January-February 2008 Willapa Whistler Newsletter Willapa Hills Audubon Society

8/8/2019 January-February 2008 Willapa Whistler Newsletter Willapa Hills Audubon Society

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Volume 34, Issue 1http://www.willapahillsaudubon.orgJanuary/February 2008

Volume 34, Issue 1 http://www.willapahillsaudubon.org January/February 2008

JOIN US FOR THE JANUARY PROGRAM

Wednesday, January 30, 2008 6:30 PMLower Columbia College, Student Center Building, Longview

Join us and hear from WHAS members and biologists, Louis LaPierre and Pamela Wright, tellof insights gained and adventures experienced last summer, while in tropical French Guiana.During their program, French Guiana: A brief Natural History you will hear of Louis and Pams research on tiny, elusive weevils and vicious, arboreal ants. They'll also shareobservations on birds, the most critical leatherback sea turtle nesting beach in the world, andreflections on life -- wild and otherwise -- in the French Department, sometimes affectionatelyknown as the "Green Hell."

The State of Our OutfitBy co-president Steve Puddicombe

As the current year wanes and a new yearapproaches some reflection and hopefulprognostication is in order. This has been an activeyear for WHAS: we have re-written and adopted thenew bylaws and constitution, formed a vibrant newcommittee to steward the Nelson Creek restorationproject, and provided a strong conservation voice atnumerous hearings and meetings concerning majordevelopment proposals. All this in addition to ourusual activities, our excellent programs, field trips,

and our hosting of 3 Christmas bird counts. Wealso have several outstanding new members in ourranks that have made an immediate impact.

Recently the board has taken steps that allow us toengage in overt legislative lobbying and advocacywhile still maintaining our non-profit, tax exemptstatus. An important milestone in our evolution, our

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WILLAPA WHISTLER A Publication of the Willa a Hills Audubon


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WHAS OFFICERS AND COMMITTEE

CHAIRPERSONS

OFFICERSCo-President : Betty Mayfield

503-556-6841 [email protected]: Steve Puddicombe

360-465-2205 [email protected] President: Wayne Nelson

503-556-9379 [email protected] : Charlotte Persons

360-578-3949 [email protected] : John Green

360-575-9238 [email protected] at Large: Russ Kastberg360-274-7091 [email protected]

Director at Large: Gloria MacKenzie 503-556-8253 [email protected]

COMMITTEE CHAIRPERSONSPrograms: Margaret Green

360-575-9238 [email protected]: Darrel Whipple

503-556-9838 [email protected]/Newsletter: Bea & Jim Harrison830-719-1765 [email protected]

PO Box 230 Chinook, WA 98614Field Trip Co-chairs:

Ann Musche 360-484-7119 [email protected]

Pamela Wright360-560-3772 [email protected]

Conservation: Steve Puddicombe503-465-2205 [email protected]

Publicity: Steve Glucoft 360-577-0303 [email protected]

Finance/History: Betty Mayfield 503-556-6841 [email protected]

Bird Counts: Alan Richards360-484-7119 [email protected]

Willapa Bay Issues: Miranda Wecker 360-484-7128 [email protected]

Wildlife Sightings: Andrew Emlen 360-795-8009 [email protected]

Membership: Gloria Nichols

360-636-3793 [email protected] Web Site: Dick Wilson 360-875-6172 [email protected]

Nelson Creek Stewardship: Jim and Bea Harrison [email protected]

Please Join Us!Support Willapa Hills Audubon Society by paying annualdues directly to this chapter. People who join NationalAudubon Society automatically become members of WHAS, however, National Audubon Society shares only

a very small amount of the total dues money withWHAS currently less than $2.00 . So, consider joiningthe WHAS chapter to help provide programs, field trips,bird counts and education projects here in our four-countyregion.

Chapter Membership$20 for annual membership dues.

____$15 for full time students. Make check payable toWillapa Hills Audubon Society.

National Audubon Membership

____$20 for one year introductory membership in theNational Audubon Society with Willapa Hills AudubonSociety affiliation. Make check payable to National

Audubon SocietyCombination

____Yes, you can do both options above, if you like.Please write a check for each ( $20 to National AudubonSociety and $ 20 to WHAS.).

Willapa Hills Audubon SocietyP.O. Box 399

Longview, WA 98632

Name_______________________________________

Address_____________________________________

City, State, Zip________________________________

Telephone____________________________________

Email_______________________________________

____Please contact me about volunteer opportunities____Please add me to your Discussion email list____New Y14____Renewal 7XCH

Volume 34, Issue 1 Page 2

New Newsletter Editors Jim and Bea Harrison, have taken over editing theWhistler.. Please send articles and suggestions tothem at [email protected] or

[email protected].


