[mou] Owl Avenue: R.I.P.

[Jim Williams]

Most birders don't show up, speak up, or pay up. Mike is an exception,=20=

but there are not many Mikes. If the state was to clear-cut land as=20
special to deer hunters as the Sax Zim land was to birders I suspect=20
the Minnesota Deer Hunters Association would be all over the DNR, the=20
legislature, and the governor. Hunters would be heard. Hunters are not=20=

shy about showing their passion, and they speak as a single entity.=20
They are organized and have leadership. Hunters also pay their way, so=20=

that helps.

Birders are essentially invisible. Make yourself visible. Buy a duck=20
stamp or one of the state hunting stamps. Stick it on a postcard and=20
send it to the governor. Tell him you are a birder. Tell him you count,=20=

you contribute, and you want to be recognized. (You might also tell him=20=

you are willing to buy a non-consumptive natural resource stamp each=20
year to help pay the bills.)

Honest to goodness -- loggers have economic value and make it known.=20
ATV riders and snowmobilers have economic value and make it known.=20
Hunters have economic value and make it known. Birders have economic=20
value, right? The MOU has over $200,000 in the bank. How about spending=20=

some of that money on lobbying the legislature. Make the value of=20
birders and birding known.

This is not rocket science.

Jim Williams
Wayzata





On Mar 9, 2007, at 9:39 AM, Mike Hendrickson wrote:

This is truly heart wrenching knowing one of my favorites places to=20
bird in Minnesota is being mowed down for money and also for some lame=20=

excuse to control some pest!=A0 I=A0and a few other birders that have =
spent=20
a lot of time in the Sax Zim bog=A0have grown very fond of it which =
makes=20
this logging very tough on me and others.=A0 This area along Owl Avenue=20=

has nesting Connecticut Warblers, Yellow-bellied Flycatchers and Boreal=20=

Chickadees.=A0 Driving along this stretch of Owl Avenue during the =
winter=20
has produced Great Gray Owls and assortment of winter finches.=A0 Other=20=

than birds that are found along this stretch of bog=A0several species of=20=

bog plants and orchids were found in this bog as well.
=A0
This logging or the so-called "pest management control" practice is far=20=

from being done! McDavitt Road is currently being logged out, some of=20
the bogs=A0along Co. Rd 133 has been logged out. I am sure the foresters=20=

will eye up Admiral Road as a possible place to control this pest since=20=

the Admiral Road is just a mile or so east of McDavitt Road.
=A0
This group (Friends of Sax Zim Bog) was not a very effective group even=20=

though I was asked numerous times to come and sit in at their meetings.=20=

I did not show up because there were to many government people sitting=20=

in on these meetings and I felt they were there to put on a good face=20
and that is all!=A0 Nothing productive came from these meetings except a=20=

lot of wishful thinking and ideas!
=A0
I been=A0emailing with and soon will be meeting with the mayor and other=20=

community leaders of the Toivola-Meadowlands area to discuss several=20
projects before I leave for Colorado this April.=A0 These projects=20
include developing a=A0winter birding festival, create a winter bird=20
feeding station where=A0birders from all over can visit the feeders in=20=

peace without being run off the road and also hanging some deer=A0rib=20
cages out in the remaining bog areas to attract Boreal Chickadees and=20
other birds.=A0=A0The birding festival so far is creating a lot of=20
excitement to the community leaders as I been getting updates that the=20=

old Meadowlands school=A0can be used as a place to hold the talks,=20
vendors and gathering place for birders.=A0 I also have been getting=20
updates about=A0a place where=A0a=A0bird feeding station would be =
located.=A0=20
The community leaders are aware of the logging and know=A0the logging is=20=

not good for the birds but on the other hand they are neighbors to the=20=

people who are logging the areas. Loggers have to feed their families=20
too.
=A0
I lost=A0a good amount of respect for the state foresters and who are=20
using the=A0larch beetle,=A0 the spruce bud worm or whatever as a lame=20=

