Certainly. Anyone who is interested in receiving the Audubon Advisory,
our bi-weekly e-publication on legislative issues, please contact
Desiree Groves personally and she will be happy to sign you up. Her
address is dgroves@xxxxxxxxxxx and she works as our regional grassroots
coordinator in DC. =20
Aimee =20
Virginia IBA Coordinator
P.O. Box 1089
Ashland, VA 23005
804-752-5850 (office)
804-370-3528 (cell)
804-752-5882 (fax)
=20
-----Original Message-----
From: va-bird-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:va-bird-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]
On Behalf Of Denise Ryan
Sent: Tuesday, March 08, 2005 9:30 AM
To: va-bird
Subject: [va-bird] Re: CBBT and priorities (warning: curmudgeon alert)
I totally agree with this - and it is in our interest to be active in =
=3D
the fight to save the Everglades, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, =3D
Chesapeake Bay, Delaware Bay, local refuges, local parks and so on . . .
=3D
. .=3D20
Aimee, why don't you tell the good folks how to sign up for Audubon =3D
E-alerts?
Denise Ryan
Washington, DC
-----Original Message-----
From: va-bird-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:va-bird-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]On Behalf Of WELDON, Aimee
Sent: Tuesday, March 08, 2005 9:18 AM
To: breep@xxxxxxx; va-bird
Subject: [va-bird] Re: CBBT and priorities (warning: curmudgeon alert)
Hi folks,
I just wanted to let you know that I have been in touch with the folks =
=3D
=3D3D
at National Audubon and they have responded quite positively to the CBBT
=3D
=3D3D
issue. I have included with this message a copy of the fax that Greg =
=3D
=3D3D
Butcher, our National Director of Bird Conservation, sent out last =3D3D
night. I think it is quite well written and hope that it has the same =
=3D
=3D3D
impact on the officials at the CBBT as it had on me when I read it. =
=3D3D
That being said, I would like to second the point that Ben Jesup made in
=3D
=3D3D
his last email. Undoubtedly, habitat loss and fragmentation have had =
=3D
=3D3D
the greatest impact on bird populations across the nation. Investing our
=3D
=3D3D
energy into protecting these remaining habitats that support VA birds is
=3D
=3D3D
absolutely critical to maintaining their populations for us to enjoy for
=3D
=3D3D
years to come. It's exciting to see how passionate we all can become =
=3D3D
about issues such as this. Let's just not forget to unleash this energy
=3D
=3D3D
with equal passion on issues that impact birds and their habitat as much
=3D
=3D3D
as we do on issues that impact our enjoyment of them!
Aimee Weldon
Message from Greg Butcher: =3D3D20
March 7, 2005
Director of Bird Conservation
National Audubon Society
1150 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 600
Washington DC 20036
202-861-2242, x. 3034
gbutcher@xxxxxxxxxxx
Lucius J. Kellam III
Chairman and Interim Executive Director
Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnel Commission
P.O. Box 111
Cape Charles VA 23310
Dear Mr. Kellam,
I am writing on behalf of the National Audubon Society and its one =3D3D
million members and supporters. The mission of Audubon is to conserve =
=3D
=3D3D
and restore natural ecosystems focusing on birds, other wildlife, and =
=3D
=3D3D
their habitats for the benefit of humanity and the Earth's biological =
=3D
=3D3D
diversity.
At Audubon, we believe that people will protect what they know. The =
=3D3D
Chesapeake Bay is a wonderful resource that deserves tremendous =3D3D
conservation investment. The Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel provides a =
=3D3D
unique view of the birds and other natural resources of the Chesapeake =
=3D
=3D3D
Bay.
At Audubon, we believe in citizen science. Thus, we have sponsored the =
=3D
=3D3D
Audubon Christmas Bird Count for 105 years. We are now using these data
=3D
=3D3D
to determine population trends and thus conservation priorities for =
=3D3D
North American birds. The Christmas Bird Count done on the CBBT islands
=3D
=3D3D
is a tremendously valuable contribution to our database.
We know that Americans love birds, and millions of Americans travel to =
=3D
=3D3D
enjoy birds in new places. The CBBT is increasingly an international =
=3D3D
destination for people who want to enjoy birds. The recent advertisement
=3D
=3D3D
in Audubon magazine will bring thousands of new visitors to enjoy birds
=3D
=3D3D
at or near the CBBT. These visitors will pay tolls to cross the bridge =
=3D
=3D3D
and spend hundreds of thousands of dollars in communities adjacent to =
=3D
=3D3D
the bridge. Access to the islands of the bridge contribute tremendously
=3D
=3D3D
to the enjoyment and educational value of a trip to the Delmarva =3D3D
peninsula to study birds.
Birdwatchers are above average in income and above average in education
=3D
=3D3D
(and thus highly valued as tourists!). They are not all angels, but they
=3D
=3D3D
are highly unlikely to represent a security risk. I believe that having
=3D
=3D3D
the eyes and ears of this group available on the CBBT islands should =
=3D3D
improve security rather than detract from it. If access to the islands =
=3D
=3D3D
needs to be modified because of changes in security procedures, the =
=3D3D
birdwatchers will work very hard to observe the new regulations to avoid
=3D
=3D3D
losing access to the islands completely.
It should be emphasized that access to one island is nice, but on every
=3D
=3D3D
trip, different birds are seen from different islands. If we have access
=3D
=3D3D
to only one island, we will see only =3D3DBC of the birds we would see =
if
=3D
we =3D3D
had access to all four islands.
We all value national security, but it is not our only value. I hope =
=3D3D
that you will weigh the many values of allowing birdwatchers access to =
=3D
=3D3D
CBBT against the tiny chance that this access will contribute to a =3D3D
security breach.
Sincerely,
Gregory S. Butcher, Ph.D.
National Audubon Society
*******************************
Virginia IBA Coordinator
P.O. Box 1089
Ashland, VA 23005
804-752-5850 (office)
804-370-3528 (cell)
804-752-5882 (fax)
=3D3D20
-----Original Message-----
From: va-bird-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:va-bird-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]
=3D
=3D3D
On Behalf Of Pam Koger-Jesup and Ben Jesup
Sent: Monday, March 07, 2005 9:34 PM
To: va-bird
Subject: [va-bird] CBBT and priorities (warning: curmudgeon alert)
I applaud all of the interest and energy being applied to the effort to
=3D
=3D3D
keep
the CBBT open to birders. It is very important habitat for birders.
However . . . I hope that everyone firing off letters, e-mails, and =
=3D3D
faxes is
equally generous with their time, talent, and treasure when it comes to
protecting habitat for birds. There is an effectively infinite need.
Whether victorious or not, let this little taste of activism expand your
sense of what you can contribute to conservation.
Oh, and I saw two likely migrants this weekend: hermit thrush in White =
=3D
=3D3D
Oaks
Park and a towhee at my feeder (plus three that have been resident all
winter). Bring it on.
Ben Jesup
Alexandria
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=3D
=3D3D
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You are subscribed to VA-BIRD. To post to this mailing list, simply send
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