Audubon New Mexico Winter
2003
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
More than a Minnow is at Stake
Postscript from the State Director, David Henderson
From the Director’s Desk The Rio Grande: Conserving our Life Blood
104th Annual Christmas Bird Count
AUDUBON NEW MEXICO A Strategic Plan Outline, 2004 – 2010 (Preliminary Draft)
Rosy-Finches At Sandia Crest - 10,678’ International Birding Hotspot
Support Wildlife -- Sport an Official Wildlife License Plate
Educating the Educators: Conservation Education in the Gila Watershed
I Wanted to Do Something, However Small, to Help
U S. Fish and Wild1fe Service Releases “Birding in the United States”
Great Plains Playa Lakes: The Most Important Wetlands You’ve Never Birded
More than a Minnow is at Stake
By Bernie Foy, Conservation Chair, Sangre de Cristo Audubon Society
Saving the Rio Grande Silvery Minnow is in direct conflict with using water for drinking and growing crops -- or is it?
The recent decision by the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals is being distorted by just about everybody. The first problem is that this simple dichotomy is, as in so many issues, effectively wrong. The second problem is that most people hold to their beliefs blissfully ignorant of the history of the Rio Grande. The third problem is that a few of our elected officials seem bent on inflaming emotions rather than proceeding on the facts. With regard to the Rio Grande Silvery Minnow, misinformation is abundant and wisdom is almost nonexistent.
First, saving the fish does not require shutting down irrigated farming along the middle Rio Grande or “taking water from the mouths of Albuquerque’s children,” as the mayor snarled. It will, however, require farmers to use water more efficiently, however unsavory the idea. Huge amounts of water are wasted in leaky ditches and antiquated irrigation equipment and practices. They seem to forget that the precious water they use belongs to the public; they are answerable to us, not merely themselves. Likewise, the City of Albuquerque could greatly reduce consumption with very little effort, instead of battling the ruling with more pricey lawyers. Using native grass only in landscaping, recycling industrial water in manufacturing plants, enforcing strict-rules for outdoor watering; these all could be done with little cost and no pain. The city’s Web site vows today to cut water use by almost half over the next 10 years; that will free up a substantial amount of water for use by wildlife. Ensuring future city water supplies will be easy if we go about it intelligently.
The major oversight in the “fish vs. farmers” dichotomy, however, is that there is much more than fish at stake. Water used to save the minnow will sustain hundreds of species of wildlife and nourish a dying riparian ecosystem that is unique and vulnerable. Collectively, those are assets that the public values extremely highly, and for which many of us are prepared to sacrifice convenience.
Second is the neglect of history. Those who find a 3-inch fish uncharismatic may not realize that we have already annihilated four of the five original species of its type. Before we kill off the last minnow, once abundant from Espanola to the Gulf of Mexico and now hanging by a thread, perhaps we should stop and think. The most vocal critics of the ruling are forgetting that the San Juan-Chama project, built at great expense by the taxpayers, was intended to carry city water AND to provide for fish and wildlife, as written into the original legislation. And more recently in history, the irrigators in 1996 abruptly diverted the entire Rio Grande without notifying wildlife officials or anybody else, forcing a hapless and costly rescue effort. That flagrant act of abuse of public resources prompted the lawsuit against the federal government, drawing support from thousands of the most moderate conservationists.
The final problem is the knee-jerk response of some elected politicians, unelected irrigation officials, and editorialists who can’t be bothered to examine the facts. How much water will Albuquerque and Santa Fe realistically lose in the coming years as a result of this decision? There is no set amount, but it’s a good bet that it will be vanishingly small, depending on a host of economic, environmental, and political factors. Since both cities are encouraging conservation, what is the problem? Responsible leaders would not resort to absurd hyperbolic predictions and inflammatory threats. Instead they should realize that business as usual is over, and water management must be reformed.
It took a few centuries to drain, ditch, defoliate and nearly destroy the Rio Grande. We all participated: the Bureau of Reclamation, the State Engineer, cities and towns, farmers, ranchers, and urban landscapers. Fixing the problem, or just turning back the damage a little bit, demands cooperation, communication, and conservation from all of us. That is the beauty of the lawsuit and the 10th circuit decision: it is forcing all parties to the table, to examine old assumptions and plan for the future, as never before in history. Senator Pete Domenici said that the decision “threatens to undo water law ... in much of the West.” If he’s right, that’s not such a bad thing: after catastrophic losses to wildlife over the last century, the whole system of water management is in need of overhaul.
