What a Combination!

On Saturday, November 12, the College Park Aviation Museum and Prince George’s Audubon Society joined forces to offer a bird walk with a different slant. PGAS President Ken Cohen headed up the avian part; he pointed us to downy and red-bellied woodpeckers and a red-tailed hawk, and we learned the difference between black and turkey vultures. PGAS Secretary Sallie McElrath pointed out invasive plants like porcelainberry that endanger the habitat these birds need to thrive, and Kim Schwartz of MNPCCP gave the aviation slant, with a fascinating look at how humans learned to fly by studying bird flight. It stimulated the brain and piqued the curiosity in not one, not two, but three ways. I hope they do it again sometime soon.

It was an absolutely beautiful fall day.

PGAS President Ken Cohen talks with participants, among them young birders from Watkins Regional Park.

Senator Cardin Introduces legislation to enhance the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act

WASHINGTON , May 12, 2022 “Birds don’t recognize borders so we must work with our neighbors to protect them wherever they fly,” said Marshall Johnson, chief conservation officer, National Audubon Society. “This legislation will provide more places to nest, winter, and rest for the millions of birds across farms and forests in Ohio, through backyards and bays in Maryland, to the mountains of Colombia, and beyond.”   

Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD) and Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH) introduced legislation this week to enhance the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act. The NMBCA is an innovative and cost-effective approach to the conservation of the more than 350 neotropical bird species in the U.S. that travel to Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Canada every year, such as the Scarlet Tanager, Purple Martin, and Baltimore Oriole. It supports the conservation of bird habitat as well as research, monitoring, outreach, and education.   

As a matching grant program, it catalyzes funding from a range of sources beyond the U.S. government. Since 2000, the U.S. has invested $80 million which has sparked an additional $310 million in matching funds from public-private partnerships. These funds have supported 658 projects in 36 Latin American and Caribbean countries, 40 U.S. states and territories, and provinces and territories across Canada.  

“There are so many incredible, yet imperiled birds we share across the Western Hemisphere, this legislation will promote shared stewardship of those birds and the places they need,” said Johnson. “The proposed bill would triple the investment NMBCA can make in on-the-ground habitat protection, restoration, education, and research. It also ensures those funds are leveraged by other governments and partners.”   

The Migratory Birds of the Americas Conservation Enhancements Act (S. 4187) specifically aims to:   

  • More than triple the authorized annual funding for the program from up to $6.5 million to up to $25 million by fiscal year 2028. 

  • Increase the available match of federal funds that can result in more, larger proposals and fewer barriers to participation by partners at a time when action is urgently required.  

  • Provide greater capacity to implement the grant program by raising the amount the Fish and Wildlife Service can allocate toward managing it.   

“These are the kinds of investments we must make to help recover the 3 billion birds lost on this continent alone since 1970,” added Johnson.    

Every spring, millions of birds travel thousands of miles from Latin America and the Caribbean to their breeding grounds in the U.S. and Canada, as far north as the Arctic. As winter approaches, these migratory birds make the long trip back south. Apart from being among the most stunning and awe-inspiring species enjoyed by birdwatchers, these more than 300 species of birds are also economically important for their role in pest control, seed dispersal, pollination for agriculture, and ecotourism. In the U.S., the Fish and Wildlife Service estimates there are 45 million birdwatchers, generating an economic output of $96 billion.   

In recent years, Congressional spending committees and the Biden administration have shown an increased commitment to funding the NMBCA program. To continue to grow the program, fulfill the unmet demand by applicants, and address urgent conservation needs for these species, Audubon urges Congress to take up and advance this legislation swiftly.  ### 

Media Contact: Matt Smelser, matt.smelser@audubon.org 

 

Dept of Interior reports Funding for projects to Protect Migratory Birds

PRESS RELEASE

Songbirds, Shorebirds and Other Migratory Birds to Benefit from More Than $21 Million in Funding Throughout the Americas

May 25, 2022

Media Contacts

Vanessa Kauffman

More than two decades after the first Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act grants were awarded, birds and people throughout the Americas will benefit from a new round of projects, totaling more than $21 million in federal grants and matching funds.

