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Conservation |
NYSOA Conservation Actions & Initiatives
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Bear
Swamp | Bird
Population Mgmt | Camp
Hero | CARA | Cats | Communication
Towers 1998 Whip-poor-will Monitoring Program (2007/2008) UPDATED 4/30/08 In 2007, NYSOA began actively supporting the Northeast Nightjar Monitoring Program by organizing Whip-poor-will monitoring efforts in New York State. For 2007 results, maps, and more information from Matthew Medler, see the Whip-poor-will Monitoring page. Seneca Army Depot Lands Biofuel Development/Wetlands Protection (2007/2008) UPDATED 4/30/08 In March 2007 NYSOA expressed its strong opposition to plans for development of the lands of the former Seneca Army Depot. The plans called for construction of ethanol and biofuels plants on these lands, and for the conversion of extensive shrubland habitat to row crops supplying fuel for those facilities. In a detailed letter to the Seneca County Industrial Development Agency citing bird surveys conducted on the lands in question and providing species-by-species results, NYSOA called for a full Environmental Impact Statement and explained the errors in the assessment that had been released. 4/30/08 UPDATE: The NYSOA Board of Directors at the 9 February 2008 meeting passed a resolution of support for the DEC regarding their reclassification of wetlands at the former Seneca Army Depot. Recent mapping of the former base increases the acreage
of protected wetlands from about 200 acres to 2,100 acres. The NYSOA
resolution commended DEC for its proactive efforts to protect wetlands
and their environmental values. Actions
Index Wind Power (2007/2008) UPDATED 4/30/08 A separate article summarizes NYSOA's position on this complex issue. At the 2007 Annual Meeting, the council of delegates approved a resolution regarding wind power development. For a more general discussion on wind power and birds, see Andy Mason's article Birds in the Wind. 4/30/08 UPDATE: In December 2007, the DEC published a draft of Guidelines for Conducting Bird and Bat Studies at Commercial Wind Energy Projects. NYSOA responded in February 2008, stating that "The introduction to the guidelines refers to the environmental damage related to use of fossil fuels and the merit of developing alternative energy sources. Yet the guidelines fail completely to follow up on this excellent beginning since there is nothing subsequent that assesses the potential adverse effect of wind power in the context of our energy mix for the future....While NYSOA recognizes the need for developing these guidelines, there are major problems with this document. The errors are so fundamental that a revision requires a fundamentally different approach to truly assess the damage to wildlife and to develop appropriate monitoring protocols. NYSOA suggests that DEC hire a panel of outside experts to rewrite these draft guidelines with the goal of providing ecologically meaningful protection for wildlife based on a sound statistical basis assessed in the context of all the other energy-related stresses to our environment."
Jet Ski Use in Jamaica Bay (2007) NEW 1/24/08 In the fall of 2007, comments were sought by the New York State Department of State on a proposal to allow personal watercraft—jet skis—within the Jamaica Bay Unit of the Gateway National Recreation Area. NYSOA sent a letter to the Department of State stating its strong opposition to the proposal, urging denial of the use of personal watercraft in Jamaica Bay: "To expose the birds and critical environment of Jamaica Bay to personal watercraft is not in keeping with the recognition the Department of State and others have given this area. Jamaica Bay is already stressed and threatened from a number of sources—certainly another danger should not be added to this fragile ecosystem." Spruce Grouse Management in the Adirondacks (2007) A resolution calling for increased management for Spruce Grouse in the Adirondacks was put forth by Onondaga Audubon Society at NYSOA's Annual Meeting in Batavia on October 6, 2007. This resolution calls on the NY State Department of Environmental Conservation to allocate sufficient funds to “ . . . finalize and implement the recovery plan for Spruce Grouse in NYS, and to provide funds for monitoring of recovery efforts.” The resolution further urges The Nature Conservancy to consider active management techniques to ensure that the Spruce Grouse persists on their lands with Spruce Grouse habitat. FCC Regulations on Communication Towers (2007) NEW 1/24/08 In April 2007, NYSOA sent a letter to the FCC urging the Commission to adopt rules to reduce the threat posed to birds by lighted communication towers, stating that "Research has shown that these changes can significantly reduce bird kills. Ongoing delay in implementing improvements in tower construction and lighting will only continue the unacceptable mortality to already declining species." Actions
Index Mercury Emissions Regulation (2006) Coal-fired power plants discharge mercury into New York State waters. As a result, several species of fish in the Catskill and Adirondack Parks have been identified as potentially dangerous for consumption. In addition, Common Loon populations have seriously declined over several decades, possibly, in part, as a result of ingesting fish contaminated by mercury. In October 2006, NYSOA sent a letter to NYSDEC supporting the DEC'S proposal to reduce Mercury emission levels by 90% by 2015. The US EPA only requires a 70% reduction of mercury emissions. We also urged the DEC to reduce the timeline for compliance and to eliminate the trading of emissions credits.. Raquette Boreal Forest Protection (2006) NYSDEC issued a proposed Draft Unit Management Plan for the Raquette Boreal Area. In October 2006, NYSOA sent a letter to NYSDEC supporting the proposal to maintain high quality of water, keep soil erosion and compaction to limits that closely approximate the natural erosion process, and plan to manage invasive plant species. However, we strongly opposed the building of a bridge over the Raquette River that would give motorized vehicles, including ATVs and snowmobiles, access to the sensitive boreal habitat lands east of Carry Falls Reservoir. NYSOA cited the issue that additional motorized access would cause irreversible damage to the natural environment. Actions
