Audubon’s Chapter Network Sends Unified Message to Capitol Hill

March 24, 2011

Dear Senator:

The National Audubon Society stands with our chapters and 21 state offices to share our grave concerns about the funding battle that is currently pending in the Senate. The extreme and reckless bill completed by the House, HR 1, devastates many of the programs funded by Congress that help provide for clean air, clean water, and vital natural areas for birds, wildlife and people. These programs are important to all Americans and we hope that as the Senate moves forward you will soundly reject the draconian cuts contained in the House bill.

The House bill guts the broadly supported Land and Water Conservation Fund, cutting funding by 90 percent. This funding provides protection for lands and wildlife habitat in our National Wildlife Refuges, Parks, Forests and other public lands. Each day, 6,000 acres of open space are lost in the U.S. to habitat fragmentation and destruction. Once these lands are lost, they can never be recovered.

The entire Environmental Protection Agency is facing a $3 billion cut to its budget, the largest in 30 years. Such cuts would jeopardize its ability to reduce greenhouse gas pollution and protect our families and the environment.

In addition to the cuts to critical programs, the House bill actually eliminates two programs that are essential to people, birds and other wildlife. HR 1 removes all funding from the North American Wetlands Conservation fund, a critical program that helps preserve wetlands throughout the country. If HR 1 were to pass in its current form, it also would remove any federal funding to State Wildlife Grants, an important source of funding in each state for wildlife programs. These grants help states cost-share many conservation activities.

The upcoming weeks are critical to our nation and our environment. I urge you to oppose the irresponsible cuts contained in HR 1.

Sincerely,

David Yarnold
President and CEO

Alabama
Birmingham Audubon Society
Mobile Bay Audubon Society

Arizona
Audubon Arizona
Desert Rivers Audubon Society
Huachuca Audubon Society
Maricopa Audubon Society
Northern Arizona Audubon Society
Prescott Audubon Society
Sonoran Audubon Society
White Mountain Audubon Society
Yuma Audubon Society

Alaska
Arctic Audubon Society
Audubon Alaska
Juneau Audubon Society
Kodiak Audubon Society
Prince William Sound Audubon Society

Arkansas
Audubon Arkansas
Audubon Society of Central Arkansas
Arkansas Valley Audubon Society
Garland County Audubon Society

California
Altacal Audubon Society
Audubon California
Buena Vista Audubon Society
Central Sierra Audubon Society
Conejo Valley Audubon Society
El Dorado Audubon Society
Fresno Audubon Society
Golden Gate Audubon Society
Kern Audubon Society
Kerncrest Audubon Society
Knob and Valley Audubon Society
La Purisima Audubon Society
Los Angeles Audubon Society
Madrone Audubon Society
Marin Audubon Society
Mendocino Coast Audubon Society
Monterey Audubon Society
Morro Coast Audubon Society
Mt. Diablo Audubon Society
Napa Solano Audubon Society
Palomar Audubon Society
Palos Verdes/South Bay Audubon Society
Pasadena Audubon Society
Peregrine Audubon Society
Plumas Audubon Society
Pomona Valley Audubon Society
San Bernardino Valley Audubon Society
San Diego Audubon Society
San Fernando Valley Audubon Society
Redbud Audubon Society
Redwood Region Audubon Society
Sacramento Audubon Society
San Joaquin Audubon Society
Santa Clara Valley Audubon Society
Santa Barbara Audubon Society
Santa Monica Bay Audubon Society
Sea and Sage Audubon Society
Sierra Foothills Audubon Society
Stanislaus Audubon Society
Ventura Audubon Society
Wintu Audubon Society
Yolo Audubon Society
Yosemite Area Audubon Society

Colorado
Audubon Colorado
Audubon Society of Greater Denver
Black Canyon Audubon Society
Evergreen Audubon Society
Fort Collins Audubon Society
Grand Valley Audubon Society
Roaring Fork Audubon Society
Weminuche Audubon Society
Yolo Audubon Society

Connecticut
Audubon Connecticut
Greenwich Audubon Society
Litchfield Hills Audubon Society
Naugatuck Valley Audubon Society
Potapaug Audubon Society
Quinnipiac Valley Audubon Society