The NMBCA provides critical support each year for bird conservation and research throughout the Western Hemisphere. It is the only source of federal funding solely dedicated to the conservation of our shared migratory bird heritage. This year, $4.8 million in federal funds will be matched by $16.8 million in partner contributions going to 28 collaborative conservation projects in 18 countries across the Americas.

“We have lost nearly 3 billion birds in North America alone since 1970. We must ensure the diverse habitats where these birds breed, migrate and live are protected,” said Service Director Martha Williams. “Thanks to collaborative partnerships with many here in the U.S., and beyond our borders, these conservation investments will help many of the most at-risk species and ensure that birds continue to flourish for the next hundred years and beyond.”

There are 386 species of neotropical migratory birds that migrate to and from and through the U.S. each year, including songbirds, shorebirds and birds of prey. In addition to their role in pollination, seed dispersal and pest control, birds also provide early warnings of the effects of climate change and environmental contamination and contribute billions of dollars to the economy through bird watching and bird feeding industries. This year’s project highlights include:

Restoring Key Habitat of Nearctic Migratory Birds in the Bosawas Biosphere Reserve (Nicaragua)

This project will increase habitat for migratory birds in Nicaragua’s Bosawas Biosphere Reserve and strengthen law enforcement and governance in priority conservation areas. Partners will work closely with local communities to restore areas degraded by unsustainable practices and extensive cattle ranching, as well as to implement agroforestry systems that will also improve local livelihoods and contribute to climate change adaptation and mitigation. Birds that will benefit include golden-winged warbler, cerulean warbler, Canada warbler, and wood thrush.

Building Ecosystem-Based Adaptation in the Chaco (Argentina, Paraguay)

This transnational project builds upon work to reduce threats to at least ten focal migratory bird species in the Gran Chaco region, while increasing local stakeholders’ awareness and engagement in conservation of the region’s importance for migratory birds and stimulating economic incentives within these stakeholder communities to participate in migratory bird conservation. Species benefitting include black-billed cuckoo, Connecticut warbler, bobolink, and bank swallow,

Actionable Science for Grassland Bird Conservation I (U.S., Mexico)

Grantees will continue establishing a network of automated radio telemetry (Motus) stations to link local and landscape-level habitat use with demographic and movement data that may underlie regional occupancy dynamics. Sprague’s pipit, thick-billed longspur, and lark bunting are among the species that will benefit.

By law, NMBCA program invests at least 75% of its funding to projects in Latin America and the Caribbean, where habitat loss and other threats to migratory birds that spend part of their lives in the U.S. are significant and conservation funding is scarce. Because the program works throughout the Western Hemisphere, it is able to support the full life-cycle needs of the birds. For instance, the NMBCA funds work for the Canada warbler and Bicknell’s thrush on their breeding grounds as well as key stopover and wintering sites in Central America, the Caribbean and South America.

The funding will also help prevent these species from being listed as threatened or endangered and prioritization is given to more imperiled species that are listed on the Service’s Birds of Conservation Concern 2021 report. The NMBCA operates as a key conservation catalyst and is a critical element to addressing the decline of nearly three billion birds North America has experienced over the last 50 years.

Since 2002, the NMBCA has provided $84 million in grants to support 686 projects in 36 countries. These projects have positively affected over 5 million acres of bird habitat and spurred partnerships on multiple levels contributing an additional $327 million.

For more information on the program, please visit: https://www.fws.gov/program/neotropical-migratory-bird-conservation.

Point Lookout trip 4/10/2022 with stop at Wild Birds Unlimited

Wild Birds Unlimited, Good Stop on way to Point Lookout 

We (Ken and Diane Cohen) drove down to Point Lookout for a day trip 4/10/22.  Although it was windy and cold off the water, we were pleased to see some early migrants.  Pelicans and a Barn Swallow greeted us at the tip.  Pine Warblers and Chipping Sparrows were establishing territories.  Two pairs of Osprey occupied nesting platforms.  Yellow-rumps and Horned Grebes were in breeding plumage.  The local Brown-headed Nuthatches flew down to drink from the rain puddles.  Phoebes flew in several clearings and Ruby-crowned and Golden-crowned Kinglets hawked insects in the shrubbery. Altogether we observed 39 species. 

