Audubon New Mexico Winter 2004
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
When I first moved here to work for Audubon I was excited about the idea of making a difference in bird protection. From Peregrine Falcon to Whooping Crane protection the opportunities seemed boundless. As I learned more about New Mexico, the importance of its geographic diversity began to help explain the diversity we see in our bird populations. There are few states in which that diversity is expressed quite like New Mexico. Our state is blessed with at least five major biogeographical regions. They include the Great Plains, Chihuahuan Desert, Mexican Highlands, Great Basin and the Rocky Mountains. Add to that rivers like the Rio Grande, Canadian, Pecos, Gila and the San Juan and you can begin to see the tremendous potential for diversity. Include in that the state’s elevational diversity ranging from 2800 ft. desert grasslands to 13,000 ft. alpine tundra and you can begin to see why geography is an important part of the story.
On a macro scale, when you have this sort of land and thus habitat diversity, it’s logical that wildlife diversity follows. Using birds as one indicator of biological diversity, which only seems natural, given who we are, New Mexico has few state rivals. We have recorded 510 verified species of birds representing 62 families, which ranks us fourth of all states, only bested by Texas, California and Arizona. We can proudly boast of Lesser Prairie Chickens in the Plains, Red-faced Warblers in the Mexican Highlands of the Gila and White-tailed Ptarmigan in the tundra of the Sangre de Cristos. That is diversity worth protecting.
You will read in this newsletter about some of the current land protection initiatives Audubon New Mexico and you, our members, have become involved with over the last few years. Most of our issue agenda grows from the work of our chapters and members across New Mexico. That agenda is brought forward by the NM Audubon Council for approval by the Audubon New Mexico State Board of Directors. Those issues are important and varied. We played a key role in securing the acquisition of the nearly 100,000 acre Valles Caldera Preserve. We are working to reduce or eliminate the threats of oil and gas development in special places like the desert grasslands of Otero Mesa and the mountain meadows of the Valle Vidal. In addition, our Important Bird Area program, which is gaining momentum, is identifying special areas for birds across the landscape that we can then monitor and enhance for the benefit of birds. Adding to our success are our efforts, along with other groups, to secure the acquisition of the newest state park, the Mesilla Valley Bosque State Park. We will work with our Mesilla Valley chapter there to develop environmental education programs and further protect that important riverside habitat property.
As a New Mexico State Game Commissioner, I have been asked to chair a subcommittee on the use of state game lands. Our first efforts are to make our game lands more compatible to the full public. This started with providing access to visitors at the Sargent Wildlife Area near Chama for elk and other wildlife viewing year round. We are also developing the Bernardo State Wildlife Area in the middle Rio Grande Valley in order to offer year-round waterfowl viewing like the Bosque del Apache just down the road. Finally, we are part of a coalition that will be at the Legislature working on behalf of wildlife to secure more funding for habitat acquisition statewide and the resources to staff the management needs at the Department of Game and Fish for non-game and endangered species.
We are fortunate to live in such a beautiful state with all its varied landscapes, but with that benefit comes responsibility for wise stewardship. There is much work ahead of us, but it is good work and work that will make a difference. We have a landscape that is worthy of its motto. It is important that we continue to strive together to make the difference.
Valle Vidal Gas Drilling by Jim O’Donnell
Is the destruction of 100,000 acres of northern New Mexico wildlands worth 11
hours of natural gas? No way. So says the Coalition for the Valle Vidal, a
non-partisan collection of thirty-seven Northern New Mexico towns, individuals,
businesses and conservation organizations — including Audubon New Mexico, the
New Mexico Audubon Council and the Sangre de Cristo Audubon Society.
The Valle Vidal (Spanish for Living Valley or Valley of Life), a 100,000-acre gem smack in the heart of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains northwest of Cimarron, is known as a “reservoir of wildlife.” It hosts the largest elk herd in the state, sixty other species of mammals including black bear, turkey, bobcat and bison, nearly 200 species of birds and 33 kinds of reptiles and amphibians. Its verdant valleys are ringed by one of the largest stands of Bristlecone Pine in the nation. Pure strains of the Rio Grande cutthroat trout can be found in many of the waterways.
The Valle Vidal, rated as one of the ten best equestrian rides in the nation is also the lifeblood of local recreation-based economies. It hosts outfitters and trekking guides, horseback riding, once-in-a-lifetime hunting opportunities, world-class fly-fishing and over 3,000 Boy Scouts a year.
But the Valle Vidal is in danger o oil and gas development. In 2002, El Paso Natural Gas petitioned the Forest Service to lease the eastern 40,000 acres of the Valle for coalbed methane development. This summer, the Forest Service released its Reasonable Foreseeable Development Scenario (RFDS). The scenario predicted a large amount of gas beneath the Valle — but that amount of gas is only enough to supply our nation with 11 hours of gas. Eleven hours.
