Defenders of Wildlife Blog

As an environmental lawyer in Washington, D.C., much of my work involves the often invisible world of policy, laws, and court decisions. Every now and again, however, I have the incredible privilege of getting out to see the wildlife I work to protect. This past weekend, I got to do just that on a whale watching trip in one of the most important whale habitats on the East Coast of the United States—the waters off of Cape Cod, Massachusetts.

There were several whales in the water that day, but the most striking by far were the humpback mother and calf swimming alongside our boat. Locals told us that the mom was known as Mural, and that this was her third calf they’d identified over the years (as well as the first calf they’d seen this season). Not only did their beauty take my breath away as they gently rolled and swam close to each other and to our boat, but I was struck by how critically important our work to protect them really is. Those very whales I was watching might not have been there if it hadn’t been for our successful efforts to slow down ships and remove dangerous fishing gear from the water. And for the highly endangered North Atlantic right whales we heard were in the area (but couldn’t see because of extra protections that keep them free from disturbance by the public), it was enough to know they were there.

My trip out to see the whales was part of the fifth-annual naturalist training sponsored by the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society, the Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies, and the Dolphin Fleet of Provincetown. And not only was I lucky enough to see humpback whales, fin whales, and white-sided dolphins swimming all around us, I also got to meet the wonderful folks in the whale watching community who are out educating the public about these animals every day. These folks who ride aboard the whale watch vessels and ensure that passengers know what they’re seeing are all incredibly well versed in the science and threats to the species, but this year the workshop organizers decided they would also benefit from the broader context of the policy work that ensures we all have amazing wildlife to enjoy.

That’s where I came in. And in exchange for talking about what I do from my desk in D.C.—how we use important laws like the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act to make sure that these magnificent and imperiled species get to keep swimming in the waters off of New England—I got to learn from the folks who know these whales by name and be inspired both by what they do and what they see on a daily basis. All in all, not a bad day on the job.

Learn more:

 

Read about the critically endangered right whale and what Defenders is doing to save the species from extinction.

See how Sierra is leading Defenders’ fight to prevent fishing gear from entangling threatened and endangered whales in waters off the East Coast. 

Hunkered down in their Southern Hemisphere wintering grounds, red knots may be out of sight. But the plight of the shorebird is certainly not out of mind. Just this week, the state of New Jersey added the red knot to its list of endangered species.

It’s been almost a year since the state initially proposed the uplisting from threatened to endangered. And in that time, population numbers for the shorebird have continued their downward spiral. It’s hard to believe that less than two decades ago, more than 100,000 red knots filled the skies of Delaware Bay. Today, only 13,000 remain.

Wildlife officials said that the new status does not add protections for the birds. However, it is formal recognition that despite years of efforts to help the bird–including a 2008 New Jersey state-instituted moratorium on horseshoe crab fishing–its numbers continue to decline.

With any luck, the listing will get the attention of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), who decided last July to speed up the initiation of the process to formally add the rufa subspecies of red knot to the list of threatened and endangered species. Since 2005, four formal requests to list the red knot under the Endangered Species Act have been submitted to the FWS. Citing a lack of resources and other priorities, the FWS failed to list the bird but placed it on the candidate list in 2006, where it has languished ever since.

Unlike the state listing, a listing under the federal Endangered Species Act would offer some real protections for the birds. It would initiate the development of a recovery plan and require federal agencies whose actions affect red knots to consult with the FWS. With the shorebird continuing its slide toward extinction, such actions may be the last hope for red knots.

Learn more:

Watch Defenders join efforts on the ground to protect the imperiled red knot:

WASHINGTON—The Interior Department announced plans yesterday to review a proposal for  an 847-mile long transmission line capable of delivering some 7,000 megawatts of wind energy generated off the Atlantic coast to the grid.

The proposed Offshore Atlantic Wind Connection transmission line would link up to offshore wind energy areas off Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey and Virginia. Interior will announce the locations of these wind energy areas next month.

Defenders of Wildlife advocates for “Smart from the Start” clean energy development, where projects and transmission lines are guided to low-conflict areas and avoid and effectively mitigate unavoidable impacts to wildlife.

Defenders will be reviewing the plan to ensure that it protects key habitat for the endangered right whale, important flyways for migratory birds and habitat for other sensitive  wildlife.

The following is a statement from Jim Lyons, Defenders of Wildlife’s senior director for renewable energy:

“Defenders of Wildlife supports renewable energy that is ‘Smart from the Start’ and is part of a comprehensive strategy for offshore wind energy, which includes transmission.

“The Atlantic coast  offers  significant clean energy potential that can help shift our nation away from dangerous and dirty fossil fuels and offshore drilling. But the key to wind energy’s success is developing wind projects and  transmission lines in low-conflict areas and operating them  to avoid harming sensitive wildlife and habitat.

“Some of these offshore waters are critically important to endangered right whales and other important wildlife species.  We will be reviewing the proposed route to determine if the project can be permitted efficiently and with greater certainty for developers, investors, and conservationists by avoiding and effectively mitigating unavoidable impacts on right whales and other imperiled wildlife.”

BOSTON (October 31, 2011)— Conservation and animal protection groups filed a lawsuit today asking a federal court in Massachusetts to hold the National Marine Fisheries Service accountable for continuing to allow four federal fisheries to injure and kill endangered whales, including the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale.

Each year, endangered whales become entangled in commercial fishing gear. Entanglement makes it harder for them to swim, feed and reproduce and it can cause a chronic infection or even drowning.

Already, 2011 has seen the death of two right whales from entanglement, as well as at least seven additional new entanglement reports for right whales. Since June alone, eight endangered humpback whales have been reported with first time entanglements.

