Defenders of Wildlife Blog

Kim Delfino, California Program Director

Migratory birds in San Joaquin Wildlife Refuge (Photo Credit: Jen Bullock)

It’s almost February, and on the San Luis National Wildlife Refuge Complex, things are getting interesting.  The great Pacific Flyway migration is winding down — up to a million waterfowl have visited the refuge, including Ross’ geese, Aleutian cackling geese, snow geese, green-winged teal, mallard and American widgeon.  The Tule Elk bulls are getting ready to shed their antlers, and the showy wildflowers that ring the unique endangered vernal pool wetlands are about to bloom.  Vernal pools are seasonal, temporary pools of water in grasslands that provide habitat for more than 40 different kinds of species.  As the water evaporates in these pools, different kinds of flowers bloom in concentric rings around them – it’s quite a show! Amid all of this natural hullabaloo is another kind of hubbub – a debate over whether or not the San Joaquin River National Wildlife Refuge, part of the San Luis National Wildlife Refuge Complex, should be expanded into San Joaquin County.

While San Joaquin County is home to four rivers and part of the ecologically-critical Bay Delta, this county does not have a national wildlife refuge.  The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), which manages the San Joaquin River National Wildlife Refuge, has proposed to expand the refuge to include a new corridor of river habitat stretching from Merced County into San Joaquin County.  Willing landowners – mainly farmers – would be able to sell land to the FWS to become part of the refuge if they are interested in doing so.  Then the FWS would replant these former agricultural lands with oaks, cottonwoods and willows along the San Joaquin River, restoring some of the vast riparian forests that were lost long ago when the Central Valley was developedand changed from a massive wetland and riparian forest to a sea of cropland, orchards, cities and towns.

All in all, the Central Valley has lost more than 95 percent of its riparian forests, resulting in a huge decline in migratory birds, shorebirds, raptors, reptiles, amphibians, fish and mammals.  Some of California’s most endangered fish and wildlife call this area home.  The critically endangered San Joaquin kit fox roam the region, and Swainson’s hawks soar over the valley grasslands. Riparian brush rabbits hide in the brush near rivers and streams while giant garter snakes make their homes in riverbanks. Even the endangered least Bell’s vireo has been found in the valley’s riparian forests.  And Chinook salmon migrate through Delta rivers and streams while delta smelt spend their lives moving around different parts of the Bay Delta’s estuary.

The proposed expansion of the San Joaquin River National Wildlife Refuge could provide habitat for more than 325 species of wildlife.  Unfortunately, we could miss out on this opportunity to protect and recover some of California’s most endangered species.  The San Joaquin County Farm Bureau does not want to see an expansion of the refuge into San Joaquin County.  They argue that they don’t believe that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will manage the refuge land well, and they worry about endangered species coming onto their property.  Some opponents of the expansion even argue that the federal government will take their land for the refuge, despite the fact that the FWS has repeatedly stated that they will only acquire land from willing sellers.

Riparian Brush Rabbit (Photo Credit: US Fish and Wildlife)

These fears are all misplaced.  Expanding the refuge will actually provide economic benefits to area farmers and landowners by increasing property values in the area.  Further, FWS refuge staff have successfully recovered endangered species — like the riparian brush rabbit — on federal lands without a single documented negative impact to adjacent landowners.  Farmers are stewards of the Central Valley’s environment, and if they choose to work with the FWS to recover threatened and endangered species, they can help enhance that environment and avoid future conflicts over land use and conservation as recovered species are removed from the endangered species list and from further regulation.

Defenders of Wildlife has worked to protect and restore the myriad of threatened, endangered and declining fish and wildlife in the Central Valley for more than a decade.   We have partnered with fishermen, hunters, ranchers, farmers and other environmental organizations to secure protections for the region’s wetlands, grasslands, vernal pools, migratory birds and declining fish populations.   We have supported the FWS staff in their efforts to obtain funding for this refuge, secure water for wildlife on the refuge, and even get a brand new visitors center in Los Banos, providing much-needed public access and education to a part of the Central Valley that has been underserved for decades.  This refuge expansion is yet another opportunity to improve the protections for Central Valley fish and wildlife as well as an important opportunity to provide San Joaquin County with a new place for public education and access to the outdoors.