When the Valle Vidal was donated to the public in 1982 the Carson National Forest had just completed its Forest Management Plan and was unable to include the Valle under that plan. Since then, forest managers have wisely managed the Valle for its unique wildlife habitat and outstanding backcountry recreation opportunities. But now, in order to accommodate El Paso’s leasing request, the Carson must incorporate the Valle Vidal into its overall management plan by way of an amendment.
This September, the Forest Service began its move toward the development of an Amendment to the Forest Plan for the Carson National Forest. Forest managers will release their proposed action for public comment by May 2005. The final decision, which could recommend the Valle for leasing, won’t come until the fall of 2006.
The Coalition for the Valle Vidal is determined not to allow oil and gas development to happen. We have formed a team that will participate in every aspect of the forest amendment process. In the meantime, we have initiated a vigorous public-awareness campaign to inform New Mexicans just how devastating the destruction of the Valle would be for us all.
This is a vital moment for those of us seeking to protect the Valle Vidal. Our Congressional Representatives must know that we want this land to be permanently protected from industrialization. The Coalition for the Valle Vidal has also initiated a letter-writing campaign to Representatives Udall and Wilson on this issue. They need to hear our voice!
There is too much to lose by industrializing one of our treasured wildlands for 11 hours of natural gas. For that, we would see the elk’s calving grounds disrupted, displaced wildlife populations, fragmented habitat, poisoned waterways and the loss of a vital portion of the economies of north central New Mexico.
We cannot allow another out of state conglomerate to drill and run, leaving us with busted economies and a ruined landscape.
To find out more about the Coalition for the Valle Vidal and how you can help protect this wonder, please visit our web site at www.vailevidal.org or call Jim O’Donnell, Outreach Coordinator, at 505-758-3874.
Become a Citizen
Scientist for a Day…Join us for the 105th Christmas Bird Count!
Would you like to be part of a 100-year old tradition? Do you enjoy
being outdoors, and observing our feathered friends? Then the Christmas Bird
Count (CBC) could be just what you are looking for. The CBC is an all-day event
that involves counting birds within a geographic circle. There are over 20
counts from which to choose this year.
Established in 1900 as an alternative to the competitive Christmas Day hunts, the Christmas Bird Counts (CBCs) provide a century-long set of data on the trends of early-winter bird populations across the Americas.
This information, along with that from other counts, such as the breeding bird surveys and the Great Backyard Bird Count (see sidebar) is vital for conservation efforts. For example, local trends in bird populations can indicate loss of habitat, or signal an immediate environmental threat, such as groundwater contamination or improper use of pesticides.
A great way to see the Count data is to log on to www.audubon.org/bird/cbc. You can check out historical results, make maps of bird distribution, construct graphs of species trends over time, or see the raw count data. You can also read articles contained in American Birds about the interpretation of results. In the report on the 103rd CBC, Carolee Caffrey, Audubon Science Associate, wrote a fascinating article about the impacts of West Nile virus (WNV) on crows and other birds. She notes, “Understanding how the WNV phenomenon will play out in the Americas awaits years of continued data collection and analysis. With increased involvement in citizen science…our abilities to track avian population trends will improve. We will all then be in a better position to monitor the responses of wild birds to diseases introduced in the future, inevitable given the continued growth of human air travel and trade.”
Please join us for a fun and important effort. Contact the count coordinator at least a week in advance of the count. All skill levels welcome. A $5 donation is requested of each participant to help offset operating costs of the counts.
Great Backyard Bird Count
During a
recent Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC), bird enthusiasts across North America
submitted almost 50,000 checklists totaling more than four million birds. The
event, which documented the whereabouts of 573 species, showed a regional
decline of at least one of those species that may be the result of West Nile
virus.
American Crows were reported in alarmingly fewer numbers in Illinois and Ohio, where West Nile virus has had a strong presence. This decrease may or may not be related to West Nile, but the situation is certainly something we need to pay attention to. Since crows seem to be particularly vulnerable to the virus, we must carefully watch population trends reflected in future GBBCs and other citizen science counts.
In the West, Mountain Bluebirds were reported farther south than in 2002, and all of the rosy finches (Black, Gray-crowned, Brown-capped) were documented farther north. In previous years, GBBC maps of Eurasian Collared-Dove, a species introduced in the Bahamas before reaching Florida in the 1980s, showed the species spreading quickly northwestward. Last winter, the maps showed no change, suggesting a slowdown in the rate at which the bird's range is spreading.
