Saving Wetlands Newsletter of the Audubon Wetlands Campaign Winter/Spring 2001

1. LEGISLATIVE SUCCESS 2000
2. STAY ON TOP OF THE ACTION
3. REFUGES IN CRISES
4. FARM BILL 2002
5. YEAR 2000 SUCCESS STORIES

1. LEGISLATIVE SUCCESS 2000
What a year! Due in large part to your support and participation this year, the US Congress signed into law TEN Audubon-supported measures and two Audubon-opposed measures were defeated! We'll push even harder for those few measures that didn't become law when the 107^th Congress convenes in January. The following are some of the wetland- related initiatives that became law:

EVERGLADES RESTORATION: One of Audubon's top priorities, this multi-year project will return the natural quantity, quality, timing, and distribution of freshwater to the Everglades, and improve the habitat of the 68 threatened or endangered species, and hundreds of other species of birds, other wildlife, and plants that call the Everglades home. This is a tremendous victory for Audubon, and for the many, many people who have fought to pass this legislation over the past ten years.

CONSERVATION FUNDING: When it became apparent that the U.S. Congress would not pass the sweeping, Audubon-supported Conservation and Reinvestment Act (CARA) this year, House and Senate supporters pulled together a smaller measure that, although not CARA, represents the largest commitment our country has made to conservation in decades. The new law increases funding incrementally up to $12 billion dollars over the next six years for local, state and national conservation efforts. Any time we can protect precious bird and wildlife habitat, our coasts, and other special and wild places, it is a victory for all of us. We will work with the 107th Congress to see that this measure is fully funded for 2001 and beyond.

MOST OF AUDUBON'S LAND AND WATER CONSERVATION PRIORITIES: This year's Interior Appropriations Bill _ the legislation that secures the bulk of funding for birds, other wildlife and their habitat — included $30.1 million for National Audubon Society's Land and Water Conservation Fund priorities. These priorities include key habitat areas for birds and wildlife in 12 national wildlife refuges and 4 national forests in 13 states. Overall, Audubon requested funding for 36 priorities and received funding for 16 of them.

SECURING ACRES FOR WETLANDS: This year's Agriculture Appropriations bill secured 100,000 additional acres in the Wetland Reserve Program (WRP) and included an Audubon-supported measure that establishes a pilot program to protect prairie potholes _ important habitat for birds and other wildlife _ in six states: North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Nebraska, Iowa, and Montana.

MORE FUNDING FOR THE LONG ISLAND SOUND: Congress increased funding for the Long Island Sound and estuary protection nationwide. For Long Island Sound, funding increased from $3 million per year to $40 million per year for 5 years. In addition, the nationwide estuary program will increase from $40 million this fiscal year to $75 million by fiscal year 2005. In addition, the Veterans Administration, Housing and Urban Development and Independent Agencies appropriations bill (VAHUD) _ the measure that funds the Environmental Protection Agency _ included $5 million for the Long Island Sound as well.

2. STAY ON TOP OF THE ACTION
Audubon's Policy Division is improving our communication with our advocates. In 2001, we will have the following easy ways for you to stay on top of what's happening in conservation:

Audubon Action — our new bi-monthly newsletter with the latest information on legislation and other Audubon conservation efforts will be available via mail and e-mail. A special wetlands section will include material previously found in this newsletter, so you will hear from us more often! Wetland newsletter subscribers will automatically receive Audubon Action from this point on.

Audubon Advisory _ our twice-monthly legislative update providing the latest news and information on all of our conservation efforts. In order to conserve paper and postage, it will be available via e-mail and FAX only. Wetland listserve members will automatically receive these updates by email.

Population & Habitat News — our bi-monthly newsletter focusing on population and its affect on the environment. It is available by mail and email.

All publications are free. As a not-for-profit conservation organization, we encourage you to receive these publications by e-mail _ this way we can reduce our paper usage and postage costs. If you would like to change your newsletter subscription to email or subscribe to any other publications, please call 800-659-2622 or email the information to: audubonaction@audubon.org. Thanks!

3. REFUGES IN CRISIS
The National Wildlife Refuge System is in a state of crisis. Thousands of uncontrolled threats, such as water pollution, habitat loss, and limited water supply, are destroying valuable wildlife habitat across the country. Threatened species of birds and wildlife are declining — many at alarming rates — in the very areas established to protect them.

To address this crisis, Audubon is advocating an unprecedented funding increase for operations and maintenance of the Refuge System as well as pushing to establish a National Wildlife Refuge Service in the Department of the Interior to better manage the refuges.

Audubon analyzed our country's refuges and identified ten National Wildlife Refuges (NWR) that represent the crises facing refuges. Criteria used are:
· major national or international conservation priorities
· jeopardized by imminent threats such as habitat loss
· failing to protect bird species that are federally-listed or on Audubon's Watch List (species that could be headed for extinction)

The Ten Refuges in Crisis are:
·Upper Mississippi River NW&FR (WI,MN,IA,IL)
· Kenai NWR (HI)
· Lower Rio Grande Valley NWR (TX)
·White River NWR (AR)
· Monomoy NWR (MA)
· Sonny Bono Salton Sea NWR (CA)
· Pelican Island NWR (FL)
· NWRs of the Klamath Basin (OR, CA)
· Blackwater NWR (MD)
All except Kenai, Blackwater, and Monomoy NWR were included because of some water quality or quantity problem.