“Every single right whale counts when it comes to ensuring the species’ survival, but the Fisheries Service continues to place whales at risk of injury and death,” said Sharon Young, marine issues field director for The Humane Society of the United States. “Safeguarding the right whale from entanglements in fishing gear is a vital step towards moving this species out of the emergency room and onto the path to recovery.”

“The Fisheries Service needs to take immediate action to put protections in place to make the fisheries safer. If they don’t act now, we will see the extinction of the right whale in our lifetime.”

“The Fisheries Service is well aware that North Atlantic right whales need better protections, yet it is allowing these fisheries to continue to operate without them,” said Sierra Weaver, attorney for Defenders of Wildlife. “The Fisheries Service needs to take immediate action to put protections in place to make the fisheries safer. If they don’t act now, we will see the extinction of the right whale in our lifetime.”

“In an increasingly busy ocean, the survival and recovery of the North Atlantic right whale depends on protecting each individual from entanglement-related injuries and deaths,” said Regina Asmutis-Silvia, senior biologist for Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society.

Background:

• The North Atlantic right whale is one of the world’s most endangered large whales, with an estimated population of less than 400 individuals. In fact, the National Marine Fisheries Service (“NMFS”) has previously stated that the “loss of even a single individual may contribute to the extinction of the species.”
• NMFS has cited entanglements in commercial fishing gear as one of the most significant threats to the right whale’s survival and recovery. Yet, almost every year since 2002, at least one entangled right whale has been found dead or so gravely injured that death is deemed likely.
• In addition to right whales, fishing gear used by the American lobster, northeast multispecies, monkfish, and spiny dogfish fisheries continues to injure and kill endangered humpback, fin, and sei whales.
• Today’s lawsuit was filed by Defenders of Wildlife, the Humane Society of the United States and the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society in the federal district court for Massachusetts.

Learn more:

See what Defenders is doing to make waters safer for critically endangered right whales.

This October, the Defenders Wildlife Volunteer Corps once again took to the shrubland of Kittery, Maine, planting 600 plants and continuing to restore habitat for the state-threatened New England cottontail. In what has become our most popular recurring volunteer event with the Fish and Wildlife’s (FWS) Rachel Carson Refuge, our band of bunny faithfuls once again picked up their shovels and headed into the wilderness and did their part to help this state icon survive.

The Kittery site covers about 9 acres in its second year of growing. Already starting to look like the shrubland habitat the New England cottontail depends on for survival, the Fish and Wildlife Service is working with this plot and several others in the area to determine the most effective way to restore them.

Karrie, the FWS project leader from the Rachel Carson Refuge had this to say: “Brian, thank you and the Defenders volunteers that came out to help us. They always have great attitudes and help us move closer to our management goals. We truly appreciate all your and the volunteers’ support over the years. You all have made substantial contributions to this project and we would not have accomplished this without your support!”

And we here at Defenders thank you for your efforts too!

Named for an ancient Aztec emperor, the town of Montezuma in the heart of the Empire State is also the home of New York’s oldest wildlife refuge. Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge is located on the northern end of Lake Cayuga between Rochester and Syracuse, New York.  Founded in 1938, it’s still one of the best places to enjoy wildlife.

The 9,000-acre refuge includes forests, grasslands and wetlands. In 1973, the swamps of the Montezuma were designated as a national natural landmark—which means the land is valuable to science and education because of its unique geology and ecosystem. And the wetlands are widely considered shining examples of undisturbed marsh habitat endemic to New York and New England.

The varied land lends itself to biological diversity. If you’re looking for a place to see an array of wildlife, look no further than Montezuma Refuge. The refuge boasts 243 bird species, 43 mammals, 16 amphibians and 15 reptiles.

Like many wetlands in the Northeast, Montezuma is part of the Atlantic flyway, where migratory birds stop to refuel. Snow geese, tundra swans, American black ducks and mallards flock in huge numbers over the lakes and marshes as they journey to and from home. Other birds like great blue herons, crowned night herons, and even bald eagles call the refuge home. In 1976, Montezuma Refuge was the site of the first ever bald eagle “hacking”­— a process where juvenile birds are brought to an uninhabited area and raised in high towers to mimic nests in the wild. Ideally, the raptors will return to breed in these areas — eventually recovering the population. The project that started at Montezuma was a success and continued on in other parts of the New York. In a little less than two decades, the number of nesting pairs of eagles skyrocketed from just one to 10 by 1989.

What To Do?

Today, there are several active bald eagle nests throughout the refuge. One nest can be spotted from Armitage Road right off of NY State Highway 89. Four of the refuge’s hiking trails also provide an opportunity to see eagles and other animals up close.

You can even watch or photograph wildlife from your own vehicle with the refuge’s three-mile Wildlife Drive. The route runs along the refuge’s Main Pool and has designated viewing areas, where you can hop out to get a closer look. Beaver, deer, red fox and turtles are common sites. A photo blind is located along the route to help you stealthily capture brilliant pictures.

The refuge’s visitor center is open from April through December. Inside, volunteers can help you plan your visit. You can also check out the exhibits to learn about the refuge’s wildlife and the history of the land. In spring and summer, you can also view osprey nesting close up and in real time thanks to Osprey Cam— a Web broadcast provided by Friends of the Montezuma Wetlands Complex.

Friends of Montezuma also holds an annual photography contest, and the winners have their photographs published in the Friends’ calendar.

There is enough to see and do that any visitor will be able to keep themselves busy. The refuge is simply an oasis of beautiful scenery and diverse wildlife nestled in the heart of New York. Take some time away from machine-brewed morning coffees and street lunches to TAKE REFUGE  in Montezuma, NY.