excuse to=A0open up tracts of land to make money off it. Sure its good=20=

for the independent loggers who need the=A0money but the fault lies with=20=

the state foresters for opening these tracts up for logging.=A0 They=20
might as well as erect a sign next to every logged out bog that says=20
"brought to you by the=A0state foresters".=A0=A0Logging out large =
expanses of=20
sensitive spruce bogs is not the answer when it comes to the flora &=20
fauna of the species that are found in these habitats.=A0 I got one =
email=20
last year from a DNR guy saying "the mature trees bordering the bog=20
will re-seed the bog" That is full of crap! It was 3 years ago that=20
they logged out the bog habitats along Co. Rd 133 and I been checking=20
on these bogs to see if the above statement was true=A0and so far the=20
aspen trees are moving into these logged out areas!
=A0
Here is another example of the DNR in the prime action:
=A0
I got this email from a=A0 concern person last week about the ATVs and=20=

the Cloquet River=A0State Forest.
=A0
=A0The system presently planned is to have the entire forest be managed=20=

with
 > a few small areas as non motorized.=A0=A0 It leaves a great deal of =
the=20
forest
 > vulnerable to off trail and new trail development.=A0=A0=A0 The DNR =
officers
 > I've spoken with off the record say they professionally oppose this=20=

but
 > that the hierarchy is demanding it - Polaris and Arctic Cat being
 > Minnesota Companies they are supported by this.=A0=A0 The DNR takes =
in=20
over 3
 > million now per year for just atvs via registration and gas taxes.=A0=A0=
=20
They
 > spend 1.7 million on ATV enforcement, and they want MORE money for=20
this,
 > despite the fact that they have only two officers specifically tasked=20=

to
 > enforce ATV laws.=A0=A0 The DNR is getting a LOT of money for their=20=

programs
 > by pushing ATVs.
Yep that's our DNR!
=A0
You can read more by going to this website: www.friendscvsf.org
=A0
I am just plain upset with the management practices that are going on=20
up in Sax Zim Bog.
=A0
Mike Hendrickson=A0
=A0
Michael Hendrickson
Duluth, Minnesota
Lake Superior Boat Trips
http://webpages.charter.net/mmhendrickson/
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: sparky stensaas
> To: mou-net@cbs.umn.edu
> Sent: Friday, March 09, 2007 6:34 AM
> Subject: [mou] Owl Avenue: R.I.P.
>
>
> As Mike Hendrickson had warned, Owl Avenue has been logged.=20
> Essentially ruined for birding. A 100 foot swath of mature black=20
> spruce has been clearcut on the west side of the road and in some=20
> places, on both sides of the road. This will certainly NOT be the=20
> place to look for Boreal Chickadees. [I recommend the two-mile stretch=20=

> of mature black spruce along CR52 immediately east of Owl=20
> Avenue...Boreals can be found here.]
>
> What is especially upsetting about this logging is that St. Louis=20
> County and state Foresters KNEW THIS WAS AN IMPORTANT BIRDING AREA.=20
> After the Owl Invasion of 2004-2005 there were meetings in Cotton to=20=

> brainstorm on how Sax-Zim could cater to birders and bring in tourism=20=

> dollars to the local communities. The foresters=A0were at several=20
> meetings alongside the MN DNR Nongame, local business owners and=20
> birders. They heard the excitement of the locals, of the birders, of=20=

> the Non game DNR...But the foresters attitude from the start was on of=20=

> "You can tell us the value of this area but we are going to log where=20=

> we want." Their solution was always to send birders to other areas=20
> where these birds could be found. The arrogance was obvious and=20
> unproductive to the goals of the meeting.
>
> I'm also upset with myself and the birding community for not seeing=20
> the handwriting on the wall and doing something about it.
> So scratch Owl Avenue out of the Sax-Zim section of your copy of Kim=20=

> Eckert's Birders Guide to MN.
>
>
> Sparky Stensaas
> 2515 Garthus Road
> Wrenshall, MN 55797=A0
> 218.341.3350 cell
> sparkystensaas@hotmail.com
> www.stoneridgepress.com
>
> Find what you need at prices you=92ll love. Compare products and save =
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