State Environmental Funding in Danger of Extinction
Dear Peter,
I'm writing from Albany, where I've just learned that your legislative leaders and Gov. David Paterson may be hours away from mortgaging the future of the Environmental Protection Fund (EPF). Vital to protecting the Hudson Valley's treasured natural resources-our river, farms, waterfronts and open spaces, the EPF is the heart of New York's environmental capacity and protection.
The environment is our economy and our quality of life
Perhaps only hours away, your leaders in Albany are negotiating a political compromise to deplete the EPF for other purposes than protecting clean drinking water, safeguarding vanishing farmland and supporting the beautiful natural landscapes that help support our $4.7 billion dollar tourist economy and its 80,000 jobs. A clean and beautiful Hudson Valley is a leading attraction for new business and jobs creation. Your leaders in Albany need to hear from you TODAY that these resources remain a priority for all of us in the Hudson Valley and across the state.
Your past calls -- and today's -- matter
When asked to call earlier this month, you spoke and they listened. The EPF suffered a disproportionate cut when compared to other sectors of the budget but it remained dedicated to those precious environmental principles for which it was created -- green infrastructure investment, environmental conservation and public health protection. But political winds in Albany can change quickly and that is why we need you to act again today.
With a gravely misguided deal just hours away from forfeiting those goals, NOW IS THE TIME TO ACT.
Contact your Senator, Assembly and Gov. Paterson: TODAY
Use this link to verify the names of your local lawmakers, then make three calls:
NYS Assembly switchboard: 518 455 4100
NYS Senate switchboard: 518 455 2800
Gov. David Paterson: 518 474 8390
Tell them the EPF and programs like the Hudson River Estuary Program and Open Space protection work for the Hudson Valley's economic and environmental future and should not be sacrificed. Tell them to maintain the integrity of the EPF and use it only for its intended purposes.
Thanks for all that you do.
Andy Bicking
Director of Public Policy
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Monday, April 26, 2010
Floyd Bennett Bioblitz call for volunteers
Brooklyn College is organizing a bioblitz for Gateway National Recreation Area in June (11th-12th, 3:00 PM to 3:00 PM). We are in desperate need for scientists, resource managers and naturalists (amateur or professional) to serve as experts. This entails coming out to Floyd Bennett Field and leading a small team of volunteers into the field to identify as many species as they can in the alloted time. We're covering all taxa (fish, birds, insects, plants, marine inverterbrates, mammals, moths, butterflies, etc.). Can you please forward this request to any lists of contacts you have that may be appropriate?
An informational flyer is attached. Interested people can contact me at bbranco@brooklyn.cuny.edu, or email JBbioblitz@yahoo.com for more information.
Thanks and regards,
Brett F. Branco, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Geology
Associate Director, AREAC
Brooklyn College - CUNY
2900 Bedford Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11210
BBranco@brooklyn.cuny.edu
718-951-5000, ext. 6441
http://userhome.brooklyn.cuny.edu/bbranco
An informational flyer is attached. Interested people can contact me at bbranco@brooklyn.cuny.edu, or email JBbioblitz@yahoo.com for more information.
Thanks and regards,
Brett F. Branco, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Geology
Associate Director, AREAC
Brooklyn College - CUNY
2900 Bedford Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11210
BBranco@brooklyn.cuny.edu
718-951-5000, ext. 6441
http://userhome.brooklyn.cuny.edu/bbranco
Monday, April 19, 2010
From American Bird Conservancy
Please help us stop bird kills at government buildings.
As many as one billion birds, both residents and migrants, die annually in the United States after colliding with buildings. You can help prevent these unnecessary deaths.
A new bill, the Federal Bird-Safe Buildings Act of 2010 (H.R. 4797), introduced by Rep. Mike Quigley (D-IL), calls for each public building constructed, acquired, or altered by the federal government to incorporate, to the maximum extent possible, bird-safe building materials and design features. The legislation would require the government to take similar actions on existing buildings where practicable. This has already been demonstrated to be attainable, as some newer government buildings are already bird-friendly.
This bill will help prevent the deaths of millions of birds that collide with windows at thousands of federal buildings across the country. Your organization can help by sending an action alert to your supporters.
Photo: Seattle Courthouse; Western District of Washington
You can ask people to take action by sending an email to their Representative asking them to support this bill using American Bird Conservancy's Action Alert System. The link is http://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/5400/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=2696 The system is fully automated however the impact of their action will be greatly increased if they take some extra time to add their personal thoughts and comments.
Sending a letter to your Representative on your organization’s letterhead is also very important. A template letter is below. It would be very helpful if you also send us a copy of your letter to sholmer@abcbirds.org.
Your organization can also help by informing providing resources such as information on how to reduce collisions at home. A new downloadable factsheet “You Can Save Birds From Flying Into Windows” offers homeowners tips on how they can make a difference. Additional information is available at www.abcbirds.org/conservationissues/threats/buildings.html.