District of Columbia
Audubon Society of the District of Columbia

Florida
Apalachee Audubon Society
Audubon of Florida
Audubon Society of the Everglades
Audubon of Southwest Florida
Bay County Audubon Society
Choctawhatchee Audubon Society
Citrus County Audubon Society
Clearwater Audubon Society
Collier County Audubon Society
Duval Audubon Society
Flagler Audubon Society
Four Rivers Audubon Society
Francis M. Weston Audubon Society
Halifax River Audubon Society
Hendry-Glades Audubon
Hernando Audubon Society
Highlands County Audubon Society
Kissimmee Valley Audubon Society
Lake Region Audubon Society
Manatee County Audubon Society
Oklawaha Valley Audubon Society
Peace River Audubon Society
Pelican Island Audubon Society
Sanibel-Captiva Audubon Society
Santa Fe Audubon Society
Sarasota Audubon Society
Seminole Audubon Society
Southeast Volusia Audubon Society
South Florida Audubon Society
Space Coast Audubon Society
St. Lucie Audubon Society
St. Petersburg Audubon Society
Tampa Audubon Society
Tropical Audubon Society
Venice Area Audubon Society
West Pasco Audubon Society
West Volusia Audubon Society

Georgia
Augusta-Aiken Audubon Society
Oconee Rivers Audubon Society  
Ogeechee Audubon Society

Idaho
Coeur d’Alene Audubon Society
Golden Eagle Audubon Society
Palouse Audubon Society
Portneuf Valley Audubon Society

Illinois
Chicago Audubon Society
Decatur Audubon Society
John Wesley Powell Audubon Society
Lake County Audubon Society
Northwest Illinois Audubon Society
South Bend-Elkhart Audubon Society
Thorn Creek Audubon Society

Indiana
Amos W. Butler Audubon Society
Evansville Audubon Society
Stockbridge Audubon Society
Sycamore Audubon Society
Tippecanoe Audubon Society
Wabash Valley Audubon Society

Iowa
Cedar Rapids Audubon Society
Loess Hills Audubon Society
Prairie Rapids Audubon Society
Southeast Iowa Audubon Society
Tallgrass Prairie Audubon Society

Kansas
Jayhawk Audubon Society
Leavenworth Audubon Society
Northern Flint Hills Audubon Society
Topeka Audubon Society
Wichita Audubon Society

Kentucky
Daviess County Audubon Society
Frankfort Audubon Society
Jackson Purchase Audubon Society
Little River Audubon Society
Louisville Audubon Society

Louisiana
Baton Rouge Audubon Society
Orleans Audubon Society

Maryland
Audubon Society of Central Maryland
Audubon Maryland
Chesapeake Audubon Society
Southern Maryland Audubon Society

Michigan
Detroit Audubon Society

Minnesota
Albert Lea Audubon Society
Audubon Minnesota
Audubon Society of Minneapolis
Austin Audubon Society
Brainerd Lakes Area Audubon Society
Central MN Audubon Society
Duluth Audubon Society
Mississippi Headwaters Audubon Society
St. Paul Audubon Society
Wild River Audubon Society
Zumbro River Audubon Society

Mississippi
Audubon Mississippi
Mississippi Coast Audubon Society
Okatibbee Creek Audubon Society
Oktibbeha Audubon Society

Missouri
Audubon Missouri
Burroughs Audubon Society
East Ozarks Audubon Society
Grand River Audubon Society
Greater Ozarks Audubon
Ozark Gateway Audubon
St. Louis Audubon Society

Montana
Bitterroot Audubon Society
Five Valley Audubon Society
Flathead Audubon Society
Last Chance Audubon Society
Mission Mountain Audubon Society
Montana Audubon
Sacajawea Audubon Society
Upper Missouri Breaks Audubon Society
Yellowstone Valley Audubon Society

Nebraska
Audubon Nebraska
Audubon Society of Omaha
Wachiska Audubon Society
Wildcat Audubon Society

New Mexico
Audubon New Mexico
Central New Mexico Audubon Society
Mesilla Valley Audubon Society
Sangre de Cristo Audubon Society
Southwestern NM Audubon Society   

New Jersey
Atlantic Audubon Society
Bergen County Audubon Society
Monmouth County Audubon Society
Washington Crossing Audubon Society

