"I took a walk in the woods and came out taller than the trees."
- Henry David Thoreau
-----Original Message-----
From: Audubon Advisory <audubonconnect@audubon.org>
To: Peter Dorosh <prosbird@aol.com>
Sent: Sat, Jul 11, 2020 10:17 AM
Subject: Good News in Congress and Courts | Advocacy 101 Webinar
In this issue: Find Your Flock Advocacy 101 Webinar, Policies to Rebuild Better for Birds and People, Court Stops Old-Growth Logging Plan in Tongass National Forest, Lawsuit to Protect Coastal Areas from Sand Mining, New Bill Will Help Saltwater Lake Ecosystems in the West, News from the Flyways, Climate Corner and Your Actions at Work
| As Congress prepared for its July 4th recess, lawmakers advanced several important proposals for Audubon's policy agenda. In the coming months, we have an opportunity to secure major victories on conservation priorities including climate change and coastal resilience. And the U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation that included provisions to make federal buildings safer for birds, and to provide dedicated funding to help state wildlife agencies proactively conserve vulnerable species. Read more. | | | | |
| A federal court opinion issued late last month vacates a U.S. Forest Service plan to log centuries-old trees across a 1.8-million-acre project area on Prince of Wales Island, in Alaska's Tongass National Forest. Thank you to all of our members who donated in support of this lawsuit! Read more. | | | The Tongass National Forest is the largest intact temperate rainforest in the world. | | | | | | |
| Last week, Audubon sued to stop the Department of the Interior from using taxpayer money to dredge sand from protected coastal areas. Birds and other wildlife rely on undeveloped barrier islands—which would be open for unbridled sand mining under the new unlawful rule—for feeding and nesting. Read more. | | | | | | |
| In one of the most significant acknowledgements that western salt lakes function as connected ecosystems, a new bill in the U.S. Senate would help protect these unique natural resources. Saline lakes provide specialized habitat for globally significant populations of several bird species including more than 99 percent of North America's Eared Grebes, 90 percent of Wilson's Phalaropes, and more than half the global population of American Avocets, but the lakes have been drying out. Read more. | | | An American Avocet forages in a saline wetland on Great Salt Lake. | | | | | | |
| Last week, the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis released an extensive report that details the many ways Congress can respond to the climate crisis. Divided into 12 "pillars," the report offers many avenues for action, including clean energy deployment, carbon sequestration, restoration of natural resources, and adapting ecosystems to protect communities. Anticipation has been high for the report, which was long delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic, and it signals that now more than ever action on climate is crucial. Read more. | | | | Victory! We are thrilled to report that after more than a decade of fighting to protect the Gila River and its tributaries in New Mexico from a costly and environmentally devastating diversion project, the state stream commission has finally voted to withdraw its support. This decision effectively ends this misguided project. Audubon members have faithfully responded to action alerts over the years, proving that endless pressure, endlessly applied really does pay off. And a huge shout-out to decades of hard work from Southwestern New Mexico Audubon Society, a chapter founded 52 years ago in response to an imminent threat of a dam on the Gila River. Read more. | | | | | |
| Learn how to be an advocate for birds in your community and beyond. All are welcome. Your voice is one of the most powerful assets when it comes to protecting birds and the places they need. Join us next Tuesday, July 14 at 3:00 p.m. ET / 12:00 p.m. PT to virtually connect with fellow bird lovers and learn the skills to plan successful advocacy campaigns. Register here. | | | | | | |
| Photos from top: Shirley Donald/Audubon Photography Awards, John Schoen, Peter Brannon/Audubon Photography Awards, Evan Barrientos/Audubon, Nikunj Patel/Audubon Photography Awards (left), Judy Calman/Audubon (right), Marlin Greene/Audubon Photography Awards | | | | |
