Tucson Audubon Society | tucsonaudubon.org VERMILION F L YCAT CHE R January–February 2010 | Volume 55,54, Number 15 The Value of Mistletoe Conservation Priorities for 2010 3 New Global IBAs in Arizona 5 Wildlife Linkage Success 19 Wasted Water? Not in My Patch! 14 What’s in a Name? Phainopepla 15 Raw Deal for U.S. Taxpayers 20 Tucson Audubon’s bi-monTHLY NEWS MAGAZINE Features Tucson Audubon Society | tucsonaudubon.org 13 Water and Wildlife VERMILION 14 Wasted Water? Not in My Patch! F L YCATCHER January–February 2010 | Volume 55,54, Number 15 15 What’s in a Name? Phainopepla The Value of 16 Discovering the Value of Mistletoe Mistletoe Tucson Audubon Society is dedicated to improving the quality of the environment by providing education, conservation, and recreation programs, Departments environmental leadership, and information. Tucson 3 Commentary Audubon is a non-profit volunteer organization of people with a common interest in birding and natural 4 News Roundup history. Tucson Audubon maintains offices, a library, 8 Events Calendar and nature shops in Tucson, the proceeds of which 8 Events and Classes benefit all of its programs. Conservation Priorities for 2010 3 12 Living With Nature New Global IBAs in Arizona 5 Tucson Audubon Society Wildlife Linkage Success 19 300 E. University Blvd. #120, Tucson, AZ 85705 18 Conservation and Education News Wasted Water? Not in My Patch! 14 629-0510 (voice) or 623-3476 (fax) What’s in a Name? Phainopepla 15 All phone numbers are area code 520 unless otherwise stated. 21 Field Trips Raw Deal for U.S. Taxpayers 20 www.tucsonaudubon.org 24 Birding Travel from Our TUCSON AUDUBON’S BI-MONT HLY N EWS MAG A ZINE Board Officers & Directors Business Partners Messages 622-5622 President Herb Trossman 25 Classified Ads FRONT COVER: Sandhill Crane by Donna Tolbert- Vice President Mich Coker 26 Nature Shops Anderson. You can see more of her nature photography Secretary Robert Merideth at www.capturingnaturesimages.com. Treasurer Lindsey Quisenberry 27 Bookends Directors at Large Mary Kay Eiermann, Richard Fray, To have your photographs considered for use in the Sandy Elers, Julie Gordon, Linda Greene, Craig Marken, Neil Markowitz, Liz Payne, Cynthia Pruett, Adrian Quijada, Bill Vermilion Flycatcher, please contact Matt Griffiths at Roe, Jessie Shinn, Linda Stitzer [email protected]. Board Committees Conservation Chris McVie, Development Sandy Elers, Education Cynthia Pruett, Membership Jessie Shinn, Finance Lindsey Quisenberry, Personnel Mich Coker, Nominating Robert Merideth Programs & Activities Field Trips Darlene Smyth 297-2315 Library David West 629-0510 Membership Meetings Jean Barchman 622-5622 Wild Time for Water Rare Bird Alert John Yerger | Report Rare Birds 798-1005 Kendall Kroesen, Restoration Program Manager Staff Executive Director Paul Green 777-9525 The Central Arizona Project (CAP), which currently It is a positive Finance and Operations Brad Paxton 629-0757 Accountant Michelle Bourgeois 629-0757 delivers nearly 60 percent of Tucson’s water, sign that Tucson Membership Coordinator Jean Barchman 622-5622 is Arizona’s largest single user of electricity. and Pima County Special Projects Erin Olmstead 622-5622 Ninety-five percent of that electricity comes from a are cooperating Education & Outreach Specialist Matt Brooks 622-2230 IBA Conservation Biologist Scott Wilbor 628-1730 coal-burning plant near Lake Powell. on the “Water and IBA Program Assistant Samantha Barnett 628-1730 This means that our water consumption Wastewater Infrastructure, ittenger P Restoration Program Manager Kendall Kroesen 206-9900 contributes to pollution and global warming, Supply and Planning Study.” Field Supervisor Rodd Lancaster 256-6909 nita A Restoration/Communications Specialist as well as to degrading the significant water- Phases I and II (an inventory, and a study of values Matthew Griffiths 206-9900 dependent wildlife habitats of the Colorado River and policy) were overseen by a citizen committee. Restoration Specialist Chris Harrison 206-9900 Restoration Specialist Andy Bennett 206-9900 Delta—formerly one of the world’s largest fresh- Their report, plus several technical papers, is Mason Outreach Coordinator Lia Sansom 971-6238 water estuaries—and other riparian habitats of the available at www.tucsonpimawaterstudy.com. University Shop Manager Sara Pike 622-2230 Colorado River. The ultimate goal of this 5-phase study is to Volunteer Coordinator/Agua Caliente Shop Manager Becky Aparicio 760-7881 In addition to its ruling that carbon dioxide is a develop a “sustainable water future and a livable Tucson Audubon Nature Shops pollutant, the EPA may require coal-burning plants region.” We must follow its progress closely to 300 E University Blvd #120 629-0510 to install very expensive technology to reduce make sure the result is a plan for true sustainability, 623-3476 fax / 622-2230 Shop Manager Hours: Mon–Sat 10 AM –4 PM (5 PM Mon & Thu) nitrogen oxide pollution—making it prohibitively and that the “respect for the environment” Agua Caliente Park, 12325 E Roger Rd 760-7881 expensive to operate (the Lake Powell plant is espoused by