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Volume 34, Issue 1 Page 3GOING WILD WITH WHAS

Come toTHE BIG WILD READ

Sunday, February 24 2:00 4:00 PMLCC Student Center, Longview

Fun for Families And the young at heart!!!

This very special event will kick off the 2008 Celebration of Literacy presented yearly by AltrusaInternational of Longview-Kelso. Willapa Hills Audubon is very proud to sponsor THE BIG WILD READ,part of the weeklong celebration, February 24 through March 3. The Sunday event will feature a Go Wildprogram including puppets and magic with an emphasis on the wonders of nature. There will be interactivebooths run by various agencies including WHAS, and also a Story Room with revolving storytellers to delightthe youngsters . The entire event is free , open to all, and in the past, has had up to 500 in attendance.If you wish to help plan, create, man the booth, or offer a supporting donation, contact Margaret Green at 360-575-9238 or email at [email protected] .__________________________________________________________________________________________The State of Our Outfit cont from page 1

evolution, our new status will help us engage moreforcefully in the crucial conservation issues we facein our territory. WHAS has now taken a leadershiprole on several key issues the St. Helens coppermine, the Kalama coal-fired electrical generationplant, and the Bradwood LNG plant proposals- andis a respected member of the wider conservation-minded community on the lower Columbia.

The New Year will see further changes, and not justin the weather! (More about that later..) First, Al

and Diane Clark have given up the editorship of theWhistler after many years, preparatory to Alsupcoming retirement from the JBH refuge. Al andDiane have been longtime, active members of WHAS. Al brought our involvement in the NelsonCreek restoration project to fruition and both havebeen in so many ways a boon to our group,including providing access to the refuge office formeetings. I would be remiss if I didnt mention myadoration of Dianes cinnamon roll treats at thosesummits. Many thanks to them, and best of luck.We are grateful for the willingness of Jim and BeaHarrison, new arrivals from Texas, to take on thetask of editorship.

We also have an ambitious set of new goals for theboard. One is to decentralize the organization bydevolving more of the decision making processfrom the board to the committees. We hope thiswill strengthen the various committees, allow morecreative latitude, and limit the number of boardmeetings to just four per year. The board and

finance committee will focus on the budget processas another part of the streamlining process. Wehope that these and other measures will makeserving on the board something all of ourmembership will take a turn at.

Note also that Betty Mayfield and I will be steppingdown as co-presidents, as will all those currently inoffice. This will further refresh WHAS with newleadership. Please fill out the nomination sheet withcreative choices and consider nominating yourself.

Nominations will be open until January 10th

Contact Shirley Lutz at 360-425-2637.

Finally, I have a New Years wish to impart.

Regarding the severe storm that recently hammeredour area: Even as the volume of empirical andanecdotal information increases daily, there is still astrong strain of denial in our community and nationabout climate change and the threat to all life on theplanet due to human behavior. I hope all of youwill acquaint yourselves with the Audubon State of the Birds reports available at www.audubon.org , andshare this information with your family and friends.These reports outline the rapidly deterioratinghealth of our avian brethren and are a powerfulreminder of the diversity and beauty we may loseforever. Incrementally we can change theconsciousness of humanity. Steve P.


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BIRDING BITSBy Russ Koppendrayer

Sunday, December 9 th, found me birding theWoodland Bottoms area in the afternoon. One of the highlights of the day was the fifty-four GreatEgrets, including fifty-two in sight at one time.These spectacular white birds were spread oversome pasture land, each patiently waiting for anunsuspecting rodent or other prey to venture withinstriking distance. Seeing these Great Egrets in suchnumbers in fall and early winter is a relativelyrecent phenomenon, and in western Washington,seems to be restricted to the lowlands of Clark County and southern Cowlitz County. Farther westalong the Columbia River, and northward intowestern Washington, these birds, while annual, stillcause a minor stir. Most of the Great Egretsightings are the result of post breeding dispersalnorthward from their breeding range in search of food sources.