The GBBC was developed to help monitor the abundance and distribution of birds in late winter, helping researchers spot alarming trends before situations become critical. As we see rapid changes in our environment, like the spread of West Nile virus and shifts in species' ranges, bird monitoring projects such as the Great Backyard Bird Count become increasingly important. We hope that the tens of thousands of people who participated in the Great Backyard Bird Count will participate again this year and will also consider submitting additional observations to our latest online monitoring tool, eBird.
eBird lets birders submit their sightings over the Internet to a vast database - anytime, anywhere. They can create their own pull-down menu of their favorite birding locales by plotting their location on a map. They can also choose from the list of birding hot spots already created for each state and province. Their reports are pooled for access in any number of ways - by location, date, or species or sightings made by other birders.
Audubon invites bird lovers to explore the results of the Great Backyard Bird Count. Top-ten lists of all sorts are available, as are maps of every species reported. Results from previous years are also available. And then, take a look at eBird. Consider registering your site and counting for the conservation of birds on a daily or weekly basis. From all of us at Audubon and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, thank you to all of the GBBC participants for helping us as citizen scientists. We hope you will join us for our next count, starting February 18, 2005.
Source: www.audubon.org/bird/gbbc
Election Results
by Tom Jervis, President New
Mexico Audubon Council
After a campaign that saw personal bitterness and name-calling reach new highs
(or lows depending on your perspective), George Bush has won reelection to a
second term. For those of us whose concerns for the natural world inform our
decisions, the almost complete absence of discussion of the environment in the
campaign was a disappointment. For a committed environmentalist, the choice was
clear. President Bush has had a consistently negative record on environmental
issues from energy policy to clean air to endangered species and land
management. While we can hope that a second Bush administration might be more
conciliatory, there is little evidence that this will be the case on key
environmental issues. In fact, the very absence of discussion of the
environment during the campaign may suggest to the administration that the
American people approve of their performance on these issues. They have
certainly not been shy in the past about asserting a kind of twisted reality to
justify everything from the “Healthy Forest Initiative” to denial of the reality
of global warming.
Many of the administrators of important agencies, coming to the government directly from lobbying positions in industries that are often at odds with environmental protection, will continue in a second Bush administration. The policies they espouse, from increased logging on the National Forests, to drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, to the denial of all petitions for listing of endangered species, will likewise be continued. Dick Cheney already speaks of a “mandate” and since they will not have to face the voters again, the administration may well increase their demands for exploitation of our natural resources.
What this all means is that vigilance
on the part of those who value the natural world will be needed more than ever.
An active policy in defense of birds, other wildlife, and habitat and of
vigorous opposition to misguided administration initiatives will become all the
more necessary. We are faced with a bureaucracy that is antagonistic to much
that we hold dear, and they are now well entrenched. We cannot rely on the
confusion inherent in a new administration or the hope of a future change to
mitigate possibly irreparable damage. Action to protect these resources will be
essential in the coming years. Whether it is the identification and monitoring
of Important Bird Areas, the protection of endangered species like the Lesser
Prairie-Chicken or the Rio Grande Silvery Minnow, or the management of our
public lands for public values as opposed to private gain, we will have a lot to
do. We urge you to get involved in whatever way you choose, whether writing
letters to your elected officials, attending meetings, or participating in the
upcoming Christmas Bird Counts. But get involved -- it is your wildlife and
it is up to you to help save it.
What Does the Legislature Have in Store for US?
This year, perhaps more than ever over the last decade, it is vital
that we make a difference in our state legislature. It is clear that we have
lost much of our environmental support at the national level, but with apparent
budget surpluses and a sympathetic ear in the Roundhouse, it is important that
we not miss this opportunity.
We are placing almost our entire focus on one key piece of legislation this year. The Legislative objective is to identify and secure an alternative and additional source of funding for non-game management and land and habitat acquisition within the state.
More than 80% of New Mexicans use and enjoy wildlife and outdoor recreation opportunities. More than $1 billion is spent annually on wildlife-based recreation in the state. Yet almost none of that money is reinvested in the state to protect and expand those economic activities.
We hope to change that this year with a bill that would identify funds for land acquisition and wildlife management projects. We envision the money being spent to buy habitat for critical species, restore watersheds, provide management and conservation efforts for species at risk, buy open space and much, much more.
This is a bill that potentially could result in funding of $50 million or more a year. That is a lot of money, but it is money well spent in a state with so many needs and quality of life concerns at stake. As our legislative agenda develops, you will be hearing from us. I encourage you to talk to your legislators. Now is our time.
Art Sales to Benefit Audubon New Mexico
“Birds at Risk and Other Works” – beautiful paintings and prints by Todd
Telander continues through December 12 at the Randall Davey Center. 10% of sale
proceeds will be donated to Audubon New Mexico. This is an exhibit not to be
missed!
Sculptor and wildlife advocate Mark Yale Harris has generously offered to donate one half of the proceeds of “NO WORRIES,” a whimsical limited edition bronze sculpture to Audubon New Mexico. This delightful bear measures 14 by 9 ½ inches and can be posed in several ways. Each bear is $1,950 or three are $5,500. One bear is currently on view in the Administration Building at the Davey Center.