the study is not superficial. Hours: 9 AM –3:30 PM Thu, Fri, Sat (Oct–Feb) already installing a much less expensive and For many, “sustainable water” means the slightly less effective system). The more expensive perpetual availability of water for people. They Vermilion Flycatcher is published bi-monthly. For address changes or subscription problems call 622-5622, or write system could cause the price of CAP water to do not take into account the needs of any other to Membership Coordinator, Tucson Audubon, 300 E. double or triple (see www.cap-az.com/public- species. University Blvd, #120, Tucson, AZ 85705. Submissions are information/ngs/). We need to widen the angle of our lens and see due the 1st of the month, two months before the date of the issue. Please send submissions as Microsoft Word or RTF The price we pay for our water does not reflect that water sustainability must mean sustainability documents, or plain text files, to Matt Griffiths at mgriffiths@ its true costs because many are externalities: for song sparrows, beavers, ash trees and all of us tucsonaudubon.org. the effects on the Colorado River, the effects of who breathe the air. VF Coordinator Matt Griffiths 206-9900 Proofreaders Jane & Warren Tisdale 749-2139 and pollution from the power plant. We can reduce Tucson Audubon staff and board members some degradation, but it will increase our water Design/Layout Eng-Li Green bills substantially. 2 Tucson Audubon Vermilion Flycatcher JANUARY –FEBRUARY 2010 COMMENtarY CHRIS MCVIE | CONSERVATION CHAIR When it comes to Conservation, it’s about the Water, the Habitat and Wildlife Linkages As we look to serving our community during that would include the disruption of the ecological Group (www.azdot.gov/ N 2010, we will continue to expand our offerings of systems that maintain our life on earth. Highways/OES/AZ_WildLife_ ROESE free birding trips, expand the range and number of Reform of the 1872 Mining Law Linkages/workgroup.asp), the Arizona Game K DALL our education activities, and bring greater clarity would update the mining law to reflect the best and Fish Department (www.azgfd.gov/w_c/index. N E to our conservation work. While some of our available scientific information protecting our shtml), the Arizona Department of Transportation K conservation activities focus on restoring degraded nation’s clean air and water, institute higher (www.azdot.gov/Highways/NResources/index.asp), riparian habitats, and identifying and monitoring the reclamation standards, and ensure royalties in the Coalition for Sonoran Desert Protection (www. most important habitats for birds and other wildlife, exchange for the resources that are extracted. The sonorandesert.org/), and local jurisdictions (www. and maintaining their viability, advocacy is also an proposed Rosemont Copper Mine, the proposed pima.gov/CMO/SDCP/, www.marana.com/index. important part of our work. The coming year brings Resolution Copper Mine, and the proposed aspx?NID=193, and www.tucsonaz.gov/ocsd/HCP. significant opportunities and challenges ahead. uranium mining projects in the vicinity of the Grand php). Integration of the best available conservation Here are some of the highlights: Canyon could be vastly improved or averted science could enable our state to better meet the On a NATIONAL level, we look forward through passage of this bill (www.earthworksaction. needs of our human and wildlife populations in to the enactment of the Clean Water org/1872.cfm). adapting to climate change and the demands of Restoration Act (www.opencongress. rapid growth. org/bill/111-s787/show) . For residents of the While some of our LOCALLY, the planning for the next Pima western United States, this act should clarify the conservation activities focus County Open Space Bond is moving importance of conserving ephemeral waters and on restoring degraded forward. We support the recommendation of the their watersheds, such as the Santa Cruz and San riparian habitats, and Conservation Acquisition Commission for $285 Pedro Rivers and their tributaries. Locally, this identifying and monitoring million and recommend that the funding be used may provide an increased level of guidance for the not only to complete the acquisition of previously the most important habitats Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE) and increased Board of Supervisors-approved purchases, but certainty for developers, water and flood control for birds and other wildlife, to acquire identified private and State Trust Land managers, and conservationists regarding potential and maintaining their viability, parcels within and adjacent to identified important impacts to such important areas as Davidson advocacy is also an important wildlife corridors (CLLs) and to expand protected Canyon, an area identified by Pima County’s part of our work. areas, such as the Tortolita Mountain Park. Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan (SDCP) as a The bond election is currently scheduled for the Critical Landscape Linkage (CLL) and Important On a STATEWIDE level, Arizona November 2010 election, but has been a moving Riparian Area (IRA).