With this increased activity by Great Egretsin this area, one would expect that eventually wemight have nesting birds locally. Indeed thisproved to be the case with the first documentednesting pair at a Great Blue Heron rookery inRidgefield National Wildlife Refuge a few years

ago. (Eastern Washington is its own story with arecent explosion of Great Egrets at a heronry in thePot Holes area, south of Moses Lake.) Herons andEgrets are early nesters and I have watched both theFisher Island and Kalama waterfront rookeries inthe pre-leaf- out stages of the nesting period forsome years, hoping to find the white birds mixed inwith the Great Blues. In 2007, I failed to do this,much to my chagrin. During April and May myventures to the Kalama area were regularlyrewarded with four to six Great Egrets foraging invarious wetlands or shallow Columbia River areas.These were high numbers of the birds to be seenthere in spring- time. A later conversation withJohn and Margaret Green revealed that theydwitnessed comings and goings of Great Egrets tothe tall cottonwoods south of the grain terminal onPort of Kalama property. This is the site of theheronry. Indications are that there may have beennesting of Great Egrets moving farther north. LateFebruary of 2008 will definitely find me with scope,checking out the local heronries again.

Enjoy the Great Egrets and all the othergreat birds of winter.

Great Egret at Ridgefield NWFPhoto by Jim/Bea Harrison


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WHAS Conservation Action

UPDATE ON PROPOSED LNG TERMINALAT BRADWOOD, ORBy Gloria G. MacKenzie

December 13, 2007 Clatsop County Board of Commissioners performed as expected, with a 4 to1 vote in favor of the proposed LNG terminal andfacilities at Bradwood, Oregon. ColumbiaRiverkeeper and opponents are in the process of preparing their response to the Land Use Board of Commissioners (LUBA). (And yes, Darrel, PintoCreek may play a part in this.)

Additional new information that was not taken intoconsideration was submitted in a memo by MitchRohse, AICP for the Clatsop CommunityDevelopment Staff, dated Dec. 11, 2007.http://www.co.clatsop.or.us Also availableat the Clatsop County site are preliminarycomments by the state agencies on the DEIS, whichare quite illuminating, under Bradwood LandingPublic Testimony, November 26, 2007(500+pages).

Preliminary State Agency comments from OregonDepartment of Energy in a cover letter state: "ForFERC to make LNG siting decisions in a vacuum

without the best available information and scientificdata does a huge disservice to the people of Oregon". "Additionally, there is no state or federal

precedent to refer to for reviewing a project of thisscale. DEQ will likely require the full time allowedfor evaluation under the Clean Water Act for 401water quality certification (365 days) of theproposed project."

I submitted a letter to the West Coast Governors'Agreement on Ocean Health suggesting that theyadd the addition (in italics) to the sentence in theirexisting agreement: "The prohibition of new oiland gas leasing, development, and production off-shore " and the estuaries within the coastal zoneboundary ".

My husband, Duncan and I attended a very smallmeeting with Washington State legislators DeanTakko and Brian Blake, who listened attentivelyand are supportive in opposing LNG at Bradwood.Brian Hatfield was unable to attend due a death inthe family.

I attended a rally, December 12, in front of NW

Natural, along with about 250 other people.Participants included two farmers who brought theirtractors, a person with a horse carrier, and afisherman hauling a boat. The rally then proceededover to the NW Power and Conservation Council,where Governor Kulongoski was attending ameeting.

One of the strategies is to request that GovernorKulongoski ask FERC to: 1) Perform a"Programmatic EIS" (which would in essence

review all the LNG projects put forth to the state of Oregon in the aggregate, rather than each individualproject), and 2) Request a comprehensive NeedsAssessment.

The battle continues, and comments to the DraftEnvironment Impact Statement are due December24. There will undoubtedly be more chances forpeople to voice their opinions in upcoming publichearings, and more letters to write to our staterepresentatives.

Mouth of the Columbia RiverPhoto by Bea Harrison


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WHAS Conservation Action - Continued

Whats Happening at Willow Grove?By Ruth Deery

Should the Cowlitz county Comprehensive Planbe amended to allow a developer to place 207homes in the center of Willow Grove?

By the time this newsletter reaches you, theCounty Planning Commission will have heardarguments for and against the amendment. I willhave presented on Audubons behalf objectionshaving to do with wildlife habitat andbicycle/pedestrian planning. Part of mypresentation will rest on Christmas Bird Countfigures: seventy-three species, of which one(Common loon) is on the state sensitive species list,one (Western grebe) is on the state candidatespecies list, one (Dusky Canada goose) is on thestate priority species/species of concern list, two(Great blue heron, Osprey) are on the state monitorlist, one (Peregrine falcon) is on the state sensitivelist and the federal concern list, and one (Baldeagle) is on the state threatened list, and hasrecently been de-listed federally but is stillprotected. Replacing 207 or so acres of agriculturalland with 207 residences would badly degrade thehabitat for these protected species.

