans about where we live, how we get around, and consider
how those choices can reduce global warming pollution. With
the dramatic population growth expected in our state, we must
make responsible decisions - now – so we can reduce driving
and promote efficient, livable communities.
Evergreen Cities
It is time to stop losing the trees and forests in our cities.
Keeping existing trees and planting new ones enhances quality
of life for people, increases property values and gives us
cleaner water and habitat for birds and wildlife. This proposal
will help Washington’s cities be evergreen.
Local Farms - Healthy Kids
This effort addresses two major challenges facing our state:
concerns about the diet and health of our children, and the
well-being of our small and mid-sized farms. By getting more
locally grown produce into our schools and food banks, we
can improve children’s health and create new and thriving
markets for our farmers.
More details will be available later in November here.
Evergreen Cities Legislative Campaign Launched
OLYMPIA - This month, Audubon launched the Evergreen Cities
2008 legislative campaign to protect and plant millions of
trees in Washington’s cities. Selected as one of the environmental
community’s top four Priorities for a Healthy Washington,
this bill will establish statewide standards for tree retention
and planting to make our communities more livable, provide
bird habitat and to help clean our air and fight global warming.
Many cities have weak or no protections for trees. Too often,
developers consider violations of these tree protections as
the “cost of doing business.” Trees are one of the most cost
effective investments we can make to improve water and air
quality. It is time for the state to provide leadership to
ensure that The Evergreen State is full of Evergreen Cities.
To help with this campaign contact Lisa Paribello. How much are trees worth to a city? Click here
to learn more.
Getting the Lead Out
FEDERAL WAY – In a letter to Helen Engle, John Flicker, President of National Audubon Society, reports this great victory for environmentalists using some creative planning and outreach: “California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed into law a groundbreaking measure designed to protect California Condors from the deadly effects of lead poisoning when they feed on the carcasses of animals killed by hunters using lead shot. The new law will require the use of non-lead centerfire ammunition in California Department of Fish and Game deer hunting zones that lie within current or potential condor range. The law was fiercely opposed by the NRA. Audubon California played a major role in securing its passage, and especially in winning the Governor’s approval, through strategic outreach to moderate republicans and conservation-minded hunters.”
Fall ACOW Is a Big Success
Sequim - With many people commenting that this Audubon Council
of Washington (ACOW) was inspiring, exceptionally well organized
and an absolute treat, it is no surprise that Olympic Peninsula
should consider this ACOW a huge success. Over 100 attendees
were at the shores of Sequim Bay over the weekend attending
interesting field trips (like visiting the Elwha Dam) and
listening to influential keynote speakers such as Bill Ruckelshaus.
Read the Peninsula
Daily News’ report of Ruckelshaus’ talk. The conservation
committee announced its endorsement of Audubon's Evergreen
Cities campaign and the education committee spent an afternoon
at the Dungeness River Center. Our next ACOW will be April
11 - 13 in Leavenworth. To see when your chapter is scheduled
to host an ACOW click here.
Tidbits for the
Flock: For a good laugh, check out the moves of the really wild bird here.
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