Supporting Our Important
Work
Audubon New Mexico gratefully acknowledges
the following for their most generous support.
PNM FOUNDATION for education outreach and teacher training around the state, and to publish the New Mexico supplement for the Audubon Adventures education kits distributed to New Mexico schools
LOS ALAMOS NATIONAL LABORATORY FOUNDATION for education outreach and teacher training in northern New Mexico
BORDERS BOOKS & MUSIC for general support through their Borders Benefit Days at their four New Mexico stores
CHILDREN & YOUTH COMMISSION of the CITY OF SANTA FE to provide free natural history programs for Santa Fe low-income elementary schools and for summer camp scholarships and internships
NATIONAL FISH & WILDLIFE FOUNDATION for an education partnership with the Maxwell National Wildlife Refuge in eastern New Mexico through their Nature of Learning grants program
NEW MEXICO DEPARTMENT OF GAME AND FISH for education outreach with the Maxwell National Wildlife Refuge through the Share with Wildlife program
SANGRE DE CRISTO AUDUBON SOCIETY for education outreach in northern New Mexico
CENTRAL NEW MEXICO AUDUBON SOCIETY for general support of our education and conservation efforts
BRINDLE FOUNDATION for general support of our education programs and for planning
Valles Caldera Offers Programs-and the Opportunity to Be Involved
Have you had chance to hike, or fish
the headwaters of the San Antonio River, or take a birdwatching or geology or
night sky tour, or hunt for elk or elk antlers, or ski under the full moon yet
in the Valles Caldera National Preserve?
These and other programs are up and running seasonally at the new national preserve-some 250 square miles encompassing the volcano crater that is the heart of the Jemez Mountains (see www.vallescaldera.gov, or call 661-3333).
Also underway are
programs such as:
o cattle grazing, which was
required by law insofar as it does not harm the ecosystem;
o mechanical
forest thinning;
o planning for
prescribed burns;
o scientific
monitoring;
o interpretive
master planning; and
o countless other projects
associated with start-up and serving the public at the new Preserve.
If you would like information about access to the Preserve or the opportunity to be involved in idea development and planning for any number of activities, please consider the Valles Caldera Coalition to be a valuable resource.
The Coalition is a
project of Audubon New Mexico. It is a group of more than 30 organizations and
individuals with expertise about natural resources and a keen interest in the
Preserve itself. For more information, contact the Coordinator, Marty Peale
(983-0841; mpeale@vallescalderacoalition.org; www.vallescalderacoalition.org).
Valles Caldera Hires Ray Powell, Jr.
In mid-September 2004, the Valles
Caldera Trust announced their selection of Ray Powell, Jr. to serve as the
executive director. The Trust had been without a director since early March
2004.
Powell was raised in New Mexico. Most residents know him from his tenure as State Land Commissioner (1993-2002). Powell is also a licensed veterinarian with a special interest in wildlife rehabilitation. He is a graduate of the University of New Mexico, with a B.S. in anthropology and biology, and an M.S. in systemic botany and plant ecology.
Powell is president of Friends of Albuquerque's Environmental Story, a non-profit organization that provides educational materials for students. He also serves on the boards of Common Cause and Audubon New Mexico.
About the Preserve, Powell says, "It is a sacred place. It represents a bold new way to provide our citizens with a unique and unforgettable experience in one of the most beautiful natural places on earth."
David Henderson, Chair of the Valles Caldera Coalition, says of Powell, "I've known Ray for a long time. He comes from a science background, and he's always been one to find solutions through creative thinking. We're lucky to have him, and we look forward to working with him."
Important Bird Areas in New Mexico
The Important Bird Area (IBA) Program is an international
effort to identify and document areas that provide essential breeding, migrating
or wintering habitat for one or more species of birds. The program provides
landowners, planners, developers, regulators, conservationists, and other
interested parties with information on where the birds are, in order to support
sound land use decisions. Identification of a site as an IBA imposes no legal
restrictions or management requirements on any property. The IBA program is not
a birding trail or your favorite birding spot, but rather a program that
highlights areas that are essential to bird populations and need our continual
support.
The effort in New Mexico began in 2000, and we have identified and completed documentation for 40 sites. An additional 11 sites are awaiting documentation. Another 30 sites have been proposed as IBAs but have not been reviewed (documentation is complete on half of these). Additional sites are needed to fill specific holes in the state coverage.
New Mexico sites are judged using the following criteria:
1. Sites that regularly
support significant breeding or non-breeding densities of one or more of the
species listed as endangered or threatened in the state of New Mexico or listed
as high priority by New Mexico Partners in Flight.