Postscript from the State Director, David Henderson
Thank you, Bernie, for the informative account of the plight of the minnow, which you wrote in July. Much has happened since then. Just when we had won an important battle in the war to protect New Mexico’s environment with the positive decision by the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals, we learned that the war is far from over. The ink on the decision had hardly dried before Senator Domenici and Representative Wilson, with the support of Senator Bingaman, announced that they would attach a rider to legislation moving through Congress in order to undo the ruling of the 10th Circuit and place the minnow and the Rio Grande in greater jeopardy. This sparked action by a broad-based coalition, which included groups ranging from Audubon to the Council of Churches. The coalition asked the Governor to call for negotiations to find a “Made in New Mexico” solution to the fate of our minnow and river which would also continue to provide water to cities and farmers. The Governor agreed. Negotiations were proceeding with solutions in sight when the Bureau of Reclamation pulled the plug, saying that they couldn’t review and implement the settlement agreement in time to avoid the rider process moving forward in Congress. All that was left was the eventual passage of the Domenici rider. Some call it the Domenici “extinction” rider, since the provisions do little to provide protection for the minnow and almost disregard the future fate of the Rio Grande and its associated bosque habitat. The two main provisions in the rider are i) that no money can be spent to provide San Juan/Chama water for the purpose of maintaining endangered species and their habitats and 2) the biological opinion written by the Fish and Wildlife Service (which we believe has some real flaws) cannot be modified for at least two years. Our only hope now is that the Governor will move forward and call for the in-state negotiations to begin anew, and that we can find local solutions to a very real environmental crisis.
From the Director’s Desk The Rio Grande: Conserving our Life Blood
As clichéd as it may sound, the blue watery ribbon of the Rio Grande ties this state and region together. For tens of thousands of years it has been the core of the cultural and natural history of this area. There is little question why so many of the Pueblo cultures settled along the Rio and why today greater than half of our state’s population lives along its banks. In large part the Rio Grande defines this region and nurtures the life we cherish so much.
The Rio Grande and its Mexican sister, the Rio Bravo, drain an impressive 355,500 square miles of the American southwest and northern Mexico. Though the entire watershed is critical to the health of the system, it is the riparian habitat, less than one percent of the whole, that breathes life into the system. Birds exemplify this phenomenon, and being Audubon, focusing on them seems appropriate. Few states can beat New Mexico in the number of species found within its borders. In fact, nearly oo bird species have been seen in our state over the years, and nearly half of that number are partially or fully dependent on riparian habitats. A further half of these birds rely on our bosques for breeding. What a tremendous resource to waste.
But waste it we are. Through management choices we are allowing the Rio to dry up; through our control of the river we have eliminated the floods that are necessary in sustaining a bosque habitat. It appears that many would choose the extinction of one of our few remaining native fish over implementing conservation measures in our homes and on our farms. These last few years have reminded all of us that we live in a arid region, but we don’t always behave like we do. We clearly have important and difficult choices to make. We can’t wait until tomorrow. We have to begin to act now.
At Audubon New Mexico we are acting now. As an active member of a group known as the Alliance for the Rio Grande Heritage, we are working along the entire New Mexico reach of the Rio Grande to improve the way we use the river and to make sure that conservation and wildlife values are considered in all management decisions. We also participated in the lawsuit to protect the Rio Grande Silvery Minnow and the Rio Grande, because we can’t wait until tomorrow.
What are we doing tomorrow? We know that we can’t solve all the problems of the Rio Grande today -- we can’t even define them yet. So in our effort to prepare the next generation for their stewardship responsibilities, our educators at the Randall Davey Audubon Center have developed a curriculum for New Mexico’s school children called “Birds of the Bosque.” It is designed to give kids a connection to this critical piece of New Mexico’s natural heritage. As the writer Bill deBuys said, “It is our choice, we can either have a living river or a dead ditch.” I would add that if we don’t make every effort to assure proper management of our water resources and associated habitats, then we run the risk of having a silent spring. Audubon New Mexico and our supporters have made a difference before and we need to do so again.
