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.

More land for birds & other wildlife

The Migratory Bird Conservation Commission recently approved 35.7 million for refuge acquisitions and wetlands grants for migratory birds: $30.4 million for grants to conserve more than 319,000 acres of wetlands and associated habitats in the United States and Canada under the North American Wetlands Conservation Act and $5.3 million in Federal Duck Stamp funds to add more than 1,849 wetland acres to six refuges in the National Wildlife Refuge System.

The six refuges that will increase in size, thanks to the $15 purchase of the annual Duck Stamp, include Cache River National Wildlife Refuge in Arkansas, Stone Lakes National Wildlife Refuge in California, Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge in New Jersey, Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge in Massachusetts, Lower Hatchie National Wildlife Refuge in Tennessee, and San Bernard National Wildlife Refuge in Texas.

Hit the road - for the birds

Among birders, the auto drive at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge on Florida's Sanibel Island often ranks high on their wish lists. The four-mile route puts birders close to Roseate Spoonbills, Wood Storks, Reddish Egrets, Little Blue Herons, Yellow-crowned Night-Herons, Anhingas, American White Pelicans, Red Knots, Marbled Godwits and Bald Eagles as well as otters, bobcats and alligators. No wonder it's well-known!

Marbled Godwit courtesy of Scott Streit

The national wildlife refuge system includes many more sites with auto routes, and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service wants everyone to enjoy them. What's even better is that if you buy a Duck Stamp for $15, you can enter refuges without paying entrance fees.

Consider a drive at Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge near Smyrna, Del.; Seney National Wildlife Refuge near Seney, Mich.; Des Lacs National Wildlife Refuge near Kenmare, N.D.; and Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge near Ridgefield, Wash.


View NWR drives in a larger map

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.

NPS, FWS directors sent to Gulf Coast command centers

From the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service:

WASHINGTON, DC – Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced today that Director of the National Park Service Jon Jarvis and Acting Director of the Fish and Wildlife Service Rowan Gould have been dispatched to command centers along the Gulf Coast to help lead efforts to protect coastal communities and natural resources from BP’s Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

ROBERT, La. - Unified Area Command releases an image showing

predicted oil trajectory for May 11, 2010. Graphic prepared by NOAA.

Jarvis, who is stationed in the Mobile, Ala., Incident Command Center, and Gould, who is stationed in the Houma, La., Incident Command Center, are among the more than380 Department Of the Interior personnel who have been deployed as part of the oil spill response. Additional DOI personnel already stationed in the region are among the more than 10,000 personnel currently responding to protect the shoreline and wildlife. Jarvis and Gould will work with federal and state natural resource managers to help protect state and federal natural resources.

“We are continuing to put all hands on deck to support the coordinated response to this spill and to do everything we can to help BP stop its leaks and clean up its spill,” Salazar said. “The National Park Service and the Fish and Wildlife Service, under the leadership of Jon Jarvis and Rowan Gould, are on the front lines as we fight to protect the Gulf Coast from the dangers of the oil spill. Their leadership on the ground will ensure that we remain coordinated, prepared, and effective in protecting natural resources.”

On Friday, Salazar dispatched Dr. Marcia McNutt, the director of the U.S.
Geological Survey, to the BP Command Center in Houston to help coordinate the joint efforts of federal scientists who are working with BP engineers to address several technological challenges and approaches to securing the damaged well head, capturing the leak and controlling the spill.

Acting Director Gould joins Deputy Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks Jane Lyder at the Houma Incident Command Center. Secretary Salazar also dispatched DOI Director of Intergovernmental Affairs Lori Faeth to support joint response efforts in the Unified Command Center in Robert, La.

The Minerals Management Service continues to work with BP to explore all options that could stop or mitigate oil leaks from the damaged well. Pursuant to MMS’s regulatory authority, all plans are being reviewed and approved by MMS before implementation. MMS has completed its inspections of all 30 deepwater drilling rigs and is now inspecting all deepwater production platforms.

Yesterday, Department of the Interior Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks Tom Strickland, who is coordinating DOI’s onshore response efforts, and National Park Service Director Jon Jarvis surveyed the impact of the oil spill on natural resources on the Gulf Coast, which is one of the most ecologically complex regions in the country and site of a number of national wildlife refuges, national parks protected by Interior on behalf of the American people.