2. Sites with habitats that
are rare or unique in the state, or are exceptional examples (large and intact)
of a habitat supporting the full complement of bird species.
3. Sites that regularly hold
significant numbers of one or more species, breeding or non-breeding, including
migration. The following guidelines provide thresholds for site selection.
Except where indicated, numerical estimates should be based on a short period of
time, e.g. one-time counts such as daily surveys - not on cumulative totals.
o
Waterfowl: The site regularly supports 2000 or more waterfowl
(short period total).
o
The site is a "bottleneck" or migration corridor for 2000 or more
raptors (seasonal total).
o
The site regularly supports 100 or more shorebirds at one time
(short period total).
o
The site regularly supports 25 or more pairs of long-legged wading
birds (herons, egrets, ibises).
o
The site is an important migratory stopover or seasonal
concentration site for migratory landbirds. Sites may have exceptionally high
numbers of birds during migration, high densities of breeding species, or be
"migrant traps."
o
The site regularly supports significant concentrations of a
"congregatory" species but may not meet the thresholds above.
4. Long-term research and/or
monitoring sites that contribute substantially to ornithology, bird
conservation, and/or education.
Anyone can nominate a site as a potential IBA by filling out appropriate paper work (available at http://nm.audubon.org/projects/iba/ibaprintedform.txt) and sending it to Audubon New Mexico, PO Box 9314, Santa Fe, NM 87504. Of particular importance are the description of the area, the bird life present and the species data for the site. Information on each New Mexico IBA site is available through the Audubon New Mexico website (http://nm.audubon.org/projects/iba/nmibamap.html)
We are trying to tie together IBAs by major geographic features that influence the bird populations. The various rivers in the state are highways during bird migration. Bird populations cannot be counted along the entirety of these rivers. However certain areas along the river have public access and can provide a variety of “snapshots” of bird life. Taking these “snapshots” and extrapolating for the bird population along the river can then be done. An example is the Rio Grande. Access can be gained at: Rio Grande Gorge (the upper box and Orilla Verde), Los Luceros Historic Area, Bandelier National Monument, Cochiti Lake, Corrales Bosque, Rio Grande Nature Center, Ladd S. Gordon Waterfowl Complex, Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, Elephant Butte, Caballo Lake, Percha Dam, Leasburg Dam State Park, and Old Refuge. The same thing can be done for the various mountain chains, grasslands, and deserts within the state.
We need your help to:
o
Complete/add to the information on accepted or proposed IBAs
o
Nominate new IBAs
o
Become an IBA Monitor
o
Work with Landowners/Managers to develop and implement
conservation plans
You can get more information about the New Mexico, United
States and international IBA programs at the following websites.
o
Audubon New Mexico -
http://nm.audubon.org/projects/iba/iba.html
o
National Audubon -
http://www.audubon.org/bird/iba/index.html
o
BirdLife International -
http://www.birdlife.net/
o
American Bird Conservancy -
http://www.abcbirds.org/iba/
o
Canada -
http://www.ibacanada.com/
o
Mexico -
http://conabioweb.conabio.gob.mx/aicas/doctos/aicas.html
o
Arizona -
http://www.tucsonaudubon.org/azibaprogram/
o
Iowa -
http://www.iowabirds.org/IBA/
This is a very important bird conservation project for Audubon New Mexico. We have work for all of you if you want to get involved in protecting our special places.
Educating the Next Generation of Stewards
As the cold fronts of winter travel through our state, the education department
is warming up to another exciting school year working with schools and
communities in New Mexico. This fall, we have already worked with over 1,100
children in the Santa Fe area, including public and private school children,
home school groups and girl scouts. Additionally, we have secured funding to
work with a multitude of classrooms in Las Cruces, Roswell, and northern New
Mexico. In early December, we will spend a full week at the Maxwell National
Wildlife Refuge, highlighting the uniqueness and importance of the northeastern
grasslands to the flora and fauna they support, especially birds and people.
Fourth grade students from Kearny Elementary in Raton will take advantage of
generous grants from the NM Department of Game & Fish and the National Fish and
Wildlife Foundation to participate in the program free of charge. Additionally,
the Maxwell NWR manager, Patricia Hoban, has kindly provided us with access to
the refuge and its facilities. We hope to see sandhill cranes, meadowlarks, bald
eagles, ferruginous hawks, American kestrels, mule deer, coyotes, geese, and
prairie dogs as we spend the day exploring the refuge through hikes and hands-on
discoveries. The role this beautiful refuge in the northeastern corner of our
state plays in the lives of migrating birds and the area’s resident fauna will
be highlighted and enjoyed by all.