Thank you in advance for helping prevent bird deaths at government buildings.
Dr. Christine Sheppard
Collisions Program Director
American Bird Conservancy
Dear Representative ________________:
I am writing to urge you to support H.R. 4797: the Federal Bird-Safe Buildings Act of 2009 which was introduced by Representative Mike Quigley.
Migratory birds are not only beautiful and interesting creatures eagerly welcomed by millions of Americans into their backyards every year; they help generate billions of dollars annually to the U.S. economy through wildlife watching activities. According to the federal government, Americans spend about $36 billion in pursuit of birding activities. One in five Americans - 48 million people - engages in bird watching, and about 42 percent travel away from home to go birding. Birding activities generate about $4.4 billion in federal tax revenues and about $6.2 billion in state tax revenues, support about 670,000 jobs, and provide $28 billion in employment income. Birds also naturally provide billions of dollars worth of pest control which benefit farmers and consumers alike.
Building collisions are arguably the single greatest man-made killer of birds. It is estimated that there are three hundred million to one billion birds or more die each year from collisions with glass on buildings – from skyscrapers to homes.
H.R. 4797: the Federal Bird-Safe Buildings Act of 2010 is a cost neutral bill which will save the lives of millions of birds that mistake objects reflected in window glass, such as habitat and sky. The bill calls for each public building constructed, acquired, or altered by the General Services Administration (GSA) to incorporate, to the maximum extent possible, bird-safe building materials and design features. Many buildings constructed by GSA are already, in fact, bird-friendly. The legislation would require GSA to take similar actions on existing buildings, where practicable. While this legislation is limited to federal buildings, it’s a very good start that perhaps can lead to more widespread applications of bird-friendly designs elsewhere.
Please show your support for H.R. 4794 by signing onto the bill as a cosponsor. To cosponsor H.R. 4797 please contact Lindsey Matese with Representative Quigley’s office at: lindsey.matese@mail.house.gov,
Thank you for your time.
Best Regards,
Steve Holmer
Director of the Bird Conservation Alliance &
Senior Policy Advisor
American Bird Conservancy
202/234-7181 ext. 216
sholmer@abcbirds.org
www.birdconservationalliance.org
www.abcbirds.org
The Bird Conservation Alliance (BCA) is a network of organizations working together to conserve wild birds.
BCA is facilitated by American Bird Conservancy which conserves native wild birds and their habitats throughout the Americas.
To be removed from the list, send any message to:
bcaorgs-unsubscribe@npogroups.org
____________________________________________________________
You received this message as a subscriber on the list:
bcaorgs@npogroups.org
To be removed from the list, send any message to:
bcaorgs-unsubscribe@npogroups.org
For all list information and functions, see:
http://npogroups.org/lists/info/bcaorgs
As many as one billion birds, both residents and migrants, die annually in the United States after colliding with buildings. You can help prevent these unnecessary deaths.
A new bill, the Federal Bird-Safe Buildings Act of 2010 (H.R. 4797), introduced by Rep. Mike Quigley (D-IL), calls for each public building constructed, acquired, or altered by the federal government to incorporate, to the maximum extent possible, bird-safe building materials and design features. The legislation would require the government to take similar actions on existing buildings where practicable. This has already been demonstrated to be attainable, as some newer government buildings are already bird-friendly.
This bill will help prevent the deaths of millions of birds that collide with windows at thousands of federal buildings across the country. Your organization can help by sending an action alert to your supporters.
Photo: Seattle Courthouse; Western District of Washington
You can ask people to take action by sending an email to their Representative asking them to support this bill using American Bird Conservancy's Action Alert System. The link is http://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/5400/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=2696 The system is fully automated however the impact of their action will be greatly increased if they take some extra time to add their personal thoughts and comments.
Sending a letter to your Representative on your organization’s letterhead is also very important. A template letter is below. It would be very helpful if you also send us a copy of your letter to sholmer@abcbirds.org.
Your organization can also help by informing providing resources such as information on how to reduce collisions at home. A new downloadable factsheet “You Can Save Birds From Flying Into Windows” offers homeowners tips on how they can make a difference. Additional information is available at www.abcbirds.org/conservationissues/threats/buildings.html.
Thank you in advance for helping prevent bird deaths at government buildings.
Dr. Christine Sheppard
Collisions Program Director
American Bird Conservancy
Dear Representative ________________:
I am writing to urge you to support H.R. 4797: the Federal Bird-Safe Buildings Act of 2009 which was introduced by Representative Mike Quigley.