The proposed expansion of the San Joaquin River National Wildlife Refuge is one of those rare win-win situations:  a win for wildlife and a win for San Joaquin County and the Central Valley.  The FWS wants to know what you think.  The public comment period on the refuge expansion is open, but closing soon! It will be over this Friday on February 1.  Defenders has sent a letter urging the FWS to expand the refuge, and so should you!

To view the proposal, go to:  http://go.usa.gov/YMWY  To comment, just send an e-mail to fw8plancomments@fws.gov with “San Joaquin River” as the subject.  Together, we can help secure this victory for California’s wildlife!

Mary Beth Beetham, Director of Legislative Affairs

Migratory birds play many integral roles in healthy natural systems, including predators, prey, seed dispersers and pollinators, and are actively appreciated and enjoyed by millions of people across the country each year. The Migratory Bird Management program has been entrusted with the massive assignment of protecting our nation’s incredible migratory birds, but it is already underfunded for its task. The fiscal cliff or a poorly crafted end-of-the-year budget agreement could trigger more funding cuts that will severely hamper this conservation and protection work and bring even more challenges for these amazing creatures that already struggle with disease, habitat loss and the effects of climate change.

Snow geese stop at Sacramento NWR during their migration route (Credit: George Lamson)

Bird-watching is also a boon to the economy. In 2011, nearly 47 million people participated in bird-watching activities in the U.S. Nature-based tourism in Texas’ Lower Rio Grande Valley, for example, is centered around enthusiasts who come to see the nearly 500 bird species recorded there. The tourism was recently found to generate $463 million per year in economic benefits for the four surrounding counties [PDF]. The 2006 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife-Associated Recreation reports that birding generated over $82 billion in total industry output, as well as 671,000 jobs and $11 billion in local, state and federal tax revenue. The reports are done every six years, so the economic information for 2012 will soon be available.

More than 1,000 species of birds occupy an array of habitats across the U.S., and 251 of them are listed under the Endangered Species Act or are of conservation concern. The first State of the Birds report in 2009 documented broad declines in U.S. bird populations; nearly all native Hawaiian birds have plummeted to the verge of extinction, as well as 39 percent of ocean birds, half of coastal shorebirds, 30 percent of arid land birds and 40 percent of grassland birds.

The Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 protects these important avian species. It implements four international treaties for birds common to the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Japan and the former Soviet Union. Except as allowed by regulations, the Act makes it unlawful to pursue, hunt, kill, capture, possess, buy, sell or trade any migratory birds, their parts, products or features such as nests or eggs. In the U.S., the Fish and Wildlife Service’s Migratory Bird Management program enforces these regulations — it protects, manages and regulates all activities associated with migratory birds. This vital program is divided into five parts, all of which could be crippled by further budget cuts triggered by the fiscal cliff or an overall budget agreement, resulting in a huge impact on our nation’s migratory birds.

A red knot at Sunset Beach, North Carolina (Credit: Dick Daniels)

Knowing Who’s There and Protecting Them
The largest piece of the program is Conservation and Monitoring. As part of it, FWS surveys, assesses and monitors bird populations so that management actions can be based on sound scientific information. It also helps scientists understand the influence that factors such as climate change and energy development can have on bird populations.

The program also pursues strategic conservation efforts for high-priority focal species that have been selected for more intensive work, including red knot (which has declined by 75 percent in the last 20 years), Laysan albatross (which has declined by 32 percent where most of its population is found), American woodcock, long-billed curlew, American and black oystercatcher, tri-colored blackbird, Sprague’s pipit, cerulean warbler, painted bunting and black-footed albatross.

This part of the program also helps cities protect birds in urban and suburban areas by teaching cities how to reduce the chances of bird collisions with buildings, towers and other man-made structures, and improving habitats directly through its Urban Treaties initiative.

Keeping Birds Healthy
Diseases like botulism, avian cholera and influenza and West Nile virus have become a greater threat to wild bird populations as they are subjected to the added stresses of climate change, habitat fragmentation and factors like the increased use of pesticides. These diseases can also become greater problems for society as a whole if transmitted to humans or poultry. Under the Avian Health and Disease program, FWS works to protect the health of wild birds by establishing baselines for health, identifying current and emerging disease risks, investigating infectious and non-infectious diseases and doing everything possible to prevent diseases and be prepared to manage outbreaks.