In addition to our outreach efforts, a new supplement has been created to accompany the Audubon Adventures packets distributed to our dedicated friends in the various chapters around the state. This new and exciting supplement will highlight salamanders, and will focus on common species such as the tiger salamander and species currently under threat, such as the Jemez Mountains and Sacramento Mountain salamanders. The bilingual supplement is packed with useful information, kids’ activities, games, and attractive photographs that will highlight the unmatched diversity of wildlife in New Mexico and the Southwest. Special thanks go to Eileen Everett, our education specialist, the PNM Foundation, and our dedicated chapter members who have made this supplement a reality. Look for it this month by contacting your chapter president!
Audubon Adventures Insert Features NM Salamanders
by Walt Whitford, MVAS
Thanks to the efforts of Kim Straus, Development Director, and the rest of the
staff of Audubon New Mexico, there will be another New Mexico insert for Audubon
Adventures this year. The state office has
received a grant from the PNM Foundation that will provide most of the funding
for the production of a specialized insert to be used with the educational
program Audubon Adventures.
Two years ago, the state office, with support from local chapters and the
statewide Audubon Council, produced the first New Mexico-specific insert,
focusing on Burrowing Owls. The Mesilla Valley Audubon Society requested this
second New Mexico insert for Audubon Adventures and suggested that the featured
topic be New Mexico salamanders.
New Mexico is unique among the Rocky Mountain states in that it is the only
state within the region that is home to lungless salamanders of the family
Plethondontidae. New Mexico has two endemic (found only in a small locale)
species of lungless salamanders, the Jemez Mountains Salamander (Plethodon
neomexicanus) and the Sacramento Mountain Salamander (Aneides hardii).
These unique animals are on the Federal Threatened Species list.
Eileen Everett, education specialist at the Randall Davey Center, completed her
MS thesis on the Jemez Mountains Salamander and knows a great deal about the
unique life history characteristics of this species and of the other species,
the Sacramento Mountain Salamander. The New Mexico Audubon Adventures insert
will introduce students to these fascinating animals and encourage the students
to understand the need to conserve these species and others that are such
important and unique components of the natural heritage of New Mexico.
“State of the Birds” Documents Population
Declines
On Tuesday, October 19, The National
Audubon Society released the “The State of the Birds”, a report documenting the
health and abundance of North America’s birds. Appearing in the October issue of
Audubon Magazine, “The State of the Birds” paints a disturbing picture.
Almost 30% of America’s bird species are in “significant decline,” a situation
that signals seriously degraded environmental conditions in the habitats these
birds call home.
The bottom line: the state of the birds in 2004 is not sound. In particular, a
disturbing 70 percent of grassland species; 36 percent of shrub-land bird
species; 25 percent of forest bird species; 13 percent of wetland species; and
23 percent of bird species in urban areas are showing “statistically significant
declines.”
According to “State of the Birds,” these declines are abnormal. Not part of the
natural, cyclical rise and fall of bird populations, “statistically significant
declines” are due to outside factors such as loss of native grasslands,
overgrazing, development of wetlands, bad forest management, invasive species,
pollution, and poor land use decisions.
Compiled by Audubon Scientist Greg Butcher, “State of the Birds” analysis makes
the case for private and public action. Based on the report’s findings, Audubon
is advocating for improved grassland, forest, and wetland protection, stronger
pollution controls, partnerships with private landowners, and backyard habitat
programs for homeowners.
“State of the Birds” summarizes the status of nearly 700 birds species native to
the continental United States, focusing on the condition of species in each of
five habitat types: grasslands, shrublands, forests, wetlands, and urban areas
(the fastest growing habitat type in the U.S.). Written using USGS Breeding Bird
Survey and Audubon’s WatchList - cross-referenced with Audubon’s Christmas Bird
Count data, the report will be issued on a yearly basis, and will inform
Audubon’s conservation agenda, identifying key areas requiring immediate action.
Audubon’s President John Flicker sees a clear message in this report. “Like the
canary in the coal mine warning the miner of danger ahead, our birds are an
indicator of environmental and human health,” he said. “Birds signal that we are
at risk next.”
But, Flicker also sees a clear path out of trouble. “People may have created
these problems, but people can solve them, if we act now,” he stated. To that
end, Audubon is now addressing the findings of “State of the Birds” in its
conservation agenda at the legislative and policy making level, and in the
states where the greatest conservation challenges exist.
Birds not only serve as reliable indicators of environmental conditions, they
also contribute greatly to the U.S. economy. Keeping birds - and their home
habitats - in good condition is not only a good conservation policy, it is also
good business. The worth of birds beyond their aesthetic and conservation value
is something that is beginning to be more fully appreciated, a situation that
has created allies for bird conservation in small and large business, and local
governments - entities that have been historically unlikely conservation
partners.