To find out how you can help in this effort to rescue the Refuge System, please contact Audubon's Grassroots Department at 1-800-659-2622 or email at: audubonaction@audubon.org.

4. FARM BILL 2002: Wetland Protection Initiatives
Expansion and improvement of farming practices that limit erosion and sedimentation or minimize conversion of wetlands to agricultural lands is a key wetland protection effort. In part, this can be accomplished through important agricultural conservation provisions included in the Farm Bill. Although the Farm Bill does not have to be reauthorized until 2002, congressional committee members have already asked for early suggestions from the environmental community. Audubon has developed an initial set of priorities addressing the new Farm Bill. Audubon will seek early action to:

· Educate new Members and increase Congressional support for existing conservation programs that work such as the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP), Natural Resources Conservation Service's Technical Assistance Program (TA) and Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). Audubon will continue to place special emphasis on the Wetland Reserve Program (WRP) for its wildlife habitat and clean water benefits.

· ensure the Wetlands Reserve Program is fully funded and if necessary, its authorization extended in the FY2002 Agriculture Appropriations Bill.

· create political support for tougher compliance with sodbuster and swampbuster laws governing wetlands and soil erosion

· work with other conservation and agriculture groups to promote additional incentives for landowners to protect prairie potholes, to expand native grasslands and other important wildlife habitats, and to increase practices such as creating buffers and filterstrips to protect watersheds and reduce erosion and flooding.

We will keep you updated throughout the year on our efforts to help shape the debate about the 2002 Farm Bill. For more information or to find out how you can help, please contact Audubon's Grassroots Department at 1-800-659-2622 or email at: audubonaction@audubon.org.

5. YEAR 2000 SUCCESS STORIES
USA: AUDUBON MEMBERS SUPPLY A THIRD OF THE COMMENTS TO THE ARMY CORPS ABOUT THE TULLOCH LOOPHOLE

A court challenge to wetland regulations created a loophole that allowed developers to fill wetlands over the past few years. Named after the court case, the Tulloch loophole exposed at least 20,000 wetland acres to ditching, draining and destruction and approximately 150 miles of streams to channelization. To address this, the EPA and the Army Corps published a proposal to close that loophole in a way that was consistent with the Clean Water Act and the court case. The proposal defined activities that potentially would produce a discharge of dredged material and thus would be regulated under the Clean Water Act.

A public comment period was held to identify public support for this issue. The Army Corps received over 10,000 comments — a third of all comments sent were from Audubon members! Thanks to all of you for your help and participation.

We just received notice that this proposal has been accepted as a rule, an important action to protect our country's wetlands. We will provide more detail in the next issue of Audubon Action.

FLORIDA: In Sarasota County, a proposal to develop an acre of wetlands within a twelve acre project was denied. The owners of the project included two public officials, Manatee County Commission chair and a Florida senator, among others.

The proposal would have placed a commercial center on the property. The wetlands are located in the middle of the twelve acres and are considered a healthy and viable system, although the public officials had claimed that the wetlands were dead or dying. When the permit was denied by local commissions, the owners filed a lawsuit against the county commission and claimed that they were not treated fairly due to adverse public outcry and political motivation. A judge ruled that the Sarasota County Commission had acted properly in denying the permit(from Gulf Coast Business Review, submitted by DC Bansen).

NEW YORK: In North Tonawanda, a wetland of over 70 acres has been protected through the efforts of a coalition of state and private groups. Buffalo Audubon Society has been involved, along with New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, the Western New York Land Conservation, Citizens for a Green North Tonawanda, and teachers and students from the local school district.

The area, to be known as the Klydel Wetland Nature Study/Buffalo Audubon Preserve, is located adjacent to three schools. It includes a school district nature trail that was created with funding from the Love Canal settlement. Approximately 17 of the acres will be purchased by the Western New York Land Conservancy, which will place a conservation easement on the property and give title to the Buffalo Audubon Society (submitted by Liz Kazubski, Buffalo AS).

NORTH CAROLINA: A locale nominated as an Important Bird Area by local Audubon members has been protected with funds from the North Carolina Department of Transportation. Over 9,700 acres in Tyrrell County, North Carolina, it is home to one of state's largest populations of the elusive, federally protected red-cockaded woodpecker and includes substantial wetland areas. The reserve will be a major stop on the state's new North Carolina Bird Trail. The Conservation Fund, a nonprofit organization which protects the nation's land and water resources in partnership with others, will manage the area for five years as a sanctuary for the endangered birds and then turn it over the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as an addition to one of the region's federal wildlife refuges.

Habitat for the red-cockaded woodpecker, which spends its lifetime in the old pine forests that were once common in the East, disappeared as residential development and extensive logging cleared the woodlands. The black and white birds, a little smaller than robins, take more than a year to peck out nesting cavities high up in mature pine trees. They also drill a large number of "sap wells" above and below the nesting cavity that mark their home trees with light-colored pine resin. Each cluster of woodpeckers may include a number of generations of birds. (suggested by H. Hammond)

Return to Newsletter Index

Action Alerts | Mission | National Map | Results | Join Wetland Campaign | Local Chapter Input
Birds | Wetland Ecosystems | Join Activist Network | Funding | Resources | Links | People

email us: wetlands@audubon.org

Last Update: 1.22.01