In addition to habitat degradation andbicycle/pedestrian transportation problems, thereare many other considerations which should beaddressed before such an amendment is allowed.The most important of these, which will have beenpresented to the County Planning Commission byothers, are: (1) There is only one way in and out of the area; the Comprehensive Plan requires two exitsin case of an emergency. (2) This is primeagricultural land, which should be preserved assuch. (3) Pumps now keeping the area fromflooding are barely able to keep up with presentneeds; adding 207 residences, with all theassociated impermeable surfaces from roads androofs would greatly increase the stormwater surgeand overwhelm the system. (4) Although the areareceives city water, it is not on city sewerage, andthe high water table would not allow septic tanks;and (5) Piecemeal amendments such as the onesuggested by the developers would result in thecomprehensive plan not having any cohesive vision.

The Comprehensive Plan should be updated inadvance of further development.

If there are other WHAS members who would liketo be involved in protecting Willow Grove, Friendsof Willow Grove would appreciate having yourdirect support. Ill be glad to put you in touch withthe leaders of this group. Email me [email protected] if you would like to help.

Mt. St. Helens UpdateBy Charlotte Persons

You probably read in the newspaper that theCowlitz County Commissioners rescinded theirletter supporting Senator Cantwells proposal thatMt. St. Helens National Monument be made aNational Park. Despite the possibility of morefunding under the National Park Service than fromthe U.S. Forest Service for keeping up andexpanding facilities, many people who currentlyhunt and fish in the National Monument wereconcerned that this would no longer be allowed if the area became a National Park.

I testified for WHAS at the public meetingon October 31; I suggested that the commissionersshould keep an open mind about creating a NationalPark, especially since newer parks have includedsolutions so that traditional activities can beaccommodated. I stressed that WHAS has alwaysworked with hunters and fishers in protectinghabitat. I also mentioned that it is possible that thebill to reform the 1892 Mining Act which is incommittee right now could protect the area frommining on its borders if the area were a NationalPark. (This depends, of course, on the language inthe final bill.) Although the 3,000 acre copper minecurrently proposed for Goat Mountain is not on landaffected by that 1892 Mining Act, the same low-grade copper deposits are found in the entiremountain range. All areas of the Gifford PinchotNational Forest could be subject to miningproposals under todays version of the 1892 MiningAct, including parts bordering the nationalmonument.

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Mt. St. Helens continued from page 6The commissioners decided to convene a

three-county task force to gather information aboutthe pros and cons of National Park status for thearea. Rep. Brian Baird is also convening a secondtask force to investigate the same question.Congress would need to pass an act creating thenew national park, and this will not be possiblewithout his support. As of the deadline for the

Whistler , WHAS will not be a member of eithertask force, but will be allowed to give input.

The BLM and U.S. Forest Service expect tomake a decision in Janauary on leasing land to themining company (now called General Moly Inc.) sothat the company can begin creating a plan for

mineral exploration. Please be alert for calls forcomments on the next stage in the process.

____________________________________________________________PLAN-T0-HAVE-A-PLAN not good enough!PROPOSED KALAMA PLANT UPDATE

by Darrel Whipple

Energy Northwest, the consortium of WashingtonPUDs, was forced to go back to the drawing boardafter EFSEC, the states Energy Facility SiteEvaluation Council, determined that theconsortiums plan for greenhouse gas reduction atthe proposed Kalama coal-fired power plant (PacificMountain Energy Center) was not even minimallyadequate under the states new greenhouse law, SB6001.

Nevertheless, Energy Northwest can essentiallystart over with a more compliant proposal if itchooses to make the effort and expense.

But WHAS and its partners, Columbia Riverkeeperand Rosemere Neighborhood Association, who hadintervened in the adjudication process at EFSECalong with Department of Ecology, Northwest

Energy Coalition and others, hope that EnergyNorthwest will see the light and abandon thisfossil fuel-dependent plant entirely. Our message,Go for more conservation, efficiency andrenewables.

Cowlitz and Wahkiakum PUDs are both membersof the 20-member consortium.

You can help turn the tide within the consortium bycontacting your PUD directors to tell them youwould like no more of your electricity payments tobe wasted on this latter-day bail-out of the coal andpetroleum industries. Cowlitz PUD has so far notincluded any funds in its 2008 budget for theproposed Kalama plant.

We need residential and commercial conservationprograms and decentralized generation programsfeaturing renewable resources so we become less not more dependent on the grid.