David Henderson
Executive Director
Audubon New Mexico and RDAC
We are pleased to welcome (and put to work) our two fall interns, Lisa Wojcik and Zach Smith. We could not do the education programs we do nor run the Center without the valuable assistance of our Center interns. Education Manager Jessica L.agalo has departed Audubon New Mexico for a position with the National Wildlife Federation in Michigan. We wish her luck in her future endeavors.
Audubon Invites Birders and Nature Enthusiasts to Take Part in 104th Annual Christmas Bird Count
Audubon calls upon volunteers to join with birders across the western hemisphere and participate in what has become Audubon’s winter-time tradition, the annual Christmas Bird Count (CBC), held this year between December 14, 2003 and January 4, 2004.
CBC began over a century ago when 27 conservationists in 25 localities, led by ornithologist Frank Chapman, changed the course of ornithological history. On Christmas Day 1900, the small group of conservationists initiated an alternative activity to a holiday practice from earlier times. The ‘side hunt,’ was an activity in which teams competed to see who could shoot the most birds and small animals. With the new tradition, instead of hunting Chapman proposed to count the birds they saw, thus founding one of the most significant citizen-based conservation efforts that has now become a century-old. institution.
Apart from its attraction as a social, sporting, and competitive event, CBC reveals scientific information on the winter distributions of various bird species. The CBC is important in monitoring the status of resident and migratory birds across the Western Hemisphere.
In its 104th year, CBC is now larger than ever, expanding its geographical range and accumulating valuable scientific data. “Backed with over a century of tradition, the Christmas Bird Count is the longest running volunteer-based bird census, spanning three human generations,” said Geoff LeBaron, Director of Christmas Bird Count. “The CBC has evolved into a powerful and important tool, one probably inconceivable to any of the 27 participants on the first Christmas Bird Count. Accumulated data from the CBC has become increasingly important by providing the raw material for studies monitoring the status of early winter bird populations as well as the overall health of the environment. With the continually growing value of the count, its seems likely that today’s participants cannot fathom the value of their efforts i the next century.”
Today, over 55,000 volunteers from all 50 states, every Canadian province, parts of Central and South America, Bermuda, the West Indies, and Pacific islands count and record every individual bird arid bird species seen during one 24-hour calendar day. Over 1,900 individual count circles will be covered during a two-and-a-half week official Count period. Each group has a designated circle 15 miles in diameter - about 177 square miles - where they try to Census as much ground as possible within a day. . .
Count results from 1900 to the present are available through Audubon’s web-site www.audubon.org and the database provides a cornerstone for the BirdSource website www.birdsource.org, a collaborative project of the National Audubon Society and the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology. Counts are open to birders of all skill levels.
AUDUBON NEW MEXICO A Strategic Plan Outline, 2004 – 2010 (Preliminary Draft)
The following abbreviations are used in this plan:
NAS — National Audubon Society;
ANM — Audubon New Mexico; RDAC — Randall Davey Audubon Center
Introduction
This strategic plan is prompted by a number of opportunities and reflects Audubon’s many accomplishments in New Mexico.
1) The twentieth anniversary in 2003 of the gift of the Randall Davey property to Audubon for the establishment of an Audubon office in the southwest and the first Audubon education center in New Mexico.
2) The transition of a Santa Fe-based stewardship committee of the Randall Davey Center to a statewide Audubon New Mexico board of directors.
3) The desire to create a plan that incorporates certain major benchmarks of the National Audubon Society 20/20 vision, especially regarding environmental education in communities.
4) In twenty years, Audubon New Mexico and the Randall Davey Audubon Center have built respected reputations in the local and statewide communities, for education programs, conservation positions, coalition building, and as a trusted resource for children and adults who care about birds, other wildlife, habitats and the environment in general. This strategic plan is therefore built on a solid platform and encompasses a positive vision for the future.
5) The desire to expand the reach of the State Office to reflect the evolving status of Audubon in New Mexico as a statewide organization, with active programs throughout New Mexico.
Mission of Audubon New Mexico
Audubon New Mexico’s mission mirrors that of the National Audubon Society on a statewide basis: to conserve and restore natural ecosystems, focusing on birds, other wildlife, and their habitats for the benefit of humanity and the earth’s biological diversity. We aim to enhance the knowledge of New Mexico citizens to make informed decisions about the protection of wildlife and to empower them to be active stewards of the planet. This is accomplished through education, public policy and land stewardship intended to develop a culture of conservation throughout the state of New Mexico.