On our way through Lexington Park, just north of the Naval Air Station we stopped at Wild Birds Unlimited.  The store is in the Kohls and Dicks plaza on the west side of the highway.  It carries an incredible variety of feeders as well as complete pole systems to mount the feeders. Many of the feeders are made from modern components and recyled material that inhibit bacterial growth and are much easier to clean.  The store carries a wide assortment of feed and seed mixes many of which are blended to attract our local birds and all of which are comprised of seeds that birds will eat.  Its inventory also includes suets, peanut butter blends, hot pepper bird foods, and seed blends shaped into cylinders.  You can also purchase games and other bird related merchandise.  The staff was friendly and knowledgeable.  If you want to up your game and learn about modern trends in bird feeding, make this stop.  Its address is 46400 Lexington Village Way #106, Lexington Park, MD 20653.  Its web site is www.wbu.com/StMarysCounty.  If you call ahead with an order at 301 863 2473 the store will have it ready when you drive by.  Diane and I intend to make this store a regular stop on our way to Point Lookout.  

Journalism Student Bird Walk

On March 1, 2022 Debi Talbot and Ken Cohen provided Professor Rona Kobell of the University of Maryland and seven of her journalism students a bird walk around Lake Artemesia.  Professor Kobell used this walk as an opportunity to introduce her students in Environmental Justice Journalism to the habitat Lake Artemesia provided for a variety of birds.  The leaders furnished the students with a wide array of old binoculars and gave instructions on how to focus the binoculars.  The students questioned the history of the binoculars and were fascinated to learn most of the binoculars were older than they were!  None of the students had ever participated in a bird walk and none of them had any familiarity with anything beyond Robins, Mallards, Canada Geese, and House Sparrows.  They variety of water birds including Bufflehead, Ruddy Ducks, Ring-necked Ducks, Coots, and a Pied-billed Grebe fascinated them.  They were most intrigued by the antics of a Double-crested Cormorant which landed near them.  We did explain that this bird was not a heron.  A good look at a low flying Bald Eagle provided a memorable ending to the walk.  All of the students were amazed at the variety of birds in the neighborhood of their university.  

 

PATUXENT RESERACH REFUGE HAS NOT LOST OPPORTUNITY TO AQUIRE NASA AREA 4

On January 26, 2022 the Office of Management and Budget rejected all of the Public Buildings Reform Board’s recommendations to dispose of federal properties under FASTA. (See previous news article). OMB rejected the recommendations for fiscal, public outreach, and justification of FASTA disposition shortcomings. While the decision gave PBRB 30 days to address its concerns, it remains highly unlikely that the PBRB will be able to meet that deadline (famous last words prediction). At the moment it appears that NASA’s area 4 will not be lost to the refuge.

Robbing Peter to Pay Paul

NASA’s Greenbelt campus includes a 105 acre parcel known as area 400.  This parcel contains facilities that NASA desires to move to its main campus, but lacks the funds for the move. NASA requested the Public Buildings Reform Board (PBRB) to recommend sale of this property for its commercial value pursuant to the Federal Sale and Assets Transfer Act of 2016 (FASTA).  Under this act, even a transfer of property from one federal agency to another would require the receiving agency to pay the transferring agency the fair market value for the property.  NASA would be able to use the money received from this type of sale to pay for the move of its facilities to its main campus.  Area 400 abuts the Patuxent Research Refuge.

 

On December 27, 2021 the PBRB sent the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) its First Round Report Recommendations Pursuant to FASTA.  In that report PBRB recommended that Area 400 be sold to the USFWS for inclusion in the Patuxent Research Refuge.  Under the law if this parcel is not sold to USFWS it must be sold commercially on the open market.  The USFWS does not have the funds in its budget to pay NASA for this property.  In effect NASA and PBRB are asking USFWS to fund NASA’s operations.  If OMB accepts PBRB’s recommendation, there is a substantial probability that Area 400 will be sold on the open market and will be lost to the refuge.   Prince George’s County Audubon Society has requested the Office of Management and Budget to disapprove that recommendation.  