Rainier, Oregon,neighbors Louise Bakerand Diana Markle haveenjoyed watching andfeeding the local Steller's Jays, includingthis albino who posedbriefly for Diana onSeptember 17, 2007."


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Grant Application Successful

Nelson Creek Project funding

By Pam Wright

Willapa Hills Audubon Society is pleased toannounce that it has received an $800 grant fromWashington State Audubon to support restorationactivities at the Nelson Creek property owned byColumbia Land Trust. The grant specificallyrequested funding for supplies that will be used tocollect baseline data that will guide and informrestoration efforts of the site. State Audubon saidthat they were very enthusiastic about WHAScollaborative efforts on the restoration project andthat the project was one of the few that they were

able to fund to the maximum grant amount. Whilethose of us involved in the restoration efforts areconvinced of the merits of the project, it is excitingwhen others also recognize and reward our efforts.

Anyone interested in helping with restoration effortsis welcome to participate in gathering baselinebiological and hydrological data. We have formedsubcommittees that will focus on collecting data ondifferent taxa, so you can focus on groups thatinterest you most (invertebrates, mammals, herps,fishes, birds, plants, etc.) The committees goal is tocomplete collection of baseline data by the end of 2008. Join us by attending the next committeemeeting on Friday January 11, 2008 or bycontacting committee chair Jim Harrison so that he

can put you in touch with the group you would liketo help.

Thanks for helping with the Nelson Creek ProjectBy Jim Harrison

Bea and I just wanted to send out a big thank youto all the WHAS members and others who helpedwork on the Nelson Creek project in 2007. Thisyear these people have given this effort one of theirmost valuable commodities, their personal time.According to Andrea Berkley of the Columbia LandTrust, the estimate was around 600 hours of timeput in on this project this calendar year.

Considering all the other environmental causesthat the members of our Audubon chapter arecurrently championing, to get this much help on thisnew project is wonderful. As we move into 2008, Iencourage anyone else that wants to help to contactme and I will put you on our distribution list.

Russ Kastberg, above, helps measurewaterways at recent Nelson Creek workday. Left a frosty morning atNelson Creek. One sub-committeewill plan on future use of buildingssuch as this one. Photos B Harrison


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Whooping Cranes arrive in record numbers

Tom Stehn, the U.S. Fish and WildlifeWhooping Crane coordinator, reports that as of

November 27, 2007, 257 Whooping Craneshave arrived in Texas for the winter. Thisrepresents over 97% of the flock and is a newhigh count over the 237 that were presentduring the winter of 2006-2007. As reportd inGulf Coast Bird Observatory December E-News. Photo by: Greg Lafety

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Evergreen Cities Legislative Campaign

It is time to stop losing the trees and forests in ourcities. Keeping existing trees and planting newones enhances quality of life, increases propertyvalues and gives us cleaner water and habitat forbirds and wildlife. In January, Auduboners acrossthe state will spearhead the Evergreen Citieslegislative campaign, one of the four top

environmental priorities for 2008!Some of our cities have innovative programs toretain, plant and maintain trees, but there is muchroom for improvement because only:

47% of our communities have treeordinances

20% of our communities do routine tree care 12% of our communities have management

plans, and 10% of our communities have up-to-date

tree inventoriesIn 20 years 70% of some cities public forest landswill be dead or dying due to poor maintenance andthousands of community forest acres will beremoved for new development.Washingtons population is expected to increase by2.3 million by 2030. We need action today tosupport tree planning and management for cities toensure the Evergreen State is full of EvergreenCities.

Scientific studies show that trees incities provide many benefitsincluding reduced energyconsumption and greenhouse gasemissions, improved storm watermanagement, 20% increase inproperty values, 12% increase inconsumer spending, lower crimerates, and of course enhanced birdand wildlife habitat areas .

This legislation will provide funding and encouragepartnerships to help local governments updateordinances and management plans to grow healthytrees and urban forests. The bill will establishstatewide performance standards for tree retentionand forest canopy goals, guaranteeing benefit fromhealthy trees in our communities.To get involved contact Lisa Paribello at 360-786-8020 ext. 201 or [email protected] , visithttp://wa.audubon.org , or sign-up for Audubonsbiweekly updates and action alerts at:www.audubonaction.org/washington


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2007 LEADBETTER POINT CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT

The Leadbetter Point Christmas Bird Count was held December 15 th. 34 Field observers and 6feeder watchers counted a total of at least 100species during this annual event. Photos left toright Ann Musche , Bea Harrison, Jim Harrison

LAKE SACAJAWEA FIELD TRIP

The second annual Lake Sacajawea bird walk, left,included 16 hardy souls who braved blowing snow andcold weather to walk the lake December 1st. Some ofthe more memorable birds were a brown creeper, 6common goldeneyes, golden crowned kinglets, and anAnnas hummingbird at the Green's feeder.

