ABC Raises the Stakes on Bird Deaths at Mining Claim Sites New
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Vol. 16, No. 1 BIRD CALLS February 2012 ABC Raises the Stakes on Bird Deaths at Mining Claim Sites IN THIS ISSUE Iowa Legislature Takes Another has alerted regulators six-inch diameter pipes extend several Shot at Lead Ban. State legislature ABC and the public to a feet above ground for easy spotting by will again tackle the controversial newly discovered threat to birds posed claim holders and regulators. Small issue of banning lead shot for dove by mining claim marker stakes in birds often see the opening of the pipe hunting. Story page 5. Nevada and other western states. The markers as a hole suitable for nest- ABC Files Landmark Petition stakes are PVC or metal pipes placed ing. The birds become trapped inside to Protect Migratory Birds at in the ground at the corners and because the pipes are too narrow to Wind Farms. ABC formally pe- sometimes along the entire lengths allow them to extend their wings and titioned the U.S. Department of and breadths of claims. The four- to fly out, and the walls are too smooth the Interior to protect millions of to allow them to climb up the birds. Story page 9. sides. Death from dehydration or starvation follows. ABC Calls for a Halt to Guadeloupe Shorebird Slaughter. This threat could already have Unmonitored shooting of migrat- caused a million or more bird ing shorebirds on Guadeloupe deaths in Nevada alone. threatens many already vulnerable Recent field studies by the species. Story page 11. Nevada Department of Wildlife recorded 43 bird species killed Mountain Bluebird: Dan Casey, ABC continued on page 2 New Colombian Reserve Protects Endangered Birds and its Colombian Grey Tom Whimbrel: ABC partner Fundación Proposed Permit May Let ProAves, in partnership with World Seabirds Off the Hook.Permit Land Trust-US, have established a would set a legal precedent for new, 5,000-acre reserve to protect one limiting seabird bycatch in U.S. of the last strongholds for the endan- fisheries. Story page 16. gered Gold-ringed Tanager. Studies Recognize Winning Following field surveys in 2008 and Land Conservation Formula 2009, ProAves determined there in Peru. ABC partner ECOAN’s Gold-ringed Tanager: Pete Morris may be as few as 500 Gold-ringed community conservation efforts Tanagers remaining worldwide, all to restore Polylepis forests recog- along 150 miles of ridgetop on the lush Chocó forest near the town of nized. Story page 19. Pacific slope of the western Andes of Carmen de Atrato, and this location Colombia. A critical population of became the target area for creating For complete list of stories, see page 2. up to 50 pairs was identified in the the new reserve. Four properties were continued on page 4 BIRD CALLS CONTENTS Bird Deaths at Mining Claim Sites, from page 1 ABC Raises the Stakes on Bird Deaths at 1-2 Mining Claim Sites New Colombian Reserve Protects 1, 4 Endangered Birds Take Permits: the Path to Sustainability for the 3 Wind Industry (and Others) Iowa Legislature Takes Another Shot at Lead Ban 5 Birds Relatively Unscathed in 2012 Funding 5 Insects to Control Strawberry Guave in Hawai'i 6 FWS Considers Listing the I'iwi 6 Hawaiian Seabirds Off-Limits to Predators 7 Thanks to New Fence Millerbirds Thriving on Laysan Island 8 Conservation Computer Model Yields 8 Surprising Results An uncapped mining claim stake can cause the deaths of These Mountain Bluebirds died after being trapped inside ABC Files Landmark Petition to Protect 9 many birds. Photo: Nevada Department of Wildlife this PVC mining claim stake. Photo: Christy Klinger Migratory Birds at Wind Farms Endangered Short-tailed Albatross Hatches in 10 U.S. for Second Year by the pipes, including Ash-throated Even more troubling is that during the ABC Publishes Bird-Friendly Building Guide 10 ABC Calls for Halt to Guadeloupe Shorebird 11 Flycatchers, Mountain Bluebirds, recent field studies, about half of the Slaughter woodpeckers, sparrows, shrikes, protective caps that had been put on FCC Enacts Stronger Rules to Protect Birds 11 at Tall Towers kestrels, and owls. In the 854 pipes stakes had become displaced, and were Florida Scrub-Jay Continues to Decline 12 examined, biologists found 879 now lying on the ground nearby, re- New Program to Raise Awareness of Gulf’s 13 Beach-nesting Birds birds (as well as 113 reptiles and 20 establishing the threat to birds. 