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Dear VA-Birders:
As has been reported, Black and Turkey Vultures are being targeted for
dramatically increased takings in Virginia and time is running out to
respond. National Audubon, Audubon Chapters, the Virginia Society of
Ornithology, and concerned individuals are continuing efforts to ensure the
USFWS denies increasing killing permits in the absence of sound
science. The USFWS decision could have important national
ramifications. Grassroots support is essential and numbers matter. If you
have two minutes, please make sure your voice is heard. More information
about this important issue follows, including who to contact. Thank you.
At issue:
The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Wildlife Services in Virginia (WS) is
asking the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to allow them to significantly
increase the number of Black and Turkey Vultures it can kill each year. And
the general public has only until June 30th to encourage the USFWS to say
no and WS to back-off the escalated killing!
WS is seeking to increase the number of vultures it can legally kill each
year to 1,300. When WS got its permit for 2002, it was limited to killing
400 vultures. Through political pressure, the USFWS increased the permit to
allow them to take 1,250 a 786% increase over what they took in 2001!
Why they are asking for such a dramatic increase is unclear, as there is no
credible scientific evidence that the killing of vultures resolves
"problems" where homeowners, farmers, and town officials may have "issues"
with vultures on a localized basis. There are a host of non-lethal methods
that can be employed to prevent any real damage.
Perhaps not the most attractive of bird species, Black and Turkey Vultures
serve important ecological purposes such as disease control and carrion
removal. Vultures consuming dead infected animals eliminate infectious
disease sources. Black Vultures and Turkey Vultures are long-lived species
with low reproductive rates. Thus they are sensitive to large increases in
mortality.
Increasing the number of vultures that can be killed does not take into
consideration illegal killings and the effect they both will have on
vulture populations. Plus, if WS is allowed the higher take, this may lead
to other states asking for increases as well. This could have negative
affects on the entire national vulture population.
Audubon and our partners in conservation are urging the USFWS not to
approve the WS request and for WS to back off its request. Audubon and its
partners are urging that the WS take be limited to the original 2002
permit's 400-vulture limit. And if WS wishes to kill more vultures, they
should be required to complete an Environmental Impact Statement
documenting the how this will solve vulture "problems" without adversely
affecting vulture populations.
You can help! Visit Audubon's Take Action site at
http://www.capitolconnect.com/audubon/summary.asp?subject=244&flow=2 to ;
send a ready-to-go email message to the USFWS urging them to oppose higher
limits for vulture kills - and please be sure to do so before Monday, June 30!
Concerned individuals wishing to send personal messages directly to key
decision makers are urged to take the additional step of contacting the
following:
Congressman Bob Goodlatte Attn: Matt Leggett 2240 Rayburn House Office
Building Washington, DC 20515 matt.leggett@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Mr. William Clay, USDA/APHIS/WS 1400 Independence Avenue SW Mailstop 3403
Washington, DC 20250 william.clay@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Mr. Rick Bennett USFWS Region 5 Director 300 Westgate Center Drive Hadley,
MA 01035 rick_bennett@xxxxxxx
Martin Lowney, USDA/APHIS/WS-Virginia State Director, PO Box 130, Moseley,
VA 23120, FAX: 804-739-7738
Charles Brown, USDA/APHIS/WS Regional Director at:
charles.s.brown@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx .
Deblyn Flack
Fairfax Audubon Society
www.fairfaxaudubon.org
Desiree Sorenson-Groves
Audubon - Public Policy Division
1150 Connecticut Avenue, NW Suite 600
Washington, D.C. 20036-4104
phone (202) 861-2242
fax (202) 861-4290
cell (202) 549-1033
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