Photo by John Green


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User-friendly tips for Beginning Birders

Field Guides: For bird ID, you need a real field guide, not a "bird book." Lovely as bird books are,they present an artist's or photographer's impressions. Field guides give distinctive markings for quickrecognition and brief summaries of what to expect in behavior. Also, field guides can be carried, well,in the field, without a coffee table for support. Two well-thumbed ones are:

National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North American Fifth Edition Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Western North America

Web Sites: enature.com. Under Field Guides, click birds, then search particular bird. Get pix andaudio, description, habitat, nesting, range, discussion. On Seattle Audubon's birdweb.org you canbrowse birds, ecoregions, birding sites for Washington State. At Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology'sbirds.cornell.edu, click All About Birds, then use Bird Guide to get audio and video, and outstandinginfo. At Cornell's ebird.org, sign up as a citizen scientist and report your sightings. These sites are thetip of the icebird.

CDs: Stokes Field Guide to Bird Songs, Western Region. Tops for length of bird songs/calls and easeof use.

Books: Sibley Guide to Bird Life and Behavior. All aspects of bird world by experts. Good browsing.

MAGNETIC BRAINS GIVE BIRDS AND INNER COMPASS

Birds have good vision, but theirbrains turn out to be even moreeagle-eyed. Having previouslyfound that molecules calledcryptochromes embedded in birds

retinas both respond to light and detect magneticfields, scientists at the University of Oldenburg inGermany recently showed that avian brainsincorporate clever mechanisms for processing thegeomagnetic information.

By using tracer chemicals in experiments withlive garden warblers*, the researchers followed acircuit of neurons from the cryptochrome moleculesto the cluster N area of the brain, which is activeduring navigation, showing for the first time that

cluster N uses information from the retina.Scientists arent sure how such compass directionsappear in the eyes of migratory birds, but teammember Dominik Heyers has a guess. If a birdlooks north or south, it somehow has a light spot ora dark spot there, he says.

Another navigational tool: birds beaks, whichcontain bits of magnate, a mineral that may allowthem to sense Earths magnetic field. Since thefield is stronger near the poles, the magnetite gives

birds crucial information about their latitude. *Thegarden warbler is a species which occurs in EuropeAs reported in Jan 2008 Discover Magazine Articleby Eli Kintisch.


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GREAT BACKYARD BIRD COUNT IS GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO CONNECT WITH NATURE

In February, volunteers throughout the U.S. and Canada are invited to Count for Fun, Count for the Future!

New York, NY & Ithaca, NY, 23 October 2007

Millions of novice and accomplished bird watcherscan make their fascination with nature add up forscience and for the future during the 11th annualGreat Backyard Bird Count, led by Audubon andthe Cornell Lab of Ornithology. During PresidentsDay weekend, February 1518, 2008, anyone cancount birds from wherever they are and enter theirtallies online at www.birdcount.org. Thesereports create an exciting real-time picture of wherethe birds are across the continent and contributevaluable information for science and conservation.

The Great Backyard Bird Count is an annualfour-day event that engages bird watchers of allages in counting birds to create a real-time snapshotof where the birds are across the continent. Anyonecan participate, from beginning bird watchers to

experts. It takes as little as 15 minutes. Its free, fun,

and easyand it helps the birds.Participants count birds anywhere for as little or aslong as they wish during the four-day period. Theytally the highest number of birds of each speciesseen together at any one time. To report theircounts, they fill out an online checklist at the GreatBackyard Bird Count web site.

As the count progresses, anyone with Internetaccess can explore what is being reported from theirown towns or anywhere in the United States and

Canada. They can also see how this year's numberscompare with those from previous years.We need your help. Make sure the birds from yourcommunity are well represented in the count. Itdoesn't matter whether you report the 5 speciescoming to your backyard feeder or the 75 speciesyou see during a day's outing to a wildlife refuge.

DNR LAND SWAP

By Helen Engle

On November 6th, the Department of NaturalResources adopted a resolution to exchange 20,970acres of DNR land for 82,548 acres of WesternPacific Timber LLC properties. This exchangebenefits state trusts by consolidating ownership,facilitating the marketing of forest products,increasing land management efficiencies andcreating public ownership areas large enough tosustain multiple values, including habitat, recreationand forest resources. It also will provide long-termtrust revenue that helps build public schools,universities and other public institutions.