1,500 Grebes Killed in Incident in Utah 14 mammals) – an average of more than Nation’s Mayors Asked to Stop Spread of Feral Cats 14 one bird mortality per pipe. One pipe Hawaiian Goose Recovery a Honking Success 15 Plan Offers Hope for Sage-Grouse Recovery 15 had more than 30 dead birds inside. Mining claimants need to be Proposed Permit May Let Hawaiian Seabirds 16 There are more than one million Off the Hook held accountable for their stakes Conservationists Celebrate 15 Years for 17 federal mining claims in Nevada Arizona’s Condors Back in the Wild alone, each marked by a minimum of through federal regulatory action Suit Threatened to End Lead Poisoning of 17 Condors and Other Wildlife four stakes. that requires them to remove their Ecuador Land Acquisition Will Help Conserve 18 Rare Parakeet This problem extends beyond the hazardous markers or face fines Studies Recognize Winning Conservation 19 Formula in Peru borders of Nevada. According to the under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Proposed Washington Wind Farm Blown Off 20 BLM, in 2010, there were 3,388,400 Over Bird Concerns State of the Birds Report Issued in San Francisco 20 mining claims of record on BLM- Massive Land Purchase Will Safeguard Birds 21 managed lands in the 11 western states In a letter to BLM Director Bob in Ecuador Concerns Mount Over Texas Drought Impact 22 and Alaska. Abbey, ABC stated: “While there have to Whooping Cranes As of 1993, Nevada mining claim been some efforts by local, federal, and Birds to Benefit from Exotic Snake Ban 23 state agencies to address the problem, Western Snowy Plover Critical Habitat Proposal 24 holders were prohibited from using Reopened for Comment these have been wholly inadequate, The Keystone XL Project – Trouble Remains 24 open-ended pipes for marking the in the Pipeline boundaries of new claims. However, and have allowed bird deaths to con- Golden-winged Warbler Reaping Benefits of 25 tinue to mount up over the last two Conservation Efforts the law did not require that stakes decades. Given the enormous scale of Birds in Brief 26-27 be removed or modified at existing Help Save the Palkachupa Cotinga 28 claims. A subsequent 2009 Nevada the issue, a comprehensive, long-term, If you have questions or want more information law invalidated any claim still marked federal solution is required. Mining on our articles, contact Bob Johns at 202-234- claimants need to be held account- 7181, x210, or e-mail [email protected] with open-ended pipe. The legislature able for their stakes through federal Bird Calls is the newsletter of American Bird also included a citizen provision that Conservancy and is produced for members of regulatory action that requires them ABC and the Bird Conservation Alliance. became effective November 1, 2011, to remove their hazardous markers or Editors: George Fenwick, Steve Holmer, which allows anyone to pull up open Bob Johns, Jack Morrison, Merrie Morrison, face fines under the Migratory Bird Mike Parr, Gemma Radko, Darin Schroeder, pipe markers and lay them on the Gavin Shire, George Wallace. ground nearby. ABC is encouraging Treaty Act.” AMERICAN BIRD CONSERVANCY 1731 Connecticut Ave, NW, 3rd Floor citizens who see any such stakes to do ABC is continuing to work with BLM Washington, DC 20009 202-234-7181/fax 202-234-7182 this and prevent further deaths. and the USDA Forest Service to find [email protected]/www.abcbirds.org Bird Conservation Alliance solutions to this issue. www.birdconservationalliance.org 2 FEBRUARY 2012 ABC’S VIEWPOINT Take Permits: the Path to Sustainability for the Wind Industry (and Others) ne hundred years ago, many bird populations by limiting their would be guaranteed protection of America’s birds were in productivity. The escalating threat against prosecution when birds do col- dire straits. The Great Auk of global climate change may cre- lide with their turbines. This would Ohad already vanished forever; the Pas- ate future challenges. Pesticides, lead benefit the wind industry and its senger Pigeon was soon to become just poisoning, introduced predators, and investors by providing certainty that another history lesson; and popula- collisions with man-made structures they won‘t face heavy fines. tions of egrets, swans, shorebirds, and reduce survival rates. Each of these If we require take permits for wind duck were in an alarming downward issues has its own implications for dif- development, will we also have to get spiral, all casualties of overhunting. ferent bird populations, and its own take permits for the windows in our unique set of potential solutions. Fortunately, the U.S. government homes or for our cars, in case they kill intervened just in time to save all but For some forms of human-caused bird a bird? This argument, made by some a handful of bird species by passing mortality, the solution is already avail- in the wind industry, is a red herring. the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, which able: MBTA take permits. While killing a bird with your car is made it illegal to kill any native, mi- unlikely, bird deaths at wind farms are The MBTA provides a ready frame- gratory bird without a permit. both inevitable and predictable, and work for requiring take permits in as a result, fall under the regulatory This must have been quite the upheaval order to allow cooperating industries authority of the MBTA.