“According to the U.S. Forest Service, 70 million Americans - one-third of all
adults in this country - call themselves birdwatchers. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife
Service notes that they contribute at least $32 billion in retail sales, $85
billion in overall economic output, and $13 billion in state and federal taxes,
creating 863,406 jobs,” continued Flicker. “Birds also contribute to the bottom
line in more subtle ways, providing free pest and weed control, distributing
seeds, and pollinating flowers and crops. American businesses and communities
simply cannot afford to ignore the state of the birds.”
Gila River Threatened by Potential Reservoir Project
by Dutch Salmon
With its headwaters located in the Mogollon Mountains of southwestern New
Mexico, the Gila River is the last main-stem river in New Mexico without a major
water development. It supports a variety of fish and wildlife, recreational
opportunities, and agricultural and mining activities. Despite these multiple
uses, the river provides a perennial, largely unregulated flow. A recently
proposed project to capture and distribute water from the river could
potentially threaten the Gila’s existence as we now know it.
Currently, the New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission (ISC) is urging local governments to jointly contract for 18,000 acre-feet of Central Arizona Project (CAP) water from the Gila-San Francisco River Basin. A proposed amendment to the Arizona Water Settlements Act (S437) being considered in Congress would appropriate $150 million to New Mexico to contract for and capture Gila River water for Grant, Hidalgo, Luna and Catron counties. The costs of this project could exceed $220 million in capital expenditures and impose $1 - $2 million in annual operating costs on this economically distressed region of the state. Although a mainstream dam is not being considered, an off-stream reservoir in Mangas Creek is being discussed which would impact this prime riparian area that may hold one or more threatened or endangered species and withhold vital water flow into the Gila.
Our
Concerns
·
The need for
this project has not been demonstrated. According to the Southwestern New Mexico
Regional Water Plan, our area’s future water needs can be easily met by modest
increases in efficiency and use of water rights that are projected to be idle.
Moreover, estimates indicate that virtually all of the future population growth
will occur in the Mimbres Basin which contains a plentiful source of
groundwater.
·
The proposal
could have significant ecological impacts. By doubling the current quantity of
water removed from the Gila and San Francisco Rivers, New Mexico’s most
significant freshwater system may be harmed. The upper Gila basin provides
important wildlife habitat that supports a variety of flora and fauna, several
of which are threatened or endangered species.
·
The project could impose a
financial burden on local communities. No one knows if the construction cost of
$150 million would be a federal grant or loan to New Mexico. The annual
delivery, operating and maintenance costs could amount to $2 million. A
cost-benefit analysis of the project has not been conducted to examine its
economic viability.
·
The proposal
could create serious discord among competing users in New Mexico and Arizona.
Conflicts among junior and senior water rights holders and advocates for
maintenance of in-stream flows could arise. Controversies and litigation will
inevitably occur over water use, environmental protection, and downstream
interstate delivery obligations.
·
Discussions
of this proposal have largely occurred outside of the public eye. Meetings with
local and state officials regarding the project have not been publicly noticed.
Moreover, descriptions of alternatives for capturing and distributing Gila River
water and associated costs have been quite vague. This project potentially poses
a significant financial burden on the communities of southwestern New Mexico,
yet we have been kept in the dark about the economic implications of the
proposal.
What
You Can Do
In order to minimize environmental impacts and economic liabilities, the Gila
Conservation Coalition recommends that a broader range of options for obtaining
Gila River water is explored. The issue facing the region is how to best manage
water supply and the environment on a regional basis.
Contact your state and federal elected officials and tell them that you are concerned about this project. Urge them to examine securing water supplies through development of water, watershed rehabilitation and restoration, rehabilitation of infrastructure, demand management, and conservation measures among others. Specifically, the state of New Mexico should consider leasing the 18,000 acre-feet to water users downstream until such time as demand might make a water project viable. These alternatives would leave water in the Gila and have fewer negative economic and environmental impacts.
Southwestern New Mexico Audubon Honors Mike Sauber
Southwestern New Mexico Audubon takes this occasion to honor one of
our own, Michael Sauber, chapter president, 1989-1991, and Conservation
Chairperson ever since. His passion, dedication and persistence in pursuing the
restoration of an important ecosystem in the Gila River Drainage have been
outstanding. Improperly managed grazing on the Diamond Bar allotment in the
Gila Wilderness over a long period had resulted in severely damaging the range,
including the riparian community. Thanks in large part to Mike’s interest, a
group called Gila Watch was established locally to call attention to the
situation and to encourage the USFS to remedy the problem. Despite being
boycotted and threatened by opponents of their activities, he and his supporters
carried on. Reports from the field were obtained to document the sorry
condition of the area. A notice of intent to sue the agency led to action that
eventually removed the livestock. The result of many long years of effort has
been the gradual return to a healthy habitat, where a critical rest from grazing
along the watercourse has had an especially impressive effect. We offer
congratulations to Mike on a job well done and a big “Thank You!” for your
devotion to an important cause.
