Audubon Ohio News - April 7, 2003
- From: "SINGER, Deborah" <DSINGER@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <audubonoh-news@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 7 Apr 2003 12:58:02 -0400
Audubon Ohio News - April 7, 2003
CONTENTS
1. Ottawa Refuge Expansion Bill Clears House
2. Firelands Chapter Wins Major Victory in Effort to Protect Sheldon =
Marsh
3. Kudos to AEP for Forest Protection
4. Follow the Money
5. Coots Count
1. OTTAWA REFUGE EXPANSION BILL CLEARS HOUSE
The U.S. House of Representatives has passed legislation sponsored by =
Ohio Rep. Marcy Kaptur to expand the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge. =
The legislation would expand the Refuge to include Maumee Bay State Park =
in the west and to Route 2 in the south. It would also include the Lake =
Erie Islands.
The Refuge was created in 1961, and covers over 9,000 acres. The =
proposed expansion would add 5,000 acres to the Refuge. The =
legislation, however, specifies that private land will only be acquired =
on a willing-seller basis; in other words, the government will not =
appropriate land through eminent domain.
In pushing the legislation, Rep. Kaptur emphasized the economic benefits =
of tourism related to the increasing interest in birding, America's =
fastest-growing leisure activity. The Refuge has about 130,000 visitors =
per year. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service estimates that visitors =
contribute about $5.6 million to the local economy annually.
Ohio Sen. George Voinovich is sponsoring companion legislation in the =
Senate, where prospects for passage appear good.
2. FIRELANDS CHAPTER WINS MAJOR VICTORY IN EFFORT TO PROTECT SHELDON =
MARSH
Audubon's Firelands Chapter has won a major victory in its fight to =
protect Sheldon Marsh, an Audubon-designated Important Bird Area in Erie =
County. The victory came when Barnes Nursery dropped its appeal of the =
denial of a permit that would have allowed it to dig a nearby canal.
The Army Corps of Engineers granted Barnes a permit in June 2000 to dig =
a 60-foot wide channel into Sandusky Bay. A month later, however, the =
Corps ordered the company to stop work. The Corps later revoked the =
permit.
In December 2001, the Corps granted the Nursery permission to complete =
the project, but conditioned approval of the Nursery obtaining =
water-quality certification from Ohio EPA. In April 2002, the state =
agency denied Barnes's application for a Section 401 water-quality =
certification, and the company appealed.
Firelands activists feared that the completed canal would seriously =
alter the Sheldon Marsh ecosystem. They intervened in Barnes' appeal to =
argue that the permit denial should be upheld.
The appeal had been scheduled for a hearing in Columbus on April 7. =
Pete Precario, an attorney and Audubon Ohio board member, represented =
the Firelands Chapter in the appeal. At one point during the appeal, =
Barnes identified dozens of prospective witnesses for the appeal =
hearing, threatening a lengthy and expensive struggle. A few days =
before the hearing, however, Barnes withdrew its appeal, allowing the =
permit denial to stand.
As with so many environmental battles, the appeal victory left some =
issues for future resolution. Chief among these was what will be done =
with the partially-constructed canal that Barnes dug before work was =
halted. For the moment, however, Firelands Chapter activists are taking =
much-deserved satisfaction at halting a potentially devastating project.
3. KUDOS TO AEP FOR FOREST PROTECTION
Columbus-based American Electric Power has been recognized for its =
efforts to protect rainforest in Bolivia. Columbus Business First =
reported on April 4 that Harvard University had conferred its 2003 Roy =
Family Award on AEP and five partners for actions that will preserve 2 =
million acres of forest.
AEP and its partners bought the logging rights for the acreage in =
question, then retired those rights, thereby assuring that the forest =
will be protected. The preserved forest could absorb 7 million tons of =
carbon emissions over 30 years. The preservation effort effectively =
doubles the size of the neighboring Noel Kempff Mercado National Park.
4. FOLLOW THE MONEY
In these days of budget turmoil in Columbus, it would be chilling to =
hear public officials threaten to "use the budget system to be the =
excuse to make major policy decisions." Could such a threat have been =
made by Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder, or perhaps by Ohio Senate =
President Doug White? In reality, these words were uttered 22 years ago =
by James Watt, the first Secretary of the Interior under President =
Ronald Reagan. (New York Times, March 29, 1981, page 1, column 1). =20
Watt was eventually driven from office, but the potential to use =
budgetary troubles as an excuse to attack environmental programs exists =
as much today as it did then. In his proposed budget, Governor Taft has =
already "zeroed out" the Civilian Conservation Corps program. Now comes =
news of the potential demise of another popular state environmental =
program, namely, the litter prevention and recycling program.
The Columbus Dispatch reported on April 5 that the Ohio General Assembly =
was considering a proposal to divert the state tax that has supported =
the anti-litter program for over 20 years to pay for other programs. =
These funds currently support the staff of the Division of Recycling and =
Litter Prevention at ODNR, as well as a program of grants to local =
communities and volunteer organizations.
Diverting money designated for environmental programs to other uses may =
be developing into a bad habit in Columbus. In a letter dated February =
25, 2003, to the Ohio Public Interest Research Group, Bruce Johnson, the =
Director of the Ohio Department of Development, indicated that funds =
previously reserved for the Energy Efficiency Revolving Loan Fund could =
be diverted out of the program. Johnson wrote, "the department cannot =
guarantee that a portion of the EERLF dollars will not be used in the =
future or for the ongoing budget crisis for SFY [State Fiscal Year] =
2003." Johnson pledged, "to do everything possible to maintain the =
current funding level in the EERLF and/or minimize any impact to the =
fund."
A pattern of such fund diversions is of obvious concern to =
conservationists. Ohio has two income tax check-off programs, one for =
wildlife programs, the other for natural areas and preserves, which =
could be next. At times like these it is important for citizens to take =
an interest in the budget process. Officials really do use the budget =
as the excuse to make major policy decisions.
5. COOTS COUNT
According to a recent study by Professor Bruce Lyon of the University of =
California at Santa Cruz, female coots have demonstrated an ability to =
count. Specifically, they are able to count their own eggs in a mixed =
group. Results of the study were reported on April 3 by Science Daily.
Coots can lay only one egg per day. Coots engage in parasitism, that =
is, they occasionally lay eggs in the nests of other coots. Eggs can be =
distinguished by variations in color and speckle patterns. Prof. Lyon =
determined that some female coots recognize parasitic eggs, and bury =
them or otherwise move them to inferior positions within the nest. =
Prof. Lyon further determined that coots that engage in this behavior =
continue laying eggs to make up for the parasitic eggs in the nest, =
whereas coots that do not recognize parasitic eggs stop laying earlier.
Audubon Ohio is considering the possibility of hiring coots to monitor =
the budget proceedings of the Ohio General Assembly.
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