Primary Goals
Between 2004 and 2010, Audubon New Mexico hopes to accomplish. the following goals. This is a strategic plan and as such we fully expect that it will evolve and change depending on opportunities and circumstances.
Members, chapters and the Audubon Council — ANM will increase the ways in which it serves members and chapters throughout the state in conjunction with the New Mexico Audubon Council. This will include communications, web site development and other technologies, leadership development, and assistance with membership and fundraising development.
Education & Centers — ANM will seek ways to enhance and expand ifs presence in the state as a leader in environmental education of high quality standards. Emphasis of efforts will be reaching more school children so that more are inspired to be environmental stewards. ANM will actively seek opportunities to establish new education centers in the state based on established criteria and feasibility/marketing studies. The Randall Davey Center has been so successful that we now hope to repeat that success in other New Mexico places.
Randall Davey Audubon Center — ANM will develop specific goals for the RDAC that include building financial security, historic preservation, and program and staff development.
Public Policy and Advocacy — ANM will advocate for the immediate protection of endangered species and the preservation of critical habitats for birds and other wildlife and will work for long-term federal, state and local policies that foster conservation of wildlife, natural resources and habitats. Current high priority issues include restoration of the Rio Grande.
Conservation — ANM will seek opportunities to conserve vital habitat areas in partnership with communities, agencies and other organizations. The protection of endangered habitats such as the Chihuahuan grasslands of Otero Mesa and the Rio Grande and threats to key species such as the Lesser Prairie Chicken will drive this work. The Important Bird Areas program will be a key focus for conservation efforts.
Administration — ANM will maintain cost-effective administrative systems that allow the state office to achieve its goals and priorities.
Board Development — ANM will continue to actively develop its statewide board that includes representation of Audubon’s various constituencies.
Development — ANM will establish realistic fundraising goals tied to the other goals in this plan that provide solid short- and long-term financial foundations for Audubon New Mexico’s effective work in the state.
Rosy-Finches At Sandia Crest - 10,678’ International Birding Hotspot
“Ken Schneiderof Cedar Crest, NM, has put the wintering Rosy-Finches on the map. Ken, with an assist from the Internet, has catapulted our Rosy-Finches into undreamed-of heights of notoriety.” — Hart Schwarz
Before or after you read this article, visit www.rosyfinch.com, and you’ll be delighted with such an array of pictures, facts, history; and just plain finchophilia (Hart’s perfect noun!) that you, too, will be joining the birders from all over the world who are “flocking” to Sandia Crest to add the three species of Rosy-Finch to their life lists.
We want to focus you, our New Mexico readers and birders, on two local high school students, Ryan Beaulieu and Raymond VanBuskirk, who have dedicated themselves to expanding our knowledge of Rosy-Finches. They are working on a project designed to document the flocking behavior and species mix of these three species: Black Rosy-Finch, Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch, and Brown-capped Rosy-Finch. Active in Central New Mexico Audubon Society, Rio Grande Nature Center, Rio Grande Bird Research and the Bosque Ecosystem Monitoring Project, these young men have devised what could be an historical research project, planned for five years, of documenting the time of arrival and departure of each flock, recording the size and species mix, and clarifying the seasonal and age-related plumage in these species.
Now in the second year of their project, Ryan and Raymond have written and submitted a scientific “Proposal to Study Site Fidelity and Densities of the Three Rosy-Finch Species Found at the Sandia Crest, Sandia Mountains.” The intent is to capture and band Rosy-Finches with a US Fish and Wildlife band, and to take measurements which will determine species age, and sex, after which the birds will be released. The banding of the birds will be supervised by Steve and Nancy Cox of. Rio Grande Bird Research, which has over 20 years of experience with bird banding. At least one US Fish and Wildlife Service-permitted bander will be on site during the handling and banding of all birds. Ryan and Raymond will record, compile, and analyze all
data at the end of each season. They will incorporate their findings into a presentation for a science fair, a science class, and/or the New Mexico Ornithological Society. A copy of each year’s results will be submitted to the USFS Sandia Ranger District Biologist. Banding results will be submitted to the Banding Laboratory and the NM State Game and Fish Department, as required by the banding permits.
