National Audubon Society: Audubon Advisory

Audubon Advisory
April 12, 2012
Vol 2012 Issue 4


New wind siting guidelines will allow for responsible wind development while protecting birds and other wildlife, like the iconic Bald Eagle.

New Federal Guidelines a Step Forward for Bird-Friendly Wind Development
On Friday, March 23, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and Fish and Wildlife Service Director Dan Ashe released unprecedented federal wind guidelines intended to improve siting of wind development across the country and reduce impacts on birds and other wildlife.

The guidelines were developed with the assistance of a 22-member Wind Turbine Guidelines Advisory Committee which included experts from the National Audubon Society, The Nature Conservancy, Defenders of Wildlife, Massachusetts Audubon, and Bat Conservation International. The committee, created under the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) in 2009, worked with the US Fish and Wildlife Service to recommend guidelines to avoid or minimize impacts to birds and their habitats by land-based wind energy facilities.

Audubon was instrumental in making sure the guidelines address habitat fragmentation, one of the most significant potential impacts of wind development on birds. As a result, wind developers who cooperate with the guidelines will be expected to avoid approaches that cut up and divide important habitats like forests and grasslands and make them less suitable for wildlife.

Audubon is now urging strong implementation of these guidelines across the country. More than 70 local Audubon chapters have already signed Audubon’s letter to the Interior Secretary urging use of the guidelines to ensure strong protections for birds. If you represent an organization and would like to sign on, please contact us at audubonaction@audubon.org by next Friday, April 20.

To download a copy of the final Guidelines and for other background information on the Service’s role in wind energy development, please visit www.fws.gov/windenergy

See examples of Audubon's work to advance properly-sited wind power around the country in the November/December 2011 issue of Audubon Magazine.


The damage from the oil spill happened in the Gulf, and Congress should ensure that the oil spill fines go back to the Gulf.

RESTORE Act Awaits Final Action on Transportation Bill
In early March, the Senate passed its version of the RESTORE Act by an overwhelming bipartisan margin. The RESTORE Act directs 80 percent of the penalties that will have to be paid by BP and others responsible for the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil disaster to Gulf Coast restoration, potentially directing as much as $15 - $20 billion to Gulf restoration. The RESTORE Act would be the single largest investment ever made Congress in environmental restoration. The Senate bill also included another provision that provides $1.5 billion in funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund, which protects precious lands across America. Audubon President David Yarnold called the strong bipartisan vote in favor of these two measures "a moment for hope and healing...the most important conservation victory in a decade."

However, final passage of these measures was delayed when the House and Senate failed to agree on a final version of the transportation bill, the larger bill that contains these vital conservation measures. Both the House and the Senate have voted strongly in favor of RESTORE Act principles, however. When Congress returns from the spring recess, it will take up the transportation bill again. It's essential that the House and the Senate agree on a final version of the bill that contains the RESTORE Act and then send it to the President's desk as soon as possible. Audubon is at the table and working to ensure that any final transportation bill includes the RESTORE Act.

Read more about the RESTORE Act in Audubon Magazine's blog.


Reducing carbon pollution will help