 

On January 22, 2022 senators Cardin and Van Hollen and reresentatives Hoyer, Ruppersberger, Sarbanes, and Raskin wrote the Office of Management and Budget informing it of their desire for Area 400 to be transferred to the USFWS for inclusion in the Patuxent Research Refuge and informed the Office of Management and Budget that this delegation would work to secure this land transfer to USFW.  

 

Here are a copy of PG Audubon’s letter and the Congressional delegation letter to the Office of Management and Budget.  If these letters lack a letterhead, it is because I did not know how to place a pdf document into this web site.

PG Audubon’s Letter:

Honorable Shalanda Young

Acting Director, Office of Management and Budget

Executive Office of the President

 

Dear Acting Director Young:

On December 27, 022 the Public Buildings Reform Board (PBRB) sent your office its First Round Report Recommendations Pursuant to the Federal Sale and Assets Transfer Act of 2016 (FASTA).  In that report PBRB identified a 100 acre parcel owned by the Goddard Space Flight Center and known as Area 400 for disposition pursuant to FASTA.  This parcel of land is adjacent to the Patuxent Research Wildlife Refuge.  Prince George’s County Audubon Society urges you to disapprove that recommendation.   

The PBRB report recommended the transfer of this property to the Department of Interior Fish and Wildlife Service at its fair market value.  The problem with this recommendation is that there are no funds available for the proposed payment.  On January 20,2022 Senators Cardin and Van Hollen and Reresentatives Hoyer, Ruppersberger, Sarbanes, and Raskin informed you of thpeir desire of an inter-agency transfer of this parcel to the USFW from NASA without the need for a FASTA fair market value payment.  This Congressional delegation indicated it would work to secure this land transfer to USFW.  If OMB accepts the PBRB recommendation it will cause the FWS to fund NASA’s needs or lose valuable property that will enhance the refuge to a commercial sale.  It will also be acting against the expressed desire of this Congressional delegation. 

The Recommendation Report contained no reason for the urgency of this sale. As part of the Refuge this forested tract can support regional air quality, clean water, wildlife habitat, and human recreation in alignment with President Biden’s “America the Beautiful” initiative.  If OMB disapproves this recommendation Congress and or the Administration will have the ability to authorize the transfer of the property to USFWS without a payment. Disapproval of the recommendation provides practical alternatives to the PBRB’s recommended method of a commercial disposal while still accomplishing the PBRB’s stated purpose of securing the property for USFWS. 

The Patuxent Research Refuge is our nation’s only research refuge.  Over 260 different species of birds have utilized this refuge.  The refuge’s scientists have led the way in sea duck, crane, insect, and other wildlife research.  Its scientists confirmed the link between DDT and wildlife loss brought to the world’s attention by Rachel Carson in her book Silent Spring.  Prince George’s County Audubon Society urges you to preserve this tract of land for the refuge’s future use.  Please disapprove PBRB’s recommendation to dispose of NASA’s Area 400.

 

Very Truly Yours,

Kenneth A. Cohen

President, Prince George’s Audubon Society

kvulture@aol.com

301 477 3765 (home)

716 462 3862 (cell)

7305 Birdcherry Lane

Laurel, MD 20707

 Congressional Delegation letter: January 20, 2022

 

The Honorable Shalanda Young Acting Director

Office of Management and Budget Executive Office of the President Washington, D.C. 20503

 

Dear Director Young:

 

As you consider recommendations provided to you by the Public Buildings Reform Board under the Federal Asset Sales and Transfer Act, we write to express our support for an inter-agency transfer to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service of the 105-acre parcel owned by the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. Such a transfer would allow this parcel, also known as Area 400, to be added to the Patuxent Research Refuge (PRR), with lasting environmental benefits for future generations.

 

Located in Greenbelt, Maryland, Area 400 is a largely forested parcel that, protected in a natural state, contributes to the health of the Chesapeake Bay watershed. The headwaters of the Patuxent River and Anacostia River flow through the property. Conserved land filters pollutants out of these waters and, eventually, the Chesapeake Bay. Area 400 lies adjacent to the Patuxent Research Refuge (PRR), which is managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The PRR serves as vital habitat for more than 200 species of birds as well as other wildlife including turtles, foxes, beavers, and fish that is open to the public for outdoor recreation. Expanding the PRR by adding Area 400 makes ecological and economic sense and will support progress towards State and federal conservation goals.