Migratory birds are not only beautiful and interesting creatures eagerly welcomed by millions of Americans into their backyards every year; they help generate billions of dollars annually to the U.S. economy through wildlife watching activities. According to the federal government, Americans spend about $36 billion in pursuit of birding activities. One in five Americans - 48 million people - engages in bird watching, and about 42 percent travel away from home to go birding. Birding activities generate about $4.4 billion in federal tax revenues and about $6.2 billion in state tax revenues, support about 670,000 jobs, and provide $28 billion in employment income. Birds also naturally provide billions of dollars worth of pest control which benefit farmers and consumers alike.
Building collisions are arguably the single greatest man-made killer of birds. It is estimated that there are three hundred million to one billion birds or more die each year from collisions with glass on buildings – from skyscrapers to homes.
H.R. 4797: the Federal Bird-Safe Buildings Act of 2010 is a cost neutral bill which will save the lives of millions of birds that mistake objects reflected in window glass, such as habitat and sky. The bill calls for each public building constructed, acquired, or altered by the General Services Administration (GSA) to incorporate, to the maximum extent possible, bird-safe building materials and design features. Many buildings constructed by GSA are already, in fact, bird-friendly. The legislation would require GSA to take similar actions on existing buildings, where practicable. While this legislation is limited to federal buildings, it’s a very good start that perhaps can lead to more widespread applications of bird-friendly designs elsewhere.
Please show your support for H.R. 4794 by signing onto the bill as a cosponsor. To cosponsor H.R. 4797 please contact Lindsey Matese with Representative Quigley’s office at: lindsey.matese@mail.house.gov,
Thank you for your time.
Best Regards,
Steve Holmer
Director of the Bird Conservation Alliance &
Senior Policy Advisor
American Bird Conservancy
202/234-7181 ext. 216
sholmer@abcbirds.org
www.birdconservationalliance.org
www.abcbirds.org
The Bird Conservation Alliance (BCA) is a network of organizations working together to conserve wild birds.
BCA is facilitated by American Bird Conservancy which conserves native wild birds and their habitats throughout the Americas.
To be removed from the list, send any message to:
bcaorgs-unsubscribe@npogroups.org
____________________________________________________________
You received this message as a subscriber on the list:
bcaorgs@npogroups.org
To be removed from the list, send any message to:
bcaorgs-unsubscribe@npogroups.org
For all list information and functions, see:
http://npogroups.org/lists/info/bcaorgs
Monday, March 15, 2010
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Legislation introduced to modify glass structures on Federal property
Email received from American Bird Conservancy:
MEDIA RELEASE
Contact: Robert Johns, 202-234-7181 ext.210, bjohns@abcbirds.org
Proposed Legislation Would Prevent Millions of Bird Deaths
(Washington, D.C., March 10, 2010) American Bird Conservancy (ABC) – the nation’s leading bird conservation organization – today applauded legislation introduced by Illinois Congressman Mike Quigley (D-IL) yesterday (March 9, 2010) that will help prevent the deaths of millions of birds that collide with windows at thousands of federal buildings across the country.
The bill, HR 4797 calls for each public building constructed, acquired, or altered by the General Services Administration (GSA) to incorporate, to the maximum extent possible, bird-safe building materials and design features. The legislation would require GSA to take similar actions on existing buildings, where practicable. The terms “bird-safe building materials and design features” are defined through reference to several publications addressing those topics.
“This legislation will absolutely save the lives of millions of birds that mistake objects reflected in window glass, such as habitat and sky, as real. The reflection of a tree limb looks just like a real tree limb to a bird,” said ABC President George Fenwick.
“I am proud to build upon the work we did in Cook County to promote bird-safe building and spearhead an initiative at the national level that will make sure our tall buildings are not safety hazards. This bill will not only save millions of birds’ lives, but it is also completely cost neutral,” said Congressman Quigley.
“Anyone who has ever spotted a cardinal in their backyard or had watched a hummingbird fly backwards understands how beautiful and important our bird species are to the natural world. I’m proud to work with the American Bird Conservancy to do all we can to make sure they continue to be a part of that world,” Quigley added.
“Building collisions are arguably the single greatest man-made killer of birds. From three hundred million to one billion birds or more die each year from collisions with glass on buildings – from skyscrapers to homes. While this legislation is limited to federal buildings, it’s a very good start that perhaps can lead to more widespread applications of bird-friendly designs elsewhere,” Fenwick added.
This bill can also be a source for greater implementation nationwide of “Lights Out” campaigns. Under certain conditions, such as clouds or fog, night migrating birds fly lower and can by “trapped” by light, especially on tall structures. We don’t know why but birds are reluctant to fly from light into darkness. Once caught by lighting, birds either collide with the structure or circle it for hours until they drop from exhaustion – easy prey for cats, raccoons, or other predators or scavengers. “This legislation provides the authority for implementing actions that would reduce the number of lights that are wastefully left on, which will save energy and money, as well as birds,” Fenwick added.
