[obol] Follow-up on Horned Lark concerns

From: Joel Geier <joel.geier@xxxxxxxx>
To: Oregon Birders OnLine <obol@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Tue, 10 Jun 2014 17:49:33 -0700
Hi all,

I received a note today from a birder on OBOL who was very concerned
about my suggestion of a project to monitor impacts of standard
Willamette Valley agricultural practices on Streaked Horned Larks. This
same birder was also concerned about the mention of specific fields
where I noted impacts to Horned larks in recent days.

I certainly would not condone any idea of taking individual landowners
or their tenant farmers to task, for these impacts. Hopefully no one who
read my posting is considering that course -- I would be very surprised
-- but just in case someone is, here are a couple of things to consider:

1. These field operations are perfectly legal, according to the USFWS
listing decision for Streaked Horned lark.

2. The farmers (or their workers) who conducted these operations, in all
likelihood, had no idea that Streaked Horned larks were nesting in these
fields.

The goal of the monitoring program that I've initiated is not to focus
on individual farmers. Rather, the goal is to provide data on how
prevailing farming practices are affecting lark reproductive success, so
that a recovery plan can be based on a more realistic assessment of
things that impact larks. Unfortunately yes, you do need to look at
specific fields to assess these impacts and come up with a better
solution.

Presently there are no positive incentives for farmers (even those who
are favorably disposed) to adopt lark-friendly farming practices. Some
simple ideas which have been suggested in the past include (1) delaying
grass-seed harvest until after the first week of July, and (2)
creating/maintaining bare patches to serve as "lark islands" in the
middle of grass fields. 

On the other hand our government provides some negative incentives --
for example CREP and other USDA programs that encourage planting of
trees, even in lark habitat, and certain tax incentives for planting
orchards and vineyards.

In conversations with my friends and neighbors who are farmers (perhaps
I should mention that I was raised as a 4th-generation farmer myself,
got up at 5 AM to milk cows before school from age 7 yada-yada-yada, and
still have two brothers who farm, plus a close cousin who's an
agronomist, and my wife & kids & I lived for 10+ years on a large
grass-seed farm here in the Willamette Valley), I regularly hear that
farmers would like to help these birds but they are usually not willing
to sacrifice their bottom line. Farming is a business.

So let me be very clear: The issue here is to obtain more data to see if
the USFWS assessment is correct that larks are doing fine on private
agricultural lands, with prevailing practices, or if these lands are in
effect "population sinks" (places where larks are drawn in by ephemeral
habitat conditions that to them seem favorable for nesting, such as
sprayed-off fields, but where nests fail due to disruptions later in the
season).

Breeding Bird Survey data seem to favor the latter hypothesis, but the
argument has been that there aren't enough BBS routes in the valley.
Hence my suggestion for volunteers to gather data focused on larks that
are trying to nest on private land in the Willamette Valley.

Good birding,
Joel
--
Joel Geier
Camp Adair area north of Corvallis




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[obol] Follow-up on Horned Lark concerns

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