 

We urge your support for a transfer to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in the most expedient manner possible, and we stand ready to work with you and offer any assistance that may be needed to achieve this goal.

 

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

 

Sincerely,

Benjamin L. Cardin

United States Senator

Chris Van Hollen

United States Senator Page 2

 

 Steny H. Hoyer Member of Congress

C. A. Dutch Ruppersberger Member of Congress

John P. Sarbanes Member of Congress

Jamie Raskin Member of Congress 

 

Cc: The Honorable Bill Nelson, Administrator, National Aeronautics and Space Administration

The Honorable Martha Williams, Principal Deputy Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

 

t

PGAS Joins other Groups in supporting the Sustainable Maryland Act

January 20, 2022

Re: MD SB0014 / HB0100 Sustainable Maryland Program Fund - Establishment

Take Notice:

Prince George’s County Audubon Society, Incorporated (PGAS),  joins other community organizations united in support of the MD SB0014 / HB 0100 and urges a "YES" vote on the bill to establish the Sustainable Maryland Program Fund. This bill to expand and enhance Sustainable Maryland (SM) is a critical step in the State's effort to empower local action and realize statewide environmental, economic, and social sustainability.

Over the past ten years, SM has helped communities build a strong network of active citizens committed to building the capacity of local governments and improving local-level sustainability throughout the state. This bill to establish an SM Program Fund will help codify this statewide effort and ensure local governments have the education, technical assistance, and financial resources necessary to improve quality of life.

The SM program has become a primary driver for building community capacity to engage in sustainability projects. While other programs may offer specific environmental services, the SM program framework helps community groups like ours to develop our own capacity to manage local sustainability issues and take advantage of resources already available.  As a non-profit committed to supporting local action, it is this aspect of SM’s work that Prince George’s Audubon Society has experienced firsthand. Over the course of the last two years, PGAS has launched the Audubon Wildlife Habitat Program, which provides no-cost on-site visits to Prince George’s County residents in order to support them in transforming their outdoor spaces into habitats friendly to wildlife.  Our big-picture goal is to create a Homegrown National Park, yard by yard, to mitigate habitat loss in our county.  From the start, Sustainable Maryland has supported our efforts, plugging us into their network to provide us with a connection to like-minded citizens at Friday get-togethers, giving us credibility by offering to count our visits as points towards city sustainability certification, publicizing our fledging program in their newsletter, and including us in plans for a Route One Pollinator Corridor.  Many of the contacts we have made over the last two years have been thanks to this SM network. The Audubon Wildlife Habitat Program has been very successful.  Twenty-five trained volunteers conducted 125 consultations in Mount Rainier, Brentwood, Riverdale Park, College Park, University Park, Hyattsville, Cheverly, Greenbelt, Beltsville, and Bowie since last March.  PG Audubon looks forward to continued support from SM.  

 

The SM Program Fund will ensure that Sustainable Maryland can continue the framework that brings together disparate groups pursuing new and innovative community-based projects like ours, helping us work together rather than at cross purposes. The State should take this opportunity to expand and support this high-performing program in order to increase technical assistance, coordinate local efforts, and encourage more communities to take action.

 

Very Truly Yours,

 Kenneth A. Cohen

President, Prince George’s Audubon Society, Incorporated

P.O. Box 1311, Bowie, MD 20718

Senator Van Hollen is a cosponsor of the Arctic Refuge Protection Act

On Nov. 24, 2021 Senator Van Hollen Responded to PGAS’ email about the Arctic Refuge Protection Act as follows:

 

Dear Mr. Cohen,

Thank you for contacting me to express your support for the Arctic Refuge Protection Act. I appreciate hearing from you and apologize for the delayed response. 

I share your concern for the protection of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and am an original cosponsor of this important legislation.  As the largest unit in the National Wildlife Refuge System, the 19.6 million acres of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is home to unique and vulnerable ecosystems that provide habitat to 42 fish species, 37 land mammals, eight marine mammals, and over 200 migratory and resident birds. These lands and species are also central to both the subsistence lifestyle and culture of the Gwich’in Nation.