Regulating Use
Under the Permits program, FWS regulates activities related to migratory birds, a well as bald and golden eagles, making sure that protected birds are only taken for the limited number of allowed reasons like scientific study, falconry, rehabilitation, education and religious use of eagles by Tribes.

A greater sandhill crane visits Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon during the fall migration (Credit: Roger Baker, USFWS)

Protecting Habitat
The Federal Duck Stamp program oversees the design and sale of the annual Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp or Duck Stamp. Funds raised by the Duck Stamp are deposited in the Migratory Bird Conservation Fund and used to purchase and protect habitat for waterfowl. In fact, since 1934, Duck Stamps have raised more than $750 million, which has allowed FWS to protect more than 5.3 million acres of habitat. Waterfowl hunters 16 and older are required to possess a valid stamp, but non-hunters can also buy them to support wetlands conservation.

Hands Across North America
Lastly, the North American Waterfowl Management/Joint Ventures program administers an international plan between the U.S., Canada and Mexico for waterfowl management across all of North America. The plan is implemented on the ground by 21 regional Joint Venture partnerships between federal, state and local governments, businesses and conservation groups. This program has several great accomplishments to its name, including permanent protection of two million acres of working forest lands in the Northwest, initiation of the San Francisco Bay wetland restoration project (the largest project of its kind on the West Coast), improvement of long leaf pine restoration in the Southeast and development of a grassland plan to conserve birds in the Chihuahuan Desert.

Please let your members of Congress know that  you support a balanced approach to address the budget deficit — one that does not include further cuts to important and beneficial wildlife conservation programs like the Migratory Bird Management Program.

A few years ago the road stretched beyond the guardrail.

The road just ended. Literally. The van we were in pulled right up to the steel highway railing, beyond which lay some crumbled asphalt, a short spit of beach, and the wide open expanse of Delaware Bay. There was no parking lot, no cul-de-sac to turn around; just unfinished road and a steel barrier.

Only a few years ago the end of the road was farther out. So was the sea. And decades ago, the water’s edge was hundreds of yards out, evidenced by an old WWII-era pier, whose remnant pilings jutted way out in the now open water. This coastline was changing, and changing fast.

Our group of conservation organizations and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service staff spilled out of the van. Standing on the shores of the Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge, one of the largest protected areas in the state of Delaware, we were on a trip to better understand the issues facing the coastal national wildlife refuges of Delaware and the eastern shore of Virginia. We followed refuge manager Michael Stroeh down the beach, tripping over old stems and roots of marsh grasses and shrubs that poked through the sand as reminders of what was here only a few short years before. It was April, and though the region had experienced the warmest March on record, the wind was biting cold. I cinched the hood of my wind breaker over my head as we stopped our jaunt up the beach.

All aboard the airboat!

Prime Hook is divided into three units, separated by roads that run from the inland to the coast. The roads also serve as dikes. In the 1980s, to make up for lost freshwater wetlands elsewhere, the Fish and Wildlife Service used the dikes to make a wetland impoundment system, managing the water levels to convert the once tidal, saltwater marshes into freshwater marshes – better habitat for migrating ducks, geese, and shorebirds. But once considered an innovative solution, this system now makes the refuge extremely vulnerable to the effects of sea-level rise and increased storm surge.

Taking to the water

We boarded an airboat for the next part of our tour. (If you have never been on an airboat, they are LOUD, even with earplugs and [slightly rusty] external ear protection.) I reminded myself that I was still outside, in nature, at a national wildlife refuge, on the water—rare for a D.C.-based conservationist.

We skipped across the water to the interior of the marsh. We were in the middle of a 4,000 acre wetland that used to be full of emergent vegetation. But where marsh grasses should have surrounded us, it was open water in every direction. The marsh was gone.

“In 2009, a Veteran’s Day Storm created the inlet and brought in the slug of sand and saltwater with its storm surge, killing all of the freshwater vegetation,” explained Susan Guiteras, the refuge’s supervisory biologist. “If we had been able to close the inlet quickly, we may have been able to change the salinity and reestablish the marsh plants. But that would have only been a temporary fix anyway. Once the freshwater plants died, their roots couldn’t hold the marsh muck together, so the peat just washed away, deepening the water to a depth that even saltwater-tolerant plants could not establish.” The habitat had simply washed away.