New York
Audubon New York
Audubon Society of the Capital Region
Bedford Audubon Society
Buffalo Audubon Society
Central Westchester Audubon Society
Constitution Marsh Audubon Center and Sanctuary
Eastern Long Island Audubon Society
Four Harbors Audubon Society
Genesee Valley Audubon Society
Great South Bay Audubon Society
Hudson River Audubon Society
Huntington Oyster Bay Audubon Society
Kalers Pond Audubon Center
Montezuma Audubon Center
New York City Audubon Society
North Fork Audubon Society
North Shore Audubon Society
Northern Catskills Audubon Society
Northern New York Audubon Society
Onondaga Audubon Society
Orange County Audubon Society
Putnam Highlands Audubon Society
Rheinstrom Hill Audubon Center
Saw Mill River Audubon Society
South Shore Audubon Society
Southern Adirondack Audubon Society
Sullivan County Audubon Society
Theodore Roosevelt Sanctuary and Audubon Center

Nevada
Lahontan Audubon Society
Red Rock Audubon Society

North Carolina
Audubon North Carolina
Audubon Society of Forsyth County
Elisha Mitchell Audubon Society
High Country Audubon Society
Mecklenburg Audubon Society
T. Gilbert Pearson Audubon Society
Wake Audubon Society

North Dakota
Audubon Dakota
Fargo-Moorhead Audubon Society

Ohio
Audubon Ohio
Audubon Miami Valley
Audubon Society of Greater Cleveland
Blackbrook Audubon Society
Canton Audubon Society
Columbus Audubon Society
East Central Ohio Audubon Society
Greater Akron Audubon Society
Greater Mohican Audubon Society
Mahoning Valley Audubon Society
Tri-Moraine Audubon Society
Western Cuyahoga Audubon Society

Oklahoma
Payne County Audubon Society
Tulsa Audubon Society

Oregon
Audubon Society of Corvallis
Audubon Society of Lincoln City
Audubon Society of Portland
Cape Arago Audubon Society
Kalmiopsis Audubon Society
Klamath Basin Audubon Society
Lane County Audubon Society
Rogue Valley Audubon Society
Salem Audubon Society
Umpqua Valley Audubon Society

Pennsylvania
Audubon Pennsylvania
Appalachian Audubon Society
Bucks County Audubon Society
Conococheague Audubon Society
Greater Wyoming Valley Audubon Society
Juniata Valley Audubon Society
Lycoming Audubon Society
Northeast Pennsylvania Audubon Society
Quittapahilla Audubon Society
Seven Mountains Audubon Society
Tiadaghton Audubon Society
Wyncote Audubon Society

South Carolina
Audubon South Carolina
Augusta-Aiken Audubon Society
Charleston Audubon Society
Hilton Head Island Audubon Society
Piedmont Audubon Society
Waccamaw Audubon Society

South Dakota
Pine Hills Audubon Society

Tennessee
Cumberland-Harpeth Audubon Society  

Texas
Audubon Texas
Bexar Audubon Society
Central Texas Audubon Society
Coastal Bend Audubon Society
El Paso Trans-Pecos Audubon Society
Fort Worth Audubon Society
Houston Audubon Society
Prairie and Timbers Audubon Society
Travis Audubon Society

Utah
Bridgerland Audubon Society
Great Salt Lake Audubon Society
Red Cliffs Audubon Society
Wasatch Audubon Society

Vermont
Audubon Vermont
Ascutney Mountain Audubon Society
Northeast Kingdom Audubon Society
Otter Creek Audubon
Taconic Tri-State Audubon Society

Virginia
Audubon Society of Northern Virginia
Northern Neck Audubon Society
Richmond Audubon Society

Washington
Admiralty Audubon Society
Black Hills Audubon Society
Central Basin Audubon Society
Discovery Coast Audubon Society
Eastside Audubon Society
Grays Harbor Audubon Society
Kitsap Audubon Society
Kittitas Audubon Society
Lower Columbia Basin Audubon Society
North Cascades Audubon Society
Olympic Peninsula Audubon Society
Palouse Audubon Society
Pilchuck Audubon Society
Rainier Audubon Society
Seattle Audubon Society
Skagit Audubon Society
Spokane Audubon Society
Tahoma Audubon Society
Vashon Maury Island Audubon Society
Whidbey Audubon Society
Willapa Hills Audubon Society
Yakima Valley Audubon Society

West Virginia
Mountaineer Audubon Society

Wisconsin
Admiralty Audubon Society
Chequamegon Audubon Society
Coulee Region Audubon Society
Green Rock Audubon Society
Hoy Audubon Society
Madison Audubon Society
Northeast Wisconsin Audubon Society
Winnebago Audubon Society
Wisconsin Metro Audubon Society

Wyoming
Audubon Wyoming
Murie Audubon Society