The Arctic Refuge Protection Act would restore protections that were stripped when the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act mandated oil and gas leasing, development, and production on the coastal plain of the Arctic Refuge. I pushed for banks and insurers like JPMorgan Chase & Co., AIG, and Zurich to commit to stop financing and insuring oil and gas drilling and exploration in the Arctic Refuge. 

I am pleased to report that the Build Back Better legislation currently includes provisions to repeal the oil and gas leasing program, cancels the leases that have been sold, and returns payments on those leases. I will continue to push for those provisions in the final legislation.

Again, thank you for sharing your thoughts with me. Please do not hesitate to contact me whenever I may be of service.

Sincerely,

Chris Van Hollen
United States Senator

P.S. Please visit my website , where you can learn more about legislation that I have sponsored or co-sponsored and receive information on the important constituent services provided by my office. Additionally, you can read more here about my work to respond to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), how to stay safe, and the resources available to help you.

 

American Ornithological Society reports progress on changing English Bird names

English Bird Names: Working to Get It Right

23 September 2021

AOS STAFF

Hello, AOS members, partners, and friends!

As many of you know, the American Ornithological Society (AOS) has been working to determine the best process for proactively changing harmful and exclusionary English bird names for species within our geographic realm of responsibility. Our most recent public event was a Community Congress, in which we heard different perspectives about the implications of changing common English bird names and what this means for members of the broader ornithological and birding communities. Since then, we have been working thoughtfully and assiduously to develop a strong foundation from which to move this initiative forward. We have had many opportunities for reflection and course-correction along the way. Here’s where we are now.

AOS announced in June that we are forming an ad hoc committee to develop guidelines to identify and change harmful English bird names. The work of this committee to develop an inclusive, transparent, and effective process will be critical for the overall success of this initiative—we need to get this right. AOS leadership originally developed a charge for this ad hoc Committee and proposed a process for populating this team, but our Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) Committee highlighted the need to take a step back and redirect our efforts toward soliciting broader input and representation to improve our charge and our process. In collaboration with D&I Committee members, we refined the charge of the ad hoc committee, defined important qualities of committee chairs and prospective members, and took additional steps to ensure this committee is poised to lay the groundwork for thoughtful and meaningful change.

The general charge of this new committee is to develop a process that will allow the American Ornithological Society to change harmful and exclusionary English bird names in a thoughtful and proactive way for species within AOS’s purview. The committee will investigate, evaluate, and determine best practices for broadening participation and perspectives in the process of changing English bird names. Important qualities of prospective members of this committee include: being diversity/equity/inclusion/justice (DEIJ)-minded, constructive, collaborative, engaging, thoughtful, and big-picture oriented. Committee members must also be open-minded and active listeners. Members of this ad hoc committee must be diverse and broadly representative of those who use English bird names. In addition, the committee should include individuals who are knowledgeable about the intricacies of global nomenclature in order to determine suitable alternative names. Over the next few weeks, we will finalize the leadership for our new ad hoc committee, begin populating this committee, and engage a facilitator to guide the committee’s conversations.

There are so many questions when it comes to changing harmful English bird names: Who gets to decide which names are harmful? How do we ensure we are choosing better names that will have lasting buy-in and impact? We are investing our time now in developing a foundational process that will give AOS the tools to answer these questions. Many of our stakeholders are concerned about inclusivity with bird names, and revisions also carry technical considerations that need to be considered. Developing a strong process to guide name changes will allow us to be flexible and inclusive in considering names that will remain relevant and appropriate far into the future. We realize that there is a trade-off between speed and inclusivity, and we believe that taking the time to get this process right is an investment that will serve our community best in the long run.

We also recognize the importance of communicating with our stakeholders about our process and our progress. Considering how to change harmful and exclusionary English bird names is at the forefront of our minds. Our aim is to provide more regular communication updates about where we are in this process, both to keep our members and partners informed but also to hold ourselves accountable for meaningful progress. 

Establishing the process of choosing better English bird names is one of many important initiatives that AOS is undertaking to create a more inclusive and welcoming ornithological community. In the coming weeks, we’ll release a blog post about AOS’s other efforts to become more equitable and broadly representative of ornithological stakeholders worldwide. We look forward to sharing more about these important efforts.