$19 million for coastal wetlands conservation

From U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service:

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced today the award of more than $19 million to support 24 conservation projects benefiting fish and wildlife on more than 5,900 acres of coastal habitats in twelve states in the U.S. through the 2011 National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grant Program. These federal grants will be matched by nearly $18.7 million in partner contributions from state and local governments, private landowners and conservation groups.

The grants will be used to acquire, restore or enhance coastal wetlands and adjacent uplands to provide long-term conservation benefits to fish, wildlife and their habitat. States receiving funds include: Oregon, Washington, Wisconsin, Alabama, Florida, North Carolina, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Alaska, and California. (Photo: Willapa Bay/Courtesy of USFWS & Washington State Department of Ecology)

“Our Nation’s coastal wetlands encompass large areas of vital habitat for countless species of wildlife while providing important economic resources and recreational opportunities for the American people,” Secretary Ken Salazar said. “These grants will offer additional protection, restoration, and enhancement of these precious habitats.”

The National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grant Program is administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and funded under provisions of the 1990 Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Act. Funding is provided by Sport Fish Restoration Act revenue – money generated from an excise tax on fishing equipment, motorboat and small engine fuels.

Once again, another group of enthusiasts -- anglers -- have generated funds that will benefit birds and birders. Thank you.

Coastal areas comprise less than 10 percent of the nation’s land area yet support the majority of wildlife species, including 75 percent of migratory birds, nearly 80 percent of fish and shellfish and about half of all threatened and endangered species.

Did you know that 75 percent of migratory birds rely on coastal habitat?

To see if the funds will benefit habitat near you, check this list. It provides good details about each grant.

Duck Stamp sales add to protected land in California

In the Golden State, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service will acquire more land after receiving funds from the Migratory Bird Conservation Commission. The money comes from the Migratory Bird Conservation Fund, which includes proceeds from the sales of the Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp, known as the Federal Duck Stamp.

Other states also benefited from the MBCC's announcement on Wednesday. The California projects are:
* Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge in Humboldt Bay County: Acquisition of 167 acres that will help the refuge’s management capability and allow for native plant restoration. This refuge includes coastal dunes, scrub forest and beachfront.

* Stone Lakes National Wildlife Refuge in Sacramento County: Acquisition of 104 acres to secure a corridor of wintering habitat for Tundra Swans, White-fronted Geese and various duck species.

* Tulare Basin Wildlife Management Area in Kern and Tulare counties: Acquisition of 1,250 acres to secure habitat protection and create a larger block of contiguous habitat with compatible land uses.

“The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is dedicated to wildlife and nature conservation,” said Interior Secretary Ken Salazar. “The North American Wetlands Conservation Act grants, the National Wildlife Refuge System and the Federal Duck Stamp are vital resources for waterfowl and wetland conservation, and these efforts are making a difference for wildlife habitats throughout our nation’s great outdoors.”

MBCC also approved $3 million in federal grants under the North American Wetlands Conservation Act for conservation projects in California that will protect, restore and enhance wetlands and associated habitats across the state. For more information about these projects, visit this site. You'll find more information about North American wetlands and waterfowl conservation at FLYways.us.

Since 1929, the Migratory Bird Conservation Commission has met several times each year to consider land purchases through the MBCF. In 1989, NAWCA added the grant program approvals to the commission’s responsibilities.

The Migratory Bird Conservation Commission includes Sen. Thad Cochran (R-MS) and Blanche Lincoln (D-AR), Rep. John Dingell (D-MI) and Robert Wittman (R-VA), Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa P. Jackson as well as state representatives as ex officio members who vote on projects located within their states.

June 25: first day of sale for new Duck Stamp

Mark this Friday on your calendar as your first opportunity to purchase the 2010-2011 Duck Stamp. The $15 stamp gives free access to national wildlife refuges from July 1 to June 30, and 98 cents of every dollar goes into a fund to purchase or lease wetlands and grasslands.

The new stamp depicts an American Wigeon, painted by Robert Bealle of Waldorf, Md. His artwork earned first place last fall at the Federal Duck Stamp Art Contest, held at the Patuxent Research Refuge in Laurel, Md.

Since 1934, each waterfowl hunter must purchase a Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp to legally hunt migratory waterfowl. Through stamp sales, more than $750 million has gone toward conserving more than 5.3 million acres that benefits waterfowl, other bird species and various wildlife. The stamp proceeds benefit birders as much as they do hunters.