Does this sound like Impressive “science speak’?” Well, it is language written by Ryan and Raymond themselves, in their written proposal. They are also quick to acknowledge and appreciate other cooperators who are making the study possible. First, there is Ken Schneider, who began to “seed” the crest parking lot in 2000 and has publicized the Rosy-Finch to milestone heights since then. Ken has agreed to assist in finding areas away from public access for the banding project and will also assist in the data collection. (This is not to mention the incredible website he maintains, which is updated constantly!) Second, there is Crest House Manager Gene Romero, who has been genial, approachable, and enthusiastically cooperative. (Ryan and Raymond report that he loves birds!) The project has also had the cooperation of the US Forest Service Sandia Ranger District from the beginning, and the Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory will be a partner in cooperative data sharing. The list could go on and on, including thanking Wild Birds Unlimited West Side, Wild Bird Center West Side, prdseed.com of Tijeras and the Central New Mexico Audubon Society.
Come visit the Crest and see the Rosy-Finches. Come visit the Crest and say “Hi” to Ryan and Raymond and see how “rosy” the future looks.
Support Wildlife -- Sport an Official Wildlife License Plate
After a decade of struggles on many fronts (too numerous and complex to mention), the New Mexico Wildlife License Plate Bill - House Bill 66, “License Plates Featuring Wildlife Artwork” - has finally been signed into law. This means that finally New Mexicans will be able to purchase an official New Mexico Wildlife License Plate, featuring the handsome Gambel’s Quail. Proceeds from this plate will help fund Share with Wildlife, as well as other wildlife or habitat conservation projects of the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish (NMDGF).
How to Order the New Mexico Wildlife License Plate
Starting October 1, 2003, the New Mexico Motor Vehicle Division began accepting orders for the New Mexico Wildlife License Plate. License plate orders placed under the new requirements should be available to the individual requestors beginning January 2, 2004. If you wish to obtain a New Mexico Wildlife License Plate, as of October i, 2003, you may access the required order form from two different web sites or by phone.
By phone:
If you do not have access to the Internet, you may call 1-888-683-4636 and have the form sent to your home.
From the Internet:
Motor Vehicle Division web site: http://www.state.nm.us/tax/
Select “Forms”, then select “Motor Vehicle Forms”, then scroll down until you find the “Specialty Plate” form. Select the form and print it. If you are placing this plate on an already-registered vehicle, your check, made out to the New Mexico Motor Vehicle Division, will be in the amount of $25.00. Fill out the form and send it, and the check, to the address listed on the form. When the Motor Vehicle Division receives your request, it will be processed and the plate forwarded to you. If you are placing this plate on an unregistered vehicle, you need to have the vehicle registered and then apply for the specialty plate.
New Mexico Department of Game and Fish web site: http://www.gmfsh.state.nm.us
Scroll down to the bottom of the main page to “New Feature in the Spotlight”, then click on “Wildlife License Plate.” It will bring up the same specialty plate order form that is found on the Motor Vehicle web site.
Step Up to the Plate...
“Step forward and be counted!” urges Chief of Public Affairs Don MacCarter “Buy a New Mexico Wildlife License Plate on behalf of our nongame species statewide. Help make this plate a success in New Mexico, providing much-needed, new funding for species that really need it.”
Educating the Educators: Conservation Education in the Gila Watershed
Zach Smith, RDAC Fall Intern
It’s 350 miles to the Gila Wilderness. We have a company car, a company credit card, it’s raining, and we’re wearing sunglasses. As the greenhorn RDAC interns drove towards Silver City, thoughts of a detour to Mexico were not unimagined. However, this trip focused on something hard to buy south of the border: water.
New Mexico Game and Fish’s conservation education department, headed by Kevin Holladay, holds several outdoor workshops for educators in the state every year. One such workshop, entitled Project WILD, provides an ‘interdisciplinary conservation and environmental education program emphasizing wildlife.’ By using wildlife as the backdrop, teachers can develop their students’ skills in math, science, art, social studies and language arts. This particular workshop was organized by Colleen Welsh and focused on the Gila River Watershed. For three nights, twelve teachers from Santa Fe to Cloud City camped within a half-mile of the Wilderness entrance, participating in Welsh’s excellent collection of hands-on activities that enhanced our knowledge of water ‘and watersheds. According to the National Geographic Society, 90% of American adults do not know what a watershed is or its importance. Welsh hopes that with increased awareness among children will-come increased adult prudence in protecting New Mexico’s limited water supply.
