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Entries from January 2009

Birding in Laguna Beach

January 30th, 2009 · by gfrost

Nice piece in the Laguna Beach Independent about former Surf Punks member John Heussenstamm leading birding walks through the Upper Newport Bay Ecological Reserve.
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Tags: Bird Habitat · Birding

Commission rejects Santa Barbara offshore oil drilling deal

January 30th, 2009 · by gfrost

The California State Lands Commission yesterday killed a proposed deal between anti-oil activists and a Houston-based oil company that would have closed some offshore oil platforms in exchange for sinking new oil wells off the Santa Barbara coast.
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Tags: Bird Habitat · State Policy

Update on the Acorn Woodpeckers

January 30th, 2009 · by gfrost

Our thanks go out to all those who have signed our petition asking the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to revoke the Rossmoor Homeowners Association’s depredation permit to kill up to 50 Acorn Woodpeckers. We blew past 2,000 signatures yesterday and are well on our way to 3,000. There have been lots of calls of [...]

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Tags: Audubon Chapters · Bird Habitat · Bird conservation · Federal Policy

Help us stop the pointless killing of native birds in Rossmoor

January 28th, 2009 · by gfrost

As we mentioned yesterday, two homeowner groups in Rossmoor (just east of San Francisco) have decided to move ahead with plans to kill up to 50 Acorn Woodpeckers that have caused damage by drilling granaries into several structures. The Rossmoor Homeowner Association has obtained a depredation permit from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to carry [...]

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Tags: Bird Habitat · Bird conservation · Federal Policy

Buzz Buzz Buzz

January 27th, 2009 · by gfrost

Not just common birds are in decline, native bee populations are taking a precipitous dive along with their domesticated European brethren due to largely unknown circumstances, although climate change is a major contender.  Bees pollinate over 30% of our food so we depend on them for our own livelihood.  What can you do?  Make a [...]

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Tags: Audubon California Bobcat Ranch · Bird conservation · Landowner Stewardship

Rossmoor group rejects Audubon assistance on woodpeckers, opts to go ahead with shooting

January 27th, 2009 · by gfrost

Representatives of Audubon California today expressed deep disappointment that their latest round of talks with Rossmoor homeowner groups had failed to dissuade the resident boards from their plans to shoot up to 50 Acorn Woodpeckers in an attempt to prevent the birds from drilling holes in the homes for their granaries. Now that extensive talks [...]

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Tags: Audubon Chapters · Bird Habitat · Bird conservation · Federal Policy

Feds likely to approve California waiver on vehicle emissions

January 26th, 2009 · by gfrost

The New York Times is reporting that the new Obama Administration will move this week to grant California and 13 other states the waivers they need to set strict emissions and fuel efficiency standards. This is great news for California’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Audubon California was one of many state environmental organizations [...]

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Tags: Federal Policy · Global Warming

Drought!

January 25th, 2009 · by gfrost

Perhaps it’s the dire economy or the state’s budget crisis, which is having an especially dire effect on non-profits, but there is little talk about the drought we’re experiencing in California. In Yolo County this water year we’ve only received 5 inches,  about 5 inches below normal, and local ranchers are talking about selling off their [...]

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Tags: Audubon California Bobcat Ranch · Bird Habitat · Bird conservation · Global Warming · Landowner Stewardship

More on how the budget standoff is hurting conservation

January 25th, 2009 · by gfrost

The Sacramento Bee this week weighed in with its own story about how the state’s freeze on bond-funded projects is devastating important conservation throughout the state.
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Tags: Bird Habitat · Bird conservation · State Policy

Conserving the Elkhorn Slough

January 25th, 2009 · by gfrost

The San Jose Mercury News’ Dan Haifley has a nice piece reviewing the importance of the Elkhorn Slough in Monterey County.
Kayaking through thick flocks of birds and past diving harbor seals, one gets little hint of the work it takes to keep Elkhorn Slough’s busy ecosystem alive. But work must indeed be done to address [...]

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Tags: Bird Habitat · Bird conservation · Important Bird Areas

L.A. Times: Federal report backs Tejon Ranch conservation plan

January 24th, 2009 · by gfrost

In something of a surprise, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service late yesterday released its environmental impact report regarding a conservation plan being proposed by the Tejon Ranch Company for its proposed Tejon Mountain Village development. The L.A. Times has the story on its Greenspace blog.
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Tags: Bird Habitat · Bird conservation · California Condor · Endangered Species Act · Federal Policy · Tejon Ranch

Pew poll shows environmental issues falling as concerns over economy rise

January 23rd, 2009 · by gfrost

A new report from the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press shows that, as Barack Obama takes office as president, the American public’s attention is on the economy and jobs, and that concerns regarding the environmentalism has fallen off from a year ago.
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Tags: Conservation research · Federal Policy · State Policy

Challenge to desert energy project taken to state Supreme Court

January 23rd, 2009 · by gfrost

The Center for Biological Diversity yesterday petitioned the California State Supreme Court to review the recently approved Sunrise Transmission Project, which the California Public Utilities Commission recently approved to bring renewable energy across the Cleveland National Forest and other natural open space.
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Tags: Alternative energy · Bird Habitat · Bird conservation · Global Warming

West’s trees dying faster as temperature rises

January 23rd, 2009 · by gfrost

The Los Angeles Times today reports on a new study from the U.S. Geological Survey which finds that trees in old-growth forests are dying at a higher rate now than just a few decades ago due to global warming. The results have dire implications for birds and other wildlife that depend on these forests for [...]

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Tags: Bird Habitat · Bird conservation · Conservation research · Global Warming

Live webcam: Starr Ranch Barn Owls in action

January 21st, 2009 · by gfrost

Just got word that the Starr Ranch Barn Owls have laid an egg, which means there will be all sorts of great activity on the Starr Ranch Barn Owl Cam in the coming weeks. Be sure to check it out.
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Tags: Bird Habitat · Bird videos · Birding · Starr Ranch Sanctuary · Video · Wildlife photos and video