The National Park Service -- which manages Gulf Islands National Seashore, Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve, Everglades National Park, Padre Island National Seashore, and other parks along the Gulf Coast -- has activated two incident management teams in the Gulf. Many other park service employees across the country are supporting the response with technical information and assistance.

The Fish and Wildlife Service manages 24 national wildlife refuges that could be affected by the spill, including Breton National Wildlife Refuge, where oil has been confirmed on the Chandeleur Islands. Twenty wildlife teams have been deployed out of the Houma Command Center for wildlife recovery and related activities, and the Shoreline Cleanup Assessment Team is continuing overflights and shoreline surveys on the Chandeleur Islands. Significant focus will be placed on Mississippi coast’s barrier islands over the next 48 hours out of the Mobile Command Center.

For information about the response effort, visit http://www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com/.

1st oiled birds from BP spill to be released today

From the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service:

The first two oiled birds found in the Deepwater Horizon oil spill have been cleaned and are now recovered and ready for release.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will release the birds at 4 p.m. on Monday, May 10, at Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge on the Atlantic coast northeast of Vero Beach, Fla.

The birds are a Northern Gannet and a Brown Pelican. The gannet, a young male nicknamed "Lucky" by the workers who rescued him, was found April 27 in the Gulf near the source of the leak. Clean-up workers on a boat reached out to him with a pole, and he jumped on it. He was brought to the bird rehabilitation facility at Ft. Jackson, La., on April 30. The Tri-State Bird Rescue team, which includes the International Bird Rescue Research Center, evaluated Lucky and found he was about 80 percent oiled, giving him an orange appearance. He was thin and dehydrated, so wildlife veterinarian Dr. Erica Miller gave him intravenous fluids several times, as well as oral fluids and Pepto-Bismol for oil he might have ingested. He was washed with a Dawn detergent solution on May 1 and has been in an outdoor pool for a few days now, gaining weight.

The pelican, also a young male, was found May 3 on Stone Island in Breton Sound on the Louisiana coast by a team that included personnel from the Service, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries and the U.S. Minerals Management Service. He was taken to the Ft. Jackson facility by helicopter on the day he was rescued. He was thin and moderately oiled over his whole body. The Tri-State Bird Rescue Team and Dr. Miller treated him with IV and oral fluids, and started hand-feeding fish to him the first day. He was washed on May 4 and has been in an outside pool for several days, gaining weight.

Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge was the nation’s first wildlife refuge, established by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1903. It was selected as the release site because it is located within the Indian River Lagoon, the most biologically diverse estuary in the United States. It has a large population of gannets and pelicans for the two rescued birds to join, and it is out of the current oil spill trajectory.

The birds will be released by Dr. Sharon K. Taylor, a veterinarian and the Service’s Environmental Contaminants division chief.

Louisiana refuge closed due to oil spill

From the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service:

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has closed Breton National Wildlife Refuge to public entry. This closure covers all of Breton NWR, which includes the Chandeleur Islands chain (Chandeleur, Grand Gossier, Curlew, New Harbor Island, North Islands, Free Mason).

Breton NWR appears on the far right.

The refuge closure is important to keep the public safe, to minimize disturbance to nesting colonial sea birds, and to allow personnel conducting cleanup operations and recovery efforts to work safely and efficiently.

The first shoreline impact of oil from spill was confirmed late Wednesday afternoon at Breton, with oil on both sides of the southern half of the Chandeleur Islands. Overflight information indicated sheen and emulsified oil were observed around the islands.

Service personnel and oil response teams have been deployed to conduct and manage cleanup operations. Recoverable oil will be removed, impacted areas cleaned and protection efforts continued.

Progress at Maui bird sanctuary

Following up on last week's post about Kealia Pond National Wildlife Refuge on the Hawaiian island of Maui, news arrives that officials broke ground this week for the new refuge headquarters and visitor center.

After a traditional Hawaiian blessing of the land, Senator Daniel K.
Inouye, Maui Mayor Charmaine Tavares and other officials turned the first shovels of earth to initiate construction of a new headquarters and visitor center at Keālia Pond National Wildlife Refuge on Maui. The 7,500-square-foot building will replace a small 672-square-foot trailer the refuge staff currently occupies.

“This has been a long time coming, but through everyone’s cooperation and influence, especially Senator Inouye’s, this building is coming into fruition,” said Mayor Tavares. “As a teacher, I know when children learn about nature, they grow up with a new consciousness of the environment. The refuge will truly be an outdoor classroom.”

