[mou] Re: Birders and Empty Skies

[Jim Williams]

Forest Strnad makes an excellent point.

Dennis Anderson wrote in Sunday's Trib (page C14) about the 
disappointing 2004 duck hunting season: no ducks. He writes about 
continuously shrinking duck habitat and lack of effort by the state 
DNR, the governer, the legislature, and federal agencies to reverse 
this trend. Anderson suggests that hunters pick a date and gather in 
public protest.

It occurred to me, too, as it did to Forest, that birders, their clubs, 
and the MOU, the latter with its stated interest in bird conservation, 
could join the hunters in this effort. There are those in the birding 
community who might think it inappropriate to join hunters in complaint 
that there are not enough game birds to shoot. That position is 
shortsighted. Habitat for ducks -- what Anderson describes as wetlands 
and their associated uplands -- also is habitat for myriad non-game 
bird species.

Anderson writes: "Last week, in an e-mail message to Minnesota 
waterfowl activist Lance Ness, DNR wetland wildlife habitat program 
leader Ray Norrgard said: 'Moderate success [in restoring Mallard 
numbers] will require an additional 1.5 million acres of prairie 
wetlands and at least that much grassland in long-term protection. At 
our current rate of wetland restoration, that will take about 150 
years, assuming we stem the loss of existing wetlands. The long and the 
short of it is that we are in trouble and have been for a long time.'"

Think of adding 3 million acres of habitat to serve wetland and 
grassland non-game bird species. More Mallards would be great. More 
Sedge Wrens and nesting blackbirds, more Bobolinks and grassland 
sparrows, that would be great, too. But, 150 years from now? Assuming 
we can stop the current rate of loss?

Hunters, through the taxes they pay on arms and ammunition, through 
purchase of duck stamps, through purchase of licenses, through their 
clubs and various organizations (Ducks Unlimited, to name one) have 
made very significant contributions to non-game bird conservation. If 
only we birders could point to such a history of direct financial 
support for habitat acquisition and preservation of non-game birds.

Duck hunters are not the only hunters who contribute. Similar 
contributions are made by  pheasant, grouse, and turkey hunters and the 
organizations that unite them. The state all-bird conservation 
initiative, now called Bird Conservation Minnesota, had among its 
earliest supporters all of the major bird-hunting organizations. The 
hunters did not suggest that an effort that steps beyond game birds to 
encompass all bird species was for any reason outside of their concern 
for habitat and conservation. Birders should share that enlightened 
view.

Birders buy no license or activity stamp, as do hunters. When we buy 
birding equipment, we pay no tax dedicated to preservation of our 
activity, as do hunters. We get a free ride. Yes, some of us do buy 
duck stamps and licenses, either because we too hunt or to show support 
and make a contribution. Some of us write checks to National Audubon, 
The Nature Conservancy, or other environmental organizations. I have 
had someone tell me that his purchase of a state park sticker 
constitutes support for bird conservation. All of those things can be 
counted as contributions. But I think very few of us make the 
contributions or do the hard, local work done by hunters in Minnesota 
and elsewhere.

And if it has come to the point where hunters must take to the street 
in protest to force conservation action, then birders should join them. 
We have as much to lose and as much to gain, and we are way behind on 
our effort to see that natural-habitat conservation is a priority item 
in this state.

Anderson suggested in his column today that a protest plan be made and 
a date be set. I'll be watching his columns in the Strib to see if that 
happens. If hunters show up to demonstrate to the state legislature and 
the DNR that action is needed, I plan to be there. Perhaps Forest will 
join me. How about you?

Jim Williams
Wayzata


On Dec 12, 2004, at 2:50 PM, Forest Strnad wrote:

Greetings Minnesota Birders:

In today's, Sunday issue of, MINNEAPOLIS STAR TRIBUNE,
Dennis Anderson, columnist, writes about the EMPTY SKIES of
ducks and  for duck hunters.