Index Conservation Alternative Mowing Plan (2006) In March 2006, NYSOA wrote a letter to support the use of NYS Wildlife Grant money to fund the proposed Conservation Alternative Mowing Plan, a collaborative effort of the NYSDOT and SUNY Brockport. This proposed project would study the impact on birds of mowing versus non-mowing of the grasslands which border NYS roads. These grasslands support bird species which have declined as natural grasslands have disappeared. The NYS Wildlife Grant money is administered by the NYSDEC. Wakely Mountain / Blue Ridge Wilderness Area (2006) The NYS Department of Environmental Conservation issued a proposed plan to retain the Wakely Mountain Fire Tower, rebuild a helipad, and mount communication equipment on the tower, all of which are at the summit. Not only was this proposal in non-conformance with the Adirondack State Land Master Plan, but also its provisions threatened to fracture critical habitat for Bicknell's Thrush, a species of special concern in New York State. In February 2006, NYSOA sent a letter to NYSDEC strongly urging the DEC to comply with the State Land Master Plan which dictates that Wilderness and Primitive Areas should be, “protected and managed so as to preserve, enhance and restore, where necessary, its natural conditions.” Actions
Index Bear Swamp Oil & Gas Exploration (2005) NEW 1/24/08 The NYS Department of Environmental Conservation issued a proposal to lease state forest lands for oil and gas exploration in Bear Swamp State Forest in central New York. In July 2005, NYSOA sent a letter to NYSDEC strongly urging the Department of Environmental Conservation to recognize the importance of Bear Swamp and remove it from the list of areas under consideration for these activities. Actions
Index Effects of West Nile Virus on Crow Populations (2003) American Crows are particularly susceptible to WNV, with many specimens confirmed as infected with the disease by government agencies. Although crow populations have been considered steady or increasing, there is a very real possibility that WNV could dramatically reverse that trend. In March 2003, the Federation sent a letter to the Director of the NYSDEC Division of Fish, Wildlife and Marine Resources inquiring about the Division's assessment of American Crow populations and whether any consideration is being given to changing crow hunting seasons or bag limits in light of this new threat to the species. For more information about West Nile Virus and Crows, see Kevin McGowan's website. Feral cats, as well as domestic house cats, have a significant impact on wild birds and other small wildlife. Estimates are that free-roaming cats kill hundreds of millions of birds each year. These include common species such as Robins and Mourning Doves, but also threatened and endangered species such as Piping Plovers and those in decline, including Wood Thrushes and Black-throated Blue Warblers. In January 2003, the Federation sent a letter to the Commissioner of the NY State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation urging the elimination of feeding stations for feral cats in state parks. For more information on the impact of outdoor cats on birds, see the American Bird Conservancy's Cats Indoors website. Actions
Index Bird Population Management (2003) This issue is discussed at length in a separate article. At the 2003 Annual Meeting, the council of delegates approved a resolution addressing this issue. Double-crested Cormorants (1998-2001) There is a separate article devoted to the ongoing issue of Double-crested Cormorant population management. At the 1998 Annual Meeting, the council of delegates approved a resolution regarding control of Double-crested Cormorants. Mongaup Visitor Center Needed (2002) Each year many people visit the the Upper Delaware River Valley on the southern border of New York in order to see Bald Eagles. At its Annual Meeting in September 2002, the Federation passed a resolution urging the establishment of a Mongaup visitor center to educate the public on Bald Eagles. Actions
Index When Camp Hero had been acquired by the New York State Parks department, the future of the property was unknown. John Fritz wrote an article that was published in New York Birders urging readers to support making this park land available for public use. Today (2007), the 415 acre park is open year-round. Actions
Index Citizen
Support Encouraged for Conservation and Reinvestment Act (CARA) (2001) 2007 Update: See the Teaming With Wildlife website for an update about CARA as well as the more recent State Wildlife Grants Program. Jamaica Bay Bikepath (1998-2001) This issue is discussed at length in a separate article. At the 1998 Annual Meeting, the council of delegates approved a resolution addressing the Bikepath proposal. Actions
Index Bird Mortality at Communication Towers (1998) At the 1998 Annual Meeting, the council of delegates approved a resolution addressing bird mortality at communication towers. "Survey of Bird Mortality at Communication Towers in Upstate New York", by Bill Evans, New York Birders, October 1999. American Bird Conservancy first published a study of towerkills on its website November, 2000 and continues to work on this issue today. |
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New
York State Ornithological Association