Auduboners looking for protection of some veryspecial habitat areas that were in jeopardy of conversion to development are elated.

Helen and other members of Audubon attendedthis meeting of the Board of Natural Resources. Shereported an incredibly good presentation, leadingthe standing-room-only crowd through all theintricacies of a seven-year project to block up thechecker boarded mess all over the states DNR

holdings. The happy trio of presenters were SteveSaunders, George Shelton and Bob Winslow,wrapping up one of the biggest land-use projects inthe state without a single dissenter.

The board unanimously adopted theresolution to exchange 20,970 acres of DNR landfor 82,548 acres of Western Pacific Timber LLCproperties. The market value of DNRs Trustacreage is $56,549,000 and the market value of theexchange acreage is $56,555.000. Be amazed!

Stay tuned, therell be more about the CentralCascades Exchange !


13/16


The Washington Climate Action Bill

Last April, Governor Gregoire signedlegislation that establishes goals to reduce thestates global warming pollution and increasethe number of green jobs in the state. Winninglegislative approval of that legislation SB6001 -- was a major victory not only for theenvironmental community, but everyone inWashington concerned about the threat ofglobal warming to our state and our world.

But, the work is not done. The 2008 LegislativeSession is fast approaching, and activistsacross the state are gearing up for a campaignto pass legislation that will make the goals setforth in SB 6001 a reality.

That effort will focus around the WashingtonClimate Action bill -- the next important stepour state can take to reduce global warmingpollution, build the clean energy economy,create green jobs for all sectors of society andincrease energy independence.

The Washington Climate Action Bill will havetwo important objectives:

1. Reduce global warming pollution: the billwill give the Washington Department ofEcology authority to implement the pollutionreduction goals established by SB 6001 by

setting responsible limits on global warmingpollution produced in the state. Washingtoncould then enter into a regional market-basedpollution trading system like the one nowbeing developed by six western states and twoCanadian provinces. A registry will also becreated to keep track of major sources ofpollution in the state.

2. Create green jobs: addressing climatechange offers a huge opportunity for

investment, innovation and employment growthin tomorrows clean energy economy. The billwill create a new training program to prepareWashington workers for good jobs in that cleanenergy economy, providing pathways out ofpoverty for lower-income communities.

To find out more about the Washington ClimateAction bill, contact: Meagan DixonField Associate, Climate Solutions1601 2nd Avenue, Suite 615Seattle, WA 98101Phone: (206) 443-9570 x23Fax: (206) 728-0552 [email protected]

Local Farms Healthy Kids The Local Farms- Healthy Kids Priority addressestwo major challenges facing our state: concernsabout the diet and health of our children, and thewell-being of our small and mid-sized farms. Bygetting more locally grown produce into our schoolsand food banks, we can improve childrens healthand create new and thriving markets for ourfarmers. Our schools and other institutionsrepresent an enormous potential market for Washingtons farmers, and the best vehicle forimproving kids access to healthy food.

The Local Farms Healthy Kids proposal willincrease access to local fresh fruits and vegetablefor Washingtons kids by:

Easing restrictions that make it difficult forschools and institutions to purchase local food;

Establishing a state farm To Schoolprogram that will help connect schools with

community farmers; and Providing much-needed dollars to lowincome schools and food banks to jumpstart effortsto get local fresh fruits and vegetables to the kidswho need them most. Kerri Cechovic Organizer 206.622.8103, ext. 212

[email protected] www.wecprotects.org


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Local Solutions to Global WarmingThe choices that we make today about how wemanage growth lock us into patterns that determineour global warming pollution for decades. In orderto achieve the State's goal of significantly reducingclimate emissions, we must make responsibledecisions now so we can reduce driving andpromote efficient, livable communities.

Poorly planned irresponsible development isdriving global warming pollution

Poorly planned development creates auto-orientedneighborhoods farther away from jobs, schools,shopping, health care and other needs in our dailylives. The traffic which results from thisdevelopment is Washington's largest single sourceof greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, sprawlingdevelopment is the leading cause of farm and forestconversion another contributor to global warming.

Washington loses ten acres of farmland everyhour. Trees that have been cut down and farms thathave been paved over lose their carbonsequestration function. Further, the loss of localfarms results in increased greenhouse gases fromhauling food across the country instead of across thecounty.

The first rule of holes: When you find yourself in one, stop digging .

If Washington is serious about addressing ourimpact on global warming, we need to "stop thedigging" by reducing irresponsible development in

rural areas and on the urban fringe and bypromoting higher intensity development in cities.