Although many birders express anti-hunting sentiments, WildBird supports the practice of legal hunting that falls within the guidelines set by scientific wildlife management. Because hunters have contributed directly and enormously to habitat conservation for almost 80 years, we respect their contributions that aid the birds we enjoy so much. We sincerely hope that birders will purchase the stamp this year -- and in future years -- to directly contribute to more habitat conservation.

USFWS science journals now online

Today, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service announced the first issue of "Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management" and the re-launch of "North American Fauna," both online only. They will highlight "the practical application and integration of science to the conservation and management of North American fish, wildlife, plants, and the ecosystems upon which they depend," and they aim to provide more access to peer-reviewed research that contributes to "science-driven wildlife management."

“From the creation of the world’s most comprehensive waterfowl surveys to the pioneering work on the effects of DDT on migratory birds conducted by Rachel Carson, the Fish and Wildlife Service has built a reputation for science excellence that spans decades,” said Acting Service Director Dan Ashe. “These publications build upon that tradition, and will generate critical information that wildlife managers need to do their jobs.”

John Wenburg, director of Alaska Conservation Genetics Laboratory in Anchorage, Alaska, will serve as JFWM editor and says, “We encourage submissions of original papers applying science to conservation and management issues.”

"North American Fauna" began in 1889 and continued through issue #76 in 1991, which included a monograph titled titled "Birds of the Kilbuck and Ahklun Mountain Region, Alaska."

Click on the first link above to learn about submission criteria and guidelines.

Duck Stamp as a discount coupon

A sports team recently promoted the Duck Stamp -- officially known as the Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp, shown below -- as a way to pay for half-price tickets at the box office. The Bowie Baysox, a class Double-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles baseball team, said the April 9 game against the Richmond Flying Squirrels will be Outdoorsman Night.

The Baysox are making it easy for hunters, crabbers and fisherman to get into the game with a special ticket offer. Any fan who brings a hunting, fishing, boating or crabbing license, or duck stamp to the box office can purchase a lower reserved seat ticket for $7 (regularly $14). The tickets must be purchased in person at the box office on the day of the game, and a fan can only purchase one ticket for each license or stamp in their possession.

The indefatigable Paul Baicich -- author of "A Guide to the Nests, Eggs, and Nestlings of North American Birds" and current co-writer of Birding Community E-Bulletin -- shared that news with Duck Stamp supporters and posed the questions:

Why don't we see more of this? Why not try to make possession of the Stamp an effective "discount coupon" for a local restaurant, an environmental film showing, a birding/nature festival entrance fee, an art show, a refuge Friends event, a bird-trip outing, a bird specialty store, etc.?

I like his questions and hope that birding festival organizers and birding supply retailers will consider his suggestion. Do you own a Duck Stamp? Would you buy one - for just $15 per year - to receive discounts at events and stores?

What would you receive in addition to potential discounts? The satisfaction of knowing that 98 cents of every dollar goes to providing habitat for waterfowl and other species that live in and visit wetlands and grassland. Birders everywhere benefit from the habitat leased or purchased with Duck Stamp funds by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, because a plethora of birds everywhere - not just ducks - use the food, water and shelter at national wildlife refuges and other sites.

Does your favorite birding retailer or festival offer a discount to Duck Stamp holders? If not, why?

USFWS science awards focus on birds

Among various awards announced recently by U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, the Rachel Carson honors went to an individual and a group who created innovative conservation models and ways to manage bird populations. The awards recognize FWS employees "for significant contributions expanding knowledge in the scientific, conservation and wildlife management fields," according to a press release. The recipients also receive $50,000 to support their continuing efforts.

Dr. John Tirpak, a wildlife biologist in Vicksburg, Miss., received the individual award for his focus on landscape, or large-scale, conservation planning and management of winering waterfowl.

The group award went to a collective in the service's Division of Migratory Bird Management known as the Branch of Population and Habitat Assessment. The service said:

BPHA’s work over the years has contributed significantly to numerous scientific and technical achievements in the management of waterfowl and other migratory birds, successes that have been widely recognized throughout the wildlife research and management communities.

$19.2M federal dollars for coastal conservation

More than 20 conservation projects in 11 states will receive almost $20 million to buy and repair coastal wetlands and adjacent uplands, said the U.S. Fish & Wildlife today. The federal funds -- plus almost $26 million from private landowners, state and local governments, and conservation groups -- will affect more than 6,100 acres and the myriad wildlife that live on them.