NM Audubon Council Drafts Policy on Antimycin
For more than 35 years, antimycin, a compound that interferes with a
fish’s ability to take up oxygen from the water, has been used on a national
level to kill non-native species from streams in preparation for reintroduction
of native species in New Mexico and across the nation. However, in 1993 the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), under the authority of the Federal
Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, required the reregistration of
antimycin and the completion of extensive environmental-fate and residue studies
as a condition of reregistration.
In part because of the lack of current EPA registration, some groups have called for a ban on its use and the New Mexico State Game and Fish Commission recently banned the use of antimycin in the state.
Antimycin is used to kill non-native fish in a stream prior to reintroduction of native species so that the reintroduced fish will not hybridize and so they will not have to compete with the often aggressive non-natives. The EPA has several legitimate concerns that must be addressed before the compound can be registered but the maker of antimycin is unable to conduct the necessary studies required for reregistration in part because there is only a limited demand for the compound. Because of its use to restore native species, there is a public interest in the resolution of the EPA concerns.
In particular, it appears that the effect of antimycin on amphibian and invertebrate species is not well understood. The precarious status of many amphibian and invertebrate species in New Mexico and around the world requires that caution be exercised in the use of antimycin despite its demonstrated effectiveness in the re-establishment of native fish species. We must understand the effect of this compound on non-target species lest we unknowingly threaten one species in order to restore another.
The New Mexico Audubon Council believes that the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish should support efforts to reregister antimycin with the EPA, resolve issues with respect to amphibians and invertebrates, and that the Governor should advocate the investigation of antimycin by the EPA at the federal level to resolve these concerns.
At its meeting in September, the Council passed the following resolution on antimycin. The recommendation has been forwarded to the Department of Game and Fish and to the Governor.
Because antimycin can be a powerful tool in the reintroduction of endangered species, the New Mexico Audubon Council supports laboratory and field studies of the effects of antimycin (Fintrol) on non-target species, especially invertebrates and amphibians, in order to resolve concerns about chemical removal of exotic fish in trout restoration projects in New Mexico.
‘Less-Than-Adult’ Bald & Golden Eagle by Art
Arenholz
During winter, our lakes and wildlife refuges host a substantial number of Bald
Eagles. Each year, these visiting eagles include birds that are “less-than
adult” ages, meaning ages from 1-year old (juvenile) to about 5 years of age.
The bodies 0f these young Bald Eagles vary from dark (1st year bird) to variably
mottled with white (2nd and 3rd year birds), so that is not much help if you are
Just starting to identify eagles. (After age 5, the Bald Eagle has the familiar
snow- white head and tail, dark body, and is easily identified.) Our dark-bodied
Golden Eagles are here year-round and of course also include young birds. Let’s
learn how to tell these young eagles apart.
First, let’s recall how to separate eagles from the smaller, soaring hawks like the Red-tailed and Rough-legged Hawks. When the bird is flying, the best identifying feature is the much greater length of the wings of an eagle relative to the length of its body, compared to a hawk. When the bird is perched, the much larger size of the eagle is often apparent, as is the much larger size of the beak compared to its head. Also, notice that the body of a perched eagle is as wide as a large power pole, while the body ff a hawk is much smaller than the pole.
Okay, we’re pretty sure we are looking at an eagle. If it is perched and it is a 1st year bird, we might not he able to tell if it is a Bald or Golden Eagle unless we can see the golden wash on the hack of the neck of a Golden. Both perched eagles are dark except for a white tail with a broad, dark terminal hand.
But when they fly, we can tell them apart by studying the location of white on the under-wings. The young Bald Eagle (age 1 to 3) has white in the wing-pits, where the wings join the body, but the young Golden Eagle never does. Often, when a young Bald Eagle is perched on the ground or in shallow water, the white in the wing-pits is visible on the under-wing as it hops around and use its wings for balance.
Another important identifying feature is the location of other white areas is on the under-wing. A young Golden Eagle has a distinct white patch out near the tip of the wing at the base of the primary flight feathers. In addition to the white in the wing-pit of a young Bald Eagle, there is white along the forward half of the under-wing. Each young eagle (Bald and Golden) has white where the other one does not; there is no overlap. This is a key method to identify a flying young eagle.
By the time the white is gone from the wing-pits and wing linings of the young Bald Eagle, the head is turning white, usually during the 4th year, so this eagle always has some white marking to help identify it.
Now that you know what to look for, you can sort out young Bald from young and adult Golden Eagles. Just focus your attention on that under-wing. If an eagle-sized bird, even a dark-bodied one, has white wing-pits on the under-wing, it is a “less-than-adult” Bald Eagle. If a dark, eagle-sized bird does not have white in the wing-pits, but does have a white patch near each wing tip, it is a “less-than-adult” Golden Eagle.