The legislation proposed by Congressman Quigley is very similar to legislation he sponsored in 2008 when he was Illinois Cook County Commissioner. That legislation was approved unanimously by the Cook County Board of Commissioners.
ABC is the only national level organization to develop a program to reduce mortality from collisions and has also been promoting legislative solutions as well as voluntary ones, across the US.
According to ABC, Americans spend about $36 billion in pursuit of birding activities. One in five Americans - 48 million people - engages in bird watching, and about 42 percent travel away from home to go birding. Birding activities generate about $4.4 billion in federal tax revenues and about $6.2 billion in state tax revenues, support about 670,000 jobs, and provide $28 billion in employment income.
American Bird Conservancy (www.abcbirds.org) conserves native birds and their habitats throughout the Americas by safeguarding the rarest species, conserving and restoring habitats, and reducing threats while building capacity of the bird conservation movement. ABC is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit membership organization that is consistently awarded a top, four-star rating by the independent group, Charity Navigator.
To unsubscribe mail:
BCAlist-unsubscribe@lists.abcbirds.org
MEDIA RELEASE
Contact: Robert Johns, 202-234-7181 ext.210, bjohns@abcbirds.org
Proposed Legislation Would Prevent Millions of Bird Deaths
(Washington, D.C., March 10, 2010) American Bird Conservancy (ABC) – the nation’s leading bird conservation organization – today applauded legislation introduced by Illinois Congressman Mike Quigley (D-IL) yesterday (March 9, 2010) that will help prevent the deaths of millions of birds that collide with windows at thousands of federal buildings across the country.
The bill, HR 4797 calls for each public building constructed, acquired, or altered by the General Services Administration (GSA) to incorporate, to the maximum extent possible, bird-safe building materials and design features. The legislation would require GSA to take similar actions on existing buildings, where practicable. The terms “bird-safe building materials and design features” are defined through reference to several publications addressing those topics.
“This legislation will absolutely save the lives of millions of birds that mistake objects reflected in window glass, such as habitat and sky, as real. The reflection of a tree limb looks just like a real tree limb to a bird,” said ABC President George Fenwick.
“I am proud to build upon the work we did in Cook County to promote bird-safe building and spearhead an initiative at the national level that will make sure our tall buildings are not safety hazards. This bill will not only save millions of birds’ lives, but it is also completely cost neutral,” said Congressman Quigley.
“Anyone who has ever spotted a cardinal in their backyard or had watched a hummingbird fly backwards understands how beautiful and important our bird species are to the natural world. I’m proud to work with the American Bird Conservancy to do all we can to make sure they continue to be a part of that world,” Quigley added.
“Building collisions are arguably the single greatest man-made killer of birds. From three hundred million to one billion birds or more die each year from collisions with glass on buildings – from skyscrapers to homes. While this legislation is limited to federal buildings, it’s a very good start that perhaps can lead to more widespread applications of bird-friendly designs elsewhere,” Fenwick added.
This bill can also be a source for greater implementation nationwide of “Lights Out” campaigns. Under certain conditions, such as clouds or fog, night migrating birds fly lower and can by “trapped” by light, especially on tall structures. We don’t know why but birds are reluctant to fly from light into darkness. Once caught by lighting, birds either collide with the structure or circle it for hours until they drop from exhaustion – easy prey for cats, raccoons, or other predators or scavengers. “This legislation provides the authority for implementing actions that would reduce the number of lights that are wastefully left on, which will save energy and money, as well as birds,” Fenwick added.
The legislation proposed by Congressman Quigley is very similar to legislation he sponsored in 2008 when he was Illinois Cook County Commissioner. That legislation was approved unanimously by the Cook County Board of Commissioners.
ABC is the only national level organization to develop a program to reduce mortality from collisions and has also been promoting legislative solutions as well as voluntary ones, across the US.
According to ABC, Americans spend about $36 billion in pursuit of birding activities. One in five Americans - 48 million people - engages in bird watching, and about 42 percent travel away from home to go birding. Birding activities generate about $4.4 billion in federal tax revenues and about $6.2 billion in state tax revenues, support about 670,000 jobs, and provide $28 billion in employment income.
American Bird Conservancy (www.abcbirds.org) conserves native birds and their habitats throughout the Americas by safeguarding the rarest species, conserving and restoring habitats, and reducing threats while building capacity of the bird conservation movement. ABC is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit membership organization that is consistently awarded a top, four-star rating by the independent group, Charity Navigator.
To unsubscribe mail:
BCAlist-unsubscribe@lists.abcbirds.org
Monday, March 1, 2010
Red Knot latest news
a note received from the Jamaica Bay Bay keeper on endangered Red Knot shorebird species:
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/02/nj_scientists_say_red_knots_po.html
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/02/nj_scientists_say_red_knots_po.html
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