Her hopes are not unfounded. A similar program in California brought students and parents together as they built a scaled model of their own watershed. The kids then presented their project to the parents; showing, rather than telling, how pesticides and other pollutants can travel great distances through a watershed.
Holladay’s conservation department is a great resource for teachers here in New Mexico who want to use the state’s inherent wildness as a backdrop. Materials for a unit on the Mexican wolf are available simply by calling. Other trunks packed with materials include the new Songbird Migration, Elk, Predator/Prey, Forest Carnivore, Desert Wildlife, Bosque Wildlife, Aquatic Birds, Big Horned Sheep and Bear. -
Upcoming Game and Fish Workshops:
Feb. 6-7: Las Cruces, Multi-facilitator training for Projects Wet, Learning Tree, Wild, Underground and the Leopold Education Project
March 4th: Farmington Riverside Nature Center and Farmington Museum, High school teacher training workshop (Science and Civics: Sustaining Wildlife). This is a free one-day workshop for educators in Farmington. Lunch and substitute money available, space is limited. Contact: Kevin Holladay, Project Wild Coordinator, email Kholladaystate.nm.us or at New .Mexico Game and Fish, P0 Box 25112, Santa Fe, NM -87504, (505) 476-8095, fax: (505) 476-8128.
I Wanted to Do Something, However Small, to Help
By Eileen Panowski
We were raised by our parents in big Midwest cities. Between moves, my older brother, our two younger sisters and I lived in one place just long enough to get used to a school, make a few friends, and then start over again somewhere else.
The only place we felt we really belonged was our maternal grandparents’ small, rustic cottage at a lake in northern Iowa. For us, nine months of the year were only preparation for the following three months “at the lake.” For over twelve joyful summers we learned to live with the wild creatures, the natural beauty and the outhouses. We didn’t miss electric lights, running water and dty smog. Surrounded by our extended family of grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles, we were where we wanted most to be.
Toward the end of the Great Depression our father’s company moved him, with us, to Ohio. We never got back “to the lake.” Years later a cousin warned me, “You wouldn’t recognize it, the cottages gone, condos and hotels and noise everywhere. Don’t go back! Remember the way it was when we were kids.”
It was city living then for us until after World War II, when my husband and I moved with our two young sons to small town, mile-high Los Alamos, NM. At that time it still lacked many conveniences, but oh, what it had to make up for them. We could see over a hundred miles in the clear cool air over wide valleys to mountain ranges with snowy crests in Colorado. The climate, the neighbors mostly our age, deep canyons with cave-dwellings to explore, forested slopes and the smell of the pines, Spanish towns and Indian pueblos in the valley, the bluest sky we had ever seen with great, white clouds we felt as- though we could touch. And, to cap all that, twin sisters joined our sons a year after we arrived, the first twins, I’m told, born in Los Alamos.
I became a birder there, walking out our back door into the national forest, adding new birds to my life list year after year. As the children grew, they, too, reveled in the freedom of the outdoor life, hiking, camping, skiing, collecting memories like souvenirs — meteor showers, eclipses, comets bright in the dark sky’s the evenings when a half-dozen deer stepped gracefully out of the forest and rested on our front lawn, snows deep on the hills, sunsets covering the Sangre de Cristo range with a soft pink shawl.
Eventually the children left for colleges and jobs in other parts of the country. Jack and I retired from the Laboratory and moved to Albuquerque so I could do graduate work at the university. We were delighted as, one by one the children returned, usually with a spouse. New Mexico, they Felt, was their home. Three worked in Los Alamos, one taught school in Albuquerque.
The disaster, when it came, was so unexpected. The Cerro Grande fire raged down the Jemez Mountains, through the canyons, and into Los Alamos. By luck, our children did not lose their present homes, but among the many houses burned was the one where they had lived when they were growing up. The forest I birded for years was completely destroyed. Only bare, black toothpick trees are left on the mountainside of hard baked earth For our lifetime there will be no forest there again. In my sorrow I realized how much destruction of nature my generation has seen, how often we’ve-been told, and “It’s ruined now! It’s not the same! Don’t go back!”
