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CONSERVATION ISSUES
Protect the Clean Water Act! Comments due April 15th, 2019
Millions of birds in the U.S. rely on healthy wetlands, rivers, and streams. For decades, the Clean Water Act provided a critical defense against the destruction of these places that birds need. Now, the Trump Administration has just announced a plan to remove Clean Water Act protections for wetlands, tributaries, and streams currently shielded from development and destruction.
Wetlands cover roughly 110 million acres in the continental U.S. and are indispensable habitat for hundreds of species of birds, including the Wood Stork, Bell’s Vireo, American Bittern, Prothonotary Warbler, and many more birds, fish, and wildlife. These waters also filter pollution and provide drinking water for more than 117 million Americans.
Note: By completing this action, you are participating in an open public comment period, and your letter, name, and city will become part of the public record.
Or comment online at Regulations.gov
Hopewell’s Open Space and Recreation Plan Survey comments due April 30th, 2019
Please let Hopewell Township know that you use and treasure its open space for birding and nature walks. A group of Hopewell Township residents is working on revising the Hopewell Township Open Space and Recreation Plan. Survey specifically asks how you use Hopewell’s preserves including, but not limited to, Baldpate Mt., Mercer Meadows and Washington Crossing State Park.
Hopewell Township Open Space and Recreation Plan Survey
Reporting Sensitive Species
BIRDERS SHOULD TAKE CARE IN REPORTING SENSITIVE SPECIES TO EBIRD OR BIRDING FORUMS.
Roosting owls are particularly vulnerable to disturbance. Nesting eagles should not be approached too closely. The exact location of any nest of a threatened, or endangered species or a species of conservation concern should not be given. However records of these birds are critical in conservation efforts.
WCAS and eBird developed a protocol for reporting sensitive species after roosting Long-eared Owls were harassed at the Pole Farm. The protocol suggests that the exact location not be reported and that the entry be delayed or hidden. Unfortunately, this protocol has broken down with the use of the eBird app. People report sightings in real time at the exact location. These sightings end up on eBird alerts. A delay of a week would keep the records off the eBird alerts.
I enter roosting owls after April 1. The records are then available for conservation purposes but the owls have moved on. I prefer not to hide records because I rely on eBird records for conservation support and hidden records are not available for conservation. The best approach is to delay reporting to eBird using a general location but immediately report the exact location of the sighting to the NJ Fish and Wildlife Commission using the Rare Wildlife Sightings Form https://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/ensp/rprtform.htm .
Washington Crossing Audubon Society is a non-profit organization dedicated to the enjoyment and protection of birds, wildlife, and the environment through education, research, and conservation.
Experienced birders from Washington Crossing Audubon lead regular birding field trips in New Jersey and eastern Pennsylvania, visiting some of the region’s top birding hotspots.
Washington Crossing Audubon supports several active research projects, including funding two bird monitoring sites here in central New Jersey and in the Central American country of Costa Rica.
CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT PRINCETON: 12/16/18 TRENTON: 12/29/18
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