Our Growth Management Act (GMA) is anexcellent framework for tackling global warming most cities and counties are already required todevelop a local comprehensive land use plan. Thechoices made in comprehensive plans about where agrowing population will live and work and howthey will get around have a huge impact on globalwarming emissions.

"Local Solution to Global Warming" would add a15 th goal of reducing climate impact to the GMAand identify reducing global warming as animportant aspect of comprehensive planning. Thisprovision would increase protections against landuse decisions that increase global warming pollutionand would require local governments to proactivelyplan to minimize land use contributions to globalwarming. This approach will give localgovernments the tools and directive to makeresponsible choices about where we live, how weget to work, and how we do those with less impacton our climate.

For more information contact Futurewise Lobbyist April Putney; 206-343-0681 x120 or

[email protected] .

Birding Festivals Planned

ALEUTIAN GOOSE FESTIVAL MARCH 28-30 Crescent City/Del Norte County, CA www.aleutiangoosefestival.org 707-465-0888

OLYMPIC BIRDFEST APRIL 4-6 Sequim, WA 360-681-4076 [email protected] , www.olympicbirdfest.org

GODWIT DAYS

April 18-20 Arcata, CA www.godwitdays.com


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Study Shows Presence of Birds Increases Conifer Tree Growth A study by the University of Colorado at Boulderfound that the mountain chickadee, red-breastednuthatch, pygmy nuthatch, and yellow-rumpedwarbler spurred the growth of pine trees in the Westby as much as one-third by removing damaginginsects such as beetles, caterpillars, ants, and aphidsfrom tree branches. This is the first study to showthat birds can affect the growth of conifers andillustrates the importance of preserving ecologicalcommunities.

Kailen Mooney, who conducted the study as part of his doctoral research, said that it indicates that"forest managers really need to look at the bigpicture of ecosystems and not just focus on treeswhen implementing regulations aimed atencouraging the growth of healthy forests."

He also said that this study has implications forareas of the West affected by forest fires in recent

years. Many mature ponderosa stands that wereburned and logged were replaced by smaller pinesoffer limited breeding opportunities for cavity-nesting birds, such as the chickadee and nuthatch.These birds nest and lay their eggs in the holes of large trees and snags.

The study found that birds can improve the"immune system" of the trees by removing insectsand changing the terpene "flavor" in the conifers.Terpenes are chemicals that give plants distinctiveodors and have been implicated in the resistance of trees to parasites and plant-eating insects, such asthe bark beetle. To read the press release issuedby the University of Colorado at Boulder, go to:http://www.colorado.edu/news/releases/2007/282.html .

________________________________________________________________________________________

WHAS Officer Nominations Form

Nominations are now open for all offices of the WHAS Board. Terms are for two years with installationoccurring at the annual meeting in mid-March, 2008.

Please make your nominations by clipping out the form below and mailing toWHAS, PO Box 399, Longview, WA, 98632 or send electronically to [email protected] . For furtherinformation call 360-425-2637.

President _________________________________________

Vice-President______________________________________

Secretary_________________________________________

Treasurer_________________________________________

Director-at-large____________________________________




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Willapa Hills Audubon Society Non-Profit OrganizationPO Box 399 U.S. Postage PAIDLongview, WA 98632 Permit No. 8

Longview, WA 98632-7058

RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

The Willapa Whistler is the bi-monthly publication of the Willapa Hills Audubon Society, a chapter of the National AudubonSociety. Articles, information, wildlife sightings and black-and-white artwork are welcomed. The deadline for inclusion of material in the Whistler is the 15 th of each even-numbered month. Complimentary copies are sent to organizations andprospective members. All WHAS activities and programs are open to the public. The Willapa Whistler is printed on recycledpaper using soy based ink.

The Mission of the Willapa Hills Audubon Society is to support ecologically responsible ways of life, to helpmaintain biologically diverse habitats, and to promote environmental understanding and enjoyment of nature.

Columbia Land Trust WorkdaysJanuary 18 Germany Creek Weed Control

January 30 Kandoll Farm PlantingRidgefield Wildlife Refuge tree planting

February 9, 16 th March 15

We would like to extend our thanks to Charles Kingsland for the new swanlogo design premiering in this issue of Whistler. Also, thanks to you, DebbieNeely for your computer help on incorporation of the new design.

January-February 2008 Willapa Whistler Newsletter Willapa Hills Audubon Society

Documents

Transcript of January-February 2008 Willapa Whistler Newsletter Willapa Hills Audubon Society