The event included a Hawaiian blessing by Kimokeo Kapahulehua and the hula halau Maui Nui o Kama. Approximately 50 invitees participated in the groundbreaking at the building site off the entrance road to Keālia Pond.

The facility, which is expected to be completed in June 2011, will include a 1,358-square-foot lobby and exhibit hall, 1,043-square-foot multipurpose room, eight offices, a small conference room, and other workrooms. The energy-efficient building is expected to meet Silver LEED standards, one of only a few such projects in Hawai‘i.

Refuge on Maui will receive new visitor center

With the promise of a new visitor center at Kealia Pond National Wildlife Refuge on Maui, the birds and other wildlife at the wetlands stand to receive more attention from tourists and island residents. Located north of Kihei, the refuge includes 691 acres and hosts the endangered Hawaiian Stilt (ae'o) and Hawaiian Coot ('alae ke oke'o). [In the Hawaiian language, most vowels are pronounced separatedly and not blended. --Ed.]


View Larger Map

The Hawaiian race of Black-necked Stilt (Himantopus mexicanus knudseni) nests at the refuge; the black around the neck and face extend farther than on mainland birds, according to Hawaii Audubon Society. Hawaiian Coot (Fulica alai) used to be considered a subspecies of American Coot (F. americana) but was "split" in 1993 and received full species status from American Ornithologists' Union.

At the refuge, construction plans include a 7,500-square-foot building to be used as a visitor center and refuge office, an exhibit hall, a multi-purpose room, a reception area and a lobby/bookstore. The facilities will replace the current single-wide mobile trailer used by refuge staff.

“We are currently open to the public, but with our single trailer we really have no way of adequately serving them,” Keâlia Pond NWR Manager Glynnis Nakai said. “We have never had a building attached to the ground, and certainly we have never had a facility where we can educate and interact with the school children and other visitors. This is a very exciting time for us.”

Free coloring book for young birders

Know a 7- or 8-year-old child who enjoys nature and coloring books? The National Wildlife Refuge System wants to share a coloring book of different wildlife -- such as eagles and bears -- and their habitats. The free book can be downloaded here and then printed. You also can purchase copies of the book by calling 800-344-WILD (9453).

The book seeks to connect children to the natural world and foster a new generation of conservationists, as well as introduce them to the National Wildlife Refuge System. “If we’re serious about environmental protection and protecting the many wild creatures that depend on wild places, then we have to teach youngsters to make that special connection to nature,” said Sam Hamilton, Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. “A coloring book is a good first step. But nothing replaces the real thing — getting outdoors and visiting a National Wildlife Refuge.”

As a student at Art Institute of Washington, D.C., Katie R. Schipp illustrated the book. “I’ve always loved animals and drawing," she said, "so you will see there are animals in a lot of my drawings.

National parks, refuges to appear on quarter-dollar coins

Do you have a favorite national park or national wildlife refuge? Maybe you'll see on the tail side of a quarter after April 2010. That's when the America the Beautiful Quarters Program will begin producing 56 coins with a national park, refuge or forest on the reverse sides.

“The new quarter program recognizes that public places of inspiration and recreation have always been important to Americans,” said Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar. “The quarters highlight the diversity and magnificence of 48 National Park Service sites and two U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service refuges cared for by the Department of the Interior as well as six national forests administered by the Department of Agriculture. Hopefully the coins will encourage people to learn more about each area and its significance to our heritage.”

The first quarter will highlight Hot Springs National Park (Hot Springs, Ark.), which was established as Hot Springs Reservation in 1832. A new coin will appear 10 weeks later for the next 11 years.

The 56 designs encompass a site from each state plus the District of Columbia and five U.S. territories: the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. The complete list of parks, refuges and forests appears here.

Above: In 2007, the planting of Maurice tulips commemorated the 175th anniversary of the creation of Hot Springs Reservation.

Power lines threaten Bosque del Apache NWR

Many birders visit Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge near Socorro, N.M., because of the annual Festival of the Cranes that celebrates Sandhill Cranes and other birds. This November marks the festival's 22nd year.

Friends of the Bosque del Apache NWR seek support before Aug. 28 regarding a proposed power-line projects. The SunZia Southwest Transmission Project involves two 500-kilovolt transmission lines that start at a new substation in Socorro County or Lincoln County near Bingham or Ancho, N.M., and end in Pinal County near Coolidge, Ariz.