Prime Hook refuge provides important habitat for migratory birds.

Preparing for the future

The scenario at Prime Hook reflects a broader challenge for refuges in a warming world: as the climate changes, we can no longer count on protected areas delivering the same benefits and habitats they once did. Conservationists need to understand how the impacts in one place affect species and ecosystems over a much larger area, and what can be done to help them adapt to those changes.

Fortunately, the refuge has been working closely with the state of Delaware to strategize about conserving the entire “Bayshore” landscape, planning how to slowly transition the freshwater reservoirs into more resilient saltwater systems to avoid a catastrophic loss from a future storm. Federal and state agencies, conservation groups and other partners are beginning to follow suit, mapping out existing conservation areas, developing shared conservation priorities, and partnering to achieve those priorities across the landscape.

Prime Hook is just one of the first refuges to experience these changes in such a dramatic way. There are over 160 coastal national wildlife refuges across the country. These areas need to begin taking steps to prepare for the changes to come. And with waters inching up along our coasts all the time, there isn’t a moment to waste.

Learn more:

For more information about the impacts of sea-level rise on national wildlife refuges, and recommendations to help them prepare, see Defenders’ recently-released report: National Wildlife Refuges and Sea-Level Rise: Lessons from the Frontlines.

This spring, I joined Defenders’ expert Caroline Kennedy and a group of scientists from around the world to band red knots on the New Jersey shores of Delaware Bay. Banding the shorebirds allows scientists to track birds from year to year simply to see if they’re surviving, as well as determine where the birds are spending their time. This information is critical to learning more about the imperiled shorebirds and how to better protect them and their habitat, before it’s too late. Watch the footage from my experience banding red knots and get up close and personal with the birds yourself!

You Can Help!

Just as important as those who tag shorebirds are the people who resight and report them. And that’s where you come in! All you need is a spotting scope, binoculars or camera with telephoto lens and a willingness to be on the lookout for tagged birds. (Remember, do not disturb the birds! Even more important than reading the bands is making sure the birds can fuel up for their long journey in peace.) By making a few key observations (color of the band, identification letters/numbers) and entering them into Bandedbirds.org, you can play an important role in keeping these birds from disappearing from our shores forever.

Red knots will soon return to U.S. shores and you’ll want to be ready! Be on the lookout this August for these incredible migrants and do your part to help them recover.

Learn more:

Visit bandedbirds.org and see how you can help protect red knots and other imperiled shorebirds.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently announced plans to move forward with a listing under the Endangered Species Act. Learn more about this move that could save red knots from extinction.

Restored marsh at Blackwater NWR (area inside stakes used to be open water) Photo courtesy Noah Matson

Two years ago I had the opportunity to visit Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge on the eastern shore of Maryland with a few other Defenders colleagues.  The refuge, at over 27,000 acres, is one of the largest protected areas in the state, and is famous among birders and local residents for its large concentrations of migrating waterfowl and shorebirds, bald eagles, and is also home to the endangered Delmarva fox squirrel.  Since the 1930’s, however, Blackwater has lost over 8,000 acres of marsh from a combination of sea level rise, subsidence, and the impact of invasive nutria that eat marsh grass and contribute to erosion.

It isn’t the only coastal refuge attempting to stave off rising waters. Two hundred miles south from Blackwater lies the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge.  Made up of “pocosin,” a type of forested wetland found in the coastal plain of eastern North Carolina, the refuge is home to the only wild population of endangered red wolves in the world.  Most projections of sea level rise put a large portion of the refuge under water in the next 50 years.

As stewards of protected areas and wildlife populations, we have to ask – why does it matter if these places go under water? If they disappear, where will the wildlife that rely on these protected places go?

These situations have been met with drastic measures. At Alligator River, refuge staff, the Nature Conservancy and other partners are implementing measures to slow coastal erosion and salt water intrusion in order to protect forests and marshes. And the Blackwater refuge has restored 20 acres of marsh by experimenting with a dredger to spray mud onto former marsh to raise the marsh bed, followed by planting marsh grasses to stabilize the soil. A decade later that marsh remains. Unfortunately, the refuge continues to lose 300 acres per year. So the refuge staff has an audacious proposal: barge or pipe mud and soil from the dredging of the Baltimore harbor approach channel in the Chesapeake Bay to the refuge to repeat the marsh restoration on thousands of acres, a cost of over a billion dollars.