I wanted to do something however small to help ... to prevent the loss of other important, beautiful places and wildlife. The problem was what would work best that I could. afford. In the Audubon Society magazine, I found the answer, a gift annuity. I called the number given and received the information I needed. Sending the money off, I chose the program I wanted it to be used for, knowing that in return I will get income as long as I live. That is not the best reward however. What I prize most is the return of optimism, of hope instead of despair. I can help.
U S. Fish and Wild1fe Service Releases “Birding in the United States”
Washington DC, October 11, 2003 A new federal economic report found that 46 million birdwatchers across America spent $32 billion 2001 pursuing’ one of the Nation’s most poplar outdoor activities according, to a report from the Interior Departments U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The report Birding in the United States A Demographic and Economic Analysis, is the first of its kind analyzing data from the2001 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife Associated Recreation.
“Nearly one in five Americans is a birder,” said Service Director Steve Williams. ‘This report recognizes what we always thought to be true. Bird-watching is very popular and contributes greatly to our economy, so it is important that we continue to work with our partners to restore and protect habitat to ensure healthy bird populations.
Montana Vermont and Wisconsin led the nation in birding participation rates as a percent of total state population. California, New York, and Pennsylvania had the most birders. Birders spent $32 billion on gear such as binoculars, travel, food and big ticket items such as canoes, cabins and off-road vehicles. This spending generated $85 billion in overall economic output and $13 billion in federal and state income taxes, and supported more than 863,000 jobs.
To be considered a birdwatcher, an individual must take a trip a mile or more from home for the primary purpose of observing. birds or must closely observe or try to identify birds around the home. Those who notice birds while mowing the lawn or picnicking at the beach were not counted as birders. Trips to zoos and observing captive birds also did not count as bird-watching. Watching birds around the home is the most common form of bird-watching. Taking trips away from home counted for 40 percent (8 million) of birders.
The full report - and. a second report, the 2001 National and State Economic Impacts of Wildlife Watching Addendum - is available on-line at http://federalaid.fws.gov.
Great Plains Playa Lakes: The Most Important Wetlands You’ve Never Birded
By Debbie Slobe and Matt Pelikan
Excerpted from the original with permission- from Playa Lakes Joint Venture, and the authors.
Scattered across the western Great Plains - eastern New Mexico, Colorado, and Wyoming, western Kansas, Nebraska and Oklahoma, and the Texas Panhandle - lie some 50,000 ephemeral wetlands known as playa lakes. Playa lakes hold water only after rainfall or runoff events; most of the time, they are dry (which explains why many people don’t recognize them as wetlands).
But the natural wet-dry cycle of playa lakes supports a diverse and productive plant community, and playa ecology features specialized amphibians and invertebrates that have evolved ways to flourish under the highly variable conditions that characterize these wetlands. The fertility of playa lakes makes them a precious resource for waterfowl and other birds that migrate and winter across this region.
Flat to rolling and sloping gradually up toward the Rocky Mountains to the west, the western Great Plains is a land of few people and extreme conditions. Winter is cold, summer hot; rainfall is often far too sparse, but especially during spring, weather systems or thunderstorms can dump inches of rain in an hour. When rain does fall, much of it ends up in playa lakes - shallow, usually round basins with clay floors that lie in the lowest points of watersheds and collect runoff from surrounding uplands.
Natural recharge of the aquifer occurs throughout much of the landscape but is focused through playa wetlands, which are thought to be responsible for 85 to 95 percent of all recharge to the aquifer throughout the western Great Plains. This is valuable information for landowners and natural resource managers who hope to conserve water, maintain ground-water purity, and sustain the agricultural economy of the region.
One would think that with so much value provided by playa lakes, everyone would know that they exist and grasp their ecological importance. But playa lakes remain widely misunderstood even by area residents, regularly referred to as buffalo wallows, mud pits, evaporation pans, and other misleading names.
But whatever people call them, there is no question that these wetlands are oases for birds in a generally arid region. Probably the most important wetland habitat type for birds in the western Great Plains, playas are used by more than two hundred species, from Sandhill Crane to Least Sandpiper to Snowy Egret.
About twenty species of waterfowl use playa lakes as transients or winter residents; Mallards and Northern Pintails sometimes stage or winter on playas in astonishing numbers. Playa lake vegetation furnishes an especially nutritious diet for wintering ducks, and if water is present, these- wetlands provide essential roosting areas, as well. Canada and Snow Geese also migrate and winter in the playa lakes region in relatively large numbers.