The 11 states range from the Pacific Northwest to New England -- Washington, Oregon, California, Florida, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Massachusetts and Maine -- and include two Great Lakes states: Illinois and Wisconsin. As part of the 2010 National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grant Program, the funds come from Sport Fish Restoration Act revenue generated by an excise tax on fishing equipment and motorboat and small engine fuels.

Descriptions of the conservation projects appear here. An example in Massachusetts:

Madsen-Ridge Conservation Easement Great Marsh Estuary: The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, partnering with the Great Marsh Land Protection Team, was awarded $353,500 to permanently protect 177 acres of coastal salt marsh and associated upland buffer through the purchase of a conservation easement. The property is located south of Plum Island Sound and the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge. The Great Marsh is the largest salt marsh in New England covering 25,000 acres. It functions as a major shellfish and fin fish nursery and is a critically important foraging and resting area for migrating birds along the Atlantic Flyway.

A question: The fishing community pays an excise tax that goes toward habitat conservation -- and benefits birds. The hunting community pays annually for Duck Stamps that conserve habitat -- and aid birds.

Will the birding community pay directly -- in equal numbers -- for habitat conservation?

48 million birdwatchers put $36 billion into the 2006 economy

A new report from U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service says one in five Americans watches birds, putting the number of birdwatchers at 48 million. The most recent economic data shows that birders contributed $36 billion to the U.S. economy.

"Birding in the United States: A Demographic and Economic Analysis," a 20-page addendum to the 2006 national survey of fishing, hunting and wildlife-watching recreation, clarifies that the national survey considers a birder to be an individual that has "taken a trip 1 mile or more from home for the primary purpose of observing birds and/or closely observed or tried to identify birds around the home." That excludes, for instance, someone who notices a gull in a store's parking lot and calls it a "seagull."

What do you think of that definition? USFWS calls it a conservative definition. I wager that some birders consider it too broad.

Actually, closer to 48 million "birders"

The Jan. 13 edition of an e-newsletter includes the headline "Birding is Big Business" and cites the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service's 2006 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation. The e-newsletter says

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reports that 71 million Americans participated in wildlife watching activities in 2006. ... Birding undoubtedly accounts for a large segment of all wildlife watching.

Actually, the service's survey pinpoints on page 36 the number of survey respondents who said they observe birds at home and on trips: 47.7 million. The survey results also said, "A large majority, 88 percent (41.8 million), observed wild birds around the home, while 42 percent, 19.9 million, took trips away from home to observe wild birds."

You can find lots of information in the PDF of survey results, released in October 2007. I, however, remain skeptical about the 48 million birdwatchers. That figure in no way reflects the number of birding magazine subscribers, festival attendees or tour participants.

New conservation partnership begins today

The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service began a conservation partnership with Wildlife Habitat Council today. In signing a memorandum of understanding, the organizations will work together to encourage corporate participation in habitat conservation and restoration.

FWS Director H. Dale Hall said, "The Fish and Wildlife Service is excited about working with the Wildlife Habitat Council and applying our mutual resources to vital natural resource management and education projects across the country. Today, the successful conservation of our nation’s wildlife and its habitat requires action from both the public and private sectors. The signing of this new agreement represents a major step forward in that direction.”

A 20-year-old nonprofit organization, WHC aims to increase the quality and amount of wildlife habitat on corporate, private and public lands. It focuses on creating partnerships with corporations and conservation groups. According to its website, more than 2.4 million acres in 48 states, Puerto Rico and 16 other countries are managed for wildlife through WHC-assisted projects.

Dedication of new national wildlife refuge on Oct. 25

Saturday, Oct. 25, marks the dedication of Theodore Roosevelt National Wildlife Refuge in Rolling Fork, Miss. The ceremony will take place during the Great Delta Bear Affair festival, honoring the country's 26th president and his 150th birthday. Roosevelt established the refuge system in 1903.

The new refuge is part of the renamed Theodore Roosevelt National Wildlife Refuge Complex, formerly known as the Central Mississippi Refuges Complex. The complex includes six other refuges: Hillside NWR, Holt Collier NWR, Mathew Brakes NWR, Morgan Brake NWR, Panther Swamp NWR and Yazoo NWR.