As stewards of protected areas and wildlife populations, we have to ask – why does it matter if these places go under water? If they disappear, where will the wildlife that rely on these protected places go? These are questions an individual refuge manager cannot answer alone.

With the loss of Alligator River, endangered red wolves may have nowhere to go.

In preparing wildlife and natural resources for the impacts of climate change, we must take a big-picture view. Before zeroing in on a particular place, we need new tools and institutions to help policy makers, managers and scientists work together to understand how wildlife and habitats will respond to the impacts of climate change regionally and across jurisdictional boundaries. The Obama administration has launched a number of initiatives that hold some promise for achieving this goal, creating the Landscape Conservation Cooperatives and crafting a National Fish, Wildlife, and Plants Climate Adaptation Strategy. It isn’t everything we need, but it’s a start.

Keeping Blackwater and Alligator River from sinking into the sea – and protecting all of our refuges from the impacts of climate change – is critical. We need to do so in the context of addressing the much bigger task before us, figuring out how to help prepare entire systems of wildlife and habitat for the impacts of a not-so-slowly changing world.

Learn more:

Learn more about the threats facing Alligator River, and the measures being taken to save it, in the NPR piece, A Struggle to Fight Back the Sea.

Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge is the first national wildlife refuge in the nation to develop a comprehensive strategy to adapt to sea-level rise. Read more about the efforts the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are taking to rescue the refuge from rising seas.

See how Defenders is working to protect wildlife and protected lands from the threats of climate change.

Thanks to a tip from a concerned citizen, authorities have closure in a case in which a female whooping crane was shot and killed.

Fish and Wildlife Service reports that Wade Bennett of Cayuga, Indiana pled guilty and was sentenced for his involvement in the shooting of a whooping crane in Vermillion County, Indiana. He and a juvenile received probation, fines and fees for their involvement in the shooting of the crane.

The slain crane was considered the most important bird in Operation Migration, the program designed to reintroduce a migrating population of whooping cranes to the eastern United States. Identified by a leg band, she was known as the “matriarch” of the reintroduction program, mothering the first whooping crane chick successfully hatched (in 2006) and fledged by reintroduced cranes raised in captivity.

In early spring 2010, a citizen came forward with information concerning the shooting of the crane that – almost a year and a half later – would prove key to helping investigators solve the mystery. Observations reported by the public play a key role in solving wildlife crime, says USFWS Special Agent Buddy Shapp. “People who live in an area notice details that can tell us a lot,” Shapp said. “They sometimes see something or hear something that strikes them as unusual but not necessarily criminal. People might not realize that their observation is significant.”

Defenders of Wildlife joined the Indiana Turn in a Poacher Program and other conservation partners in matching the original USFWS $2,500 reward, bringing the citizen reward to almost $10,000 for this key information.

“People who live in an area notice details that can tell us a lot. They sometimes see something or hear something that strikes them as unusual but not necessarily criminal. People might not realize that their observation is significant.”

Few species have been closer to the cliff of extinction than whooping cranes. In the middle of the 19th century, an estimated 1,400 of these birds were found throughout North America. But by 1942, due largely to hunting and habitat loss from farming and development, only 15 were left, and the birds had entirely disappeared east of the Mississippi. Habitat destruction is a major threat to these unique birds – the wetlands the birds rely on have been drained, filled and gobbled up from the time of the early settlers to today’s developers.

At this point in their recovery, each bird counts. Dr. John French, of the U.S. Geological Survey’s Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, and a member of the US-Canada Whooping Crane Recovery Team said, “With fewer than 400 whooping cranes in the wild, every bird is important in our efforts to keep this species from extinction, and this particular bird was extremely valuable to the recovery program: this unnecessary killing is a setback. It is encouraging there are so many citizens across the country who continue to champion the whooping crane recovery and can help prevent this from happening again.”

Learn more:

Read the full release from Fish and Wildlife Service.

Defenders is dedicated to helping whooping crane populations recover. Read more about our efforts to bring these unique birds back to Louisiana.