Spring surveys conducted in 1997 - 2000 by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) on eighty-eight playa lakes in southwestern Kansas and the Oklahoma panhandle found 142 bird species associated with the wetlands, including American Avocet, Black-necked Stilt, Wilson’s Phalarope, and Burrowing Owl. Grassland birds such as meadowlarks and Grasshopper Sparrows frequently nest on grassy fringes of playas, and raptors of many kinds are attracted to playas. If basins hold water during summer, waterfowl, rails, and other wetland birds may nest there.
For birders, playas can be important. Tom Flowers, who coordinated the NRCS study, notes that in his portion of west Kansas, playas represent virtually the only surface water to be found: if you want to see waterbirds there, playas are the only game in town. However, playa lake birding is a highly variable sport, seasonal in nature and dependent on localized conditions that can change rapidly.
Flowers emphasizes that while all playas share certain characteristics; each one of these wetlands is different. The presence of water, necessary for the best birding, depends on rainfall, and one playa may be filled by a storm that leaves nearby basins bone dry. Rainfall variation and the differing configurations of playa basins mean that water depth may range from several inches to several feet. Soil chemistry (from pollutants to--pH) varies from site to site, and in short, each playa features a particular mix of plants and invertebrates that attracts a particular mix of birds. So local knowledge is a crucial part of playa birding.
At their best, though, these peculiar wetlands provide productive bird-watching. And following the lead of other bird-rich regions, western Oklahomans are eyeing ecotourism as a potential stimulus to this region’s chronically beleaguered, undiversified economy.
Toward this end, civic, community, and conservation, leaders in the region are working to organize the Great Plains Trail of Oklahoma, which will showcase not just birds and playas but the region’s many other habitats and forms of wildlife and its distinctive human history and culture.
Vital to the hydrology of an arid region, Great Plains playa lakes represent a natural resource that is as valuable as it is little-known. Any given playa may be small, but each one hosts a vibrant and unusual natural community. Taken together, these abundant wetlands are a dominant feature in the natural history of the birds of the region. They deserve to be better understood, both by area residents and by visitors interested in unusual opportunities for viewing and appreciating wildlife.
The authors thank Tom Flowers, Danny Watson, Aymee Hofferber, and Cherrie Brown for their generous assistance in preparing this article.
Playa Lakes joint Venture, 103 East Simpson Street, Lafayette, CO 80026 303.926.0777
By Zach Smith, RDAC Fall Intern
The survival of the Mexican wolf in New Mexico is threatened again. Brought to the brink of extinction over the last century, Mexican wolves were reintroduced into Arizona and New Mexico in 1998 as a non-essential, experimental endangered specie. This clause in the Endangered Species Act allows the U.S. - Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) to trap, move, or kill wolves that cause a disturbance. An outdated plan and illegal shootings have hampered wolf recovery efforts so far.
Four wolves, including an alpha pair and a wild-born pup, were found dead near the Gila Wilderness Area this September. As worries of a wolf serial killer loom,, the FWS is preparing for a six-year review of the Mexican Wolf Recovery Plan, developed in 1982. Though all sides acknowledge that changes need to be made, what new direction the recovery effort takes will certainly be debated. Controversy has always surrounded wolf reintroductions.
Conservationists are concerned that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife’s update team, consisting of 24 agencies ‘and organizations, is stacked in favor of the livestock industry. Ranchers have traditionally been opposed to wolf reintroductions, claiming the wolves pose a direct threat to their livelihood.. Currently, Defenders of Wildlife reimburses ranchers for livestock losses, not the federal government. The FWS has denied the conservationists’ accusation. But with only 3 conservation groups invited, the wolf s future is uncertain.
The original recovery plan quoted 100 wolves as a healthy population. As of November 7th, twenty-three radio-collared wolves roam in eight packs in Arizona and New Mexico. Seven lone wolves are confirmed to move outside the packs. An additional ten to fifteen wolves, not including pups born this year, are scattered throughout the two states. In a 2001 review of the recovery effort, biologists agreed that even 100 wolves might not satisfy a self-sufficient population. As of yet, none of the suggestions made in 2001 have been implemented.