The Friends say:

This proposal transects the flight path used by migratory birds including the sandhill cranes, snow geese, and ducks that travel up and down the river valley. Bird strikes and impacts to the rural farming community are of great concern, not to mention the degradation of the viewscape of the refuge and Socorro valley (an important resource to the ecotourism of the area).

Alternate routes take the powerlines across the river between the Refuge and Hatch, New Mexico and along the boundary of White Sands Missile Range. These routes go through Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Wilderness Study Areas. Although one of these southern routes may be preferred due to the apparent lesser impact on the birds, there is not enough data available to make such an important statement at this time.

Details about the project appear here, as do links to a comment form if you want to write to the Bureau of Land Management, which is preparing an Environmental Impact Statement.

More land for birds in the Garden State

From The Philadelphia Inquirer:

At the Cape May National Wildlife Refuge, situated beneath one of North America's premier migratory bird flyways, every new parcel of land is as important as the center square in a patchwork quilt.

This month, 437 more acres of grasslands, salt marshes and forests were purchased by government agencies and conservation groups and added to properties that have been pieced together like scraps of fabric since 1989.

The latest acquisition, along Bidwell Creek in the southern part of the refuge, expands the wildlife refuge to 11,496 acres across Dennis, Lower, Middle and Upper Townships in Cape May County. The price was $6.8 million, bringing the total cost of refuge property to $27.2 million.

That this naturalists' paradise, which offers miles of unspoiled vistas on the coastal plain, exists on the Cape May peninsula is miraculous, say preservationists.

View Larger Map

Whooping Cranes migrate through Tennessee

Photo by pilot Joe Duff, Operation Migration

Fourteen endangered cranes made it to Hardin County, Tenn., today during their migration from Wisconsin to Florida. Led by four ultralight aircraft, the crane chicks left Necedah National Wildlife Refuge on Oct. 17. Their final destinations are Chassahowitzka and St. Marks national wildlife refuges.

The Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership coordinates the eight-year effort to reintroduce the endangered species in eastern North America. Currently 68 migratory Whooping Cranes live in the region.

"This is an exciting year for the reintroduction project with the addition of St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge in the Florida panhandle," said Sam D. Hamilton, Southeast Regional Director for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. "We wish the intrepid pilots of Operation Migration all the best with the new route as they enter the Southeast, and hope for a safe and speedy arrival at St. Marks and Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge."

Click on the images to see larger versions.

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.

Ultralight aircraft lead endangered birds during migration

On Friday the 17th, 14 Whooping Cranes followed ultralight aircraft from Necedah National Wildlife Refuge in Wisconsin to begin their fall migration to wintering habitat on Florida's Gulf Coast.

The group of young, endangered birds are the eighth flock in an annual program coordinated by Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership. The birds will follow four ultralights on a new route Wisconsin, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama and Georgia. Their final destination: Chassahowitzka and St. Marks national wildlife refuges.

From a press release by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service's Southeast regional office:

“We are excited about the migration this year,” said Joe Duff, CEO of Operation Migration, the WCEP partner that leads the ultralight migration. “The new migration route offers opportunities for increased outreach and conservation education. Also, we know it will be safer, and we hope it will be faster.”

The ultralight pilots and support crew post updates along the way, so you can check their In The Field journal to learn of progress and challenges along the new route.

Click on the map to see a larger version.

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.

Hurricane Ike's effect on wildlife habitat

From the Associated Press via the Beaumont Enterprise:

DALLAS (AP) -- An official with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said Tuesday the tidal surge from Hurricane Ike has left a "sheen" of oil on a southeast Texas wildlife refuge, potentially endangering rare species of birds and other animals.

Tim Cooper, project leader for the McFaddin National Wildlife Refuge, said oil apparently leaking from ruptured drilling equipment has affected a large area of the 55,000-acre preserve.

Cooper, who manages four refuge sites in the area, said a lesser amount oil has flowed into the nearby Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge.

Both preserves are near the Bolivar Peninsula, which was practically wiped clean when Ike roared ashore with winds of 110 mph early Saturday morning.

The U.S. Geological Survey posted pre-Ike and post-Ike photographs of Bolivar Peninsula. What an incredible scouring the land endured.

Various national wildlife refuges in southwest Louisiana have been closed due to Ike damage. These include Sabine, Lacassine, Cameron Prairie and Shell Keys refuges. Updates about their status should be available from Southwest Louisiana National Wildlife Refuge Complex Office at 337-598-2216.

"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.