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U.S. Army builds owl condos for small birds

In northeastern Oregon, the U.S. Army is working with local volunteers, biologists and military personnel to create "owl condos," or artificial burrows, for dozens of Burrowing Owls on the grounds of Umatilla Chemical Depot in Hermiston.


From a press release:

The depot has enjoyed more than 64 years of relative isolation in the dry Shrub-steppe of northeastern Oregon since it began operating in October 1941 on the eve of World War II. That isolation has had a somewhat unintended result, creating a nature preserve, where today the Army actively protects wildlife and the environment on the depot. The Army also partners with other agencies to protect or develop habitat for various species. ...

The Burrowing Owl population in the United States is declining. It’s listed as a national “Bird of Conservation Concern” in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) Pacific Region and other parts of North America. It’s also listed as “endangered” in Canada and “threatened” in Mexico. In 2006, under terms of the international Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA), the U.S., Canada and Mexico jointly selected the Burrowing Owl as a “Species of Concern” due to loss of habitat. The international choice of the bird highlighted the need for Burrowing Owl habitat protection and development. ...

FWS Biologists, UMCD Environmental staff, and volunteers partnered to construct new owl burrows in 2008 from modern materials that mimic desirable features of those abandoned badger dens—including the prerequisite darkness and dirt floors. The artificial burrows have several advantages including easy access points for banding or counting owls, plus predator-proof construction. Future plans include addition of a low-light video camera.

Many more details appear at the press release link above. Birders might like to know that the depot sits near Umatilla National Wildlife Refuge and Cold Springs NWR, not far from McKay Creek NWR and the city of Pendleton.

Urban Conservation Treaty signed by NYC

From U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service:

New York City became the ninth city in the nation this week to sign an Urban Conservation Treaty for Migratory Birds. The Treaty, a partnership among The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), New York City Parks and Recreation, Audubon New York and New York City Audubon, is a commitment to restore, conserve and protect valuable bird habitat within New York City’s urban environment and to develop an informed public through education and training programs.

Backed by a $65,000 challenge grant from the Service, the Urban Conservation Treaty will support initiatives throughout New York City. Partnering organizations will match the grant money with funding and “in-kind” contributions of goods and services, with a total contribution of more than $450,000.

For the vast majority of urban and suburban residents, birds represent their most frequent contact with wildlife,” said Lynn Scarlett, Deputy Secretary of the Department of the Interior, who took part in the signing ceremony. “New York City, which lies along the Atlantic Flyway, is an essential urban sanctuary for migrating birds. We are pleased to work with New York City and other partners to support bird habitat conservation.”

New Orleans signed the treaty first in 1999. Other cities are Anchorage; Portland, Ore.; Houston; St. Louis; Chicago; Nashville; and Philadelphia.

Is your local bird community working with government agencies to have your city sign the treaty?

National Wildlife Refuge Week, Oct. 12-18

From the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service:

Whether it's taking a walk among the fall colors, spotting a rare bird species, or learning about the cultural resources that are part of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's conservation mission, National Wildlife Refuge Week, October 12-18, celebrates the diversity and resources of America's 548 national wildlife refuges. And it's a great opportunity to find a family event in your community.

"America's wildlife refuges offer great places to teach our children the importance of making a lifelong commitment to our nation's natural resources," said U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director H. Dale Hall. "Exploring the outdoors and learning how all living things are connected to one another is what National Wildlife Refuge Week is all about."

You can look for a NWR Week event at this special events calendar, and you can look for more refuges near you at this zoomable map.

"Drugs, prostitution threaten wildlife refuges"

CNN.com put an attention-grabbing headline on an article related to yesterday's post.

From the CNN article:

A decrease in law enforcement has left the refuges vulnerable to criminal activity, including prostitution, torched cars and illegal immigrant camps along the Potomac River in suburban Washington, methamphetamine labs in Nevada and pot growing operations in Washington state, Hirsche said.

Willing to contact your political representatives in D.C.? Visit yesterday's post for the links to find your Congressional officials.

Let's Go Outside

A new program from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service encourages children, parents and teachers to spent time together outdoors in back yards, parks, wildlife refuges and other natural settings. Let's Go Outside offers activity ideas, articles about outings with minors, activity sheets for children and information sheets for adults.

If you live with or know children, please peruse that website. Better yet, share it with other adults, including teachers and school administrators. You could be influencing the next generation of birders and helping the birds.

NASA considers using Merritt Island NWR for launchpad

Today's Orlando Sentinel reports on yesterday's hearing at which hundreds of Titusville-area residents told NASA representatives that they want to keep Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge for birds and other wildlife.

A final assessment of the environmental concerns likely will be released by mid-September, said NASA's Mario Busacca. Federal law requires that the agency determine whether there would be a serious impact.

About 200 acres inside the sanctuary that attracts nearly a million visitors annually is one of two possible sites for the proposed Commercial Vertical Launch Complex. The other site borders the Atlantic coast inside the restricted area of Kennedy Space Center.

Endangered wildlife and wetlands exist in both locations, but of 11 possible sites, they best fit other criteria established by NASA, such as distance from residential areas and risk from hurricane storm surge, officials said.

However, building in the refuge could affect or even shut down the visitor center and many of the choice spots for bird-watching, which brings in millions of tourist dollars. Parts of Mosquito Lagoon, popular for fishing and kayaking, and Playalinda Beach also could be closed during launches.

For information about the proposal and the Feb. 28 hearing in New Smyrna, click here. More details from NASA appear here, along with contact information.

Potential federal funding for birds

Promising news from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service:

The President's $2.2 billion FY 2009 budget request provides significant increases for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for bird conservation and habitat work on private lands across the nation, while sustaining increases in the National Wildlife Refuge System budget and supporting other key Service priorities. The budget request includes $1.3 billion in discretionary funds and $946.9 million in permanent appropriations largely provided to States for fish and wildlife restoration and conservation.

"This budget request recognizes and supports the vital role that the Fish and Wildlife Service plays in bird conservation in this hemisphere, while providing increased funding for other conservation programs that enable us to work in partnership with landowners, local governments and others. Perhaps most important, the request provides crucial funding to offset our increased fixed costs, ensuring that we can support the work of our employees who manage and protect the nation’s fish and wildlife heritage,”said Service Director H. Dale Hall.

The request includes:
* $8 million more for the Birds Forever initiative
* a proposed $10 increase in the price for a Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp aka Duck Stamp, bringing the cost to $25
* $900,000 more for the Ocean and Coastal Frontiers initiative
* $1 million more for the Safe Borderlands initiative
* $492,000 more for the Healthy Lands initiative
* $1.9 million more for Cooperative Conservation

U.S. Fish & Wildlife agents target smugglers online

Although this press release doesn't mention birds, I don't doubt that wildlife smugglers include wild-caught birds among their products. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service employees now work online to catch the criminals.

It’s true, said U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Special Agent Ed Newcomer, that the internet has made wildlife crime easier, and easier to hide. But it’s also made it easier for wildlife law enforcement agents to pose as potential customers – and to catch people.

“What works for criminals also works for us,” said Newcomer. “The internet provides anonymity for everyone, and when we go online, the people we’re after have no idea who we are.”

...

Newcomer thrives on the challenge; he relishes telling the story about how he and his colleagues nabbed a man in Los Angeles not long ago who billed himself as “the world’s most wanted butterfly smuggler.” He sold Newcomer $14,000 worth of protected butterflies and would have sold him $300,000 worth, if Newcomer had had the cash. The smuggler is spending two years in a federal prison.

Read more here.

Waterfowl numbers in good shape

From the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service:

Preliminary results from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Canadian Wildlife Service’s Waterfowl Breeding Population and Habitat Survey indicate a total duck population estimate of more than 41 million birds in the traditional survey area. This represents a 14 percent increase from 2006 and is 24 percent above the 1955-2006 average.

“There’s a lot of good news in the survey this year for the total duck population and waterfowl breeding habitat,” said H. Dale Hall, Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. “We have five species that are at record or near record highs, including canvasbacks, and there are good breeding conditions on the prairies. However, we remain concerned that pintails and scaup are well below long-term averages.”


The Waterfowl Breeding Population and Habitat Survey, the largest and most comprehensive survey of its kind in the world, samples 1.3 million square miles across the north- central United States, south-central and northern Canada, and Alaska. The survey estimates the number of ducks in the continent's most important nesting grounds.

Not surprisingly, Northern Pintail and Greater Scaup (above) -- but not Lesser Scaup -- appear on National Audubon Society's list of the top 20 common birds in decline. For multitudinous details in the USFWS report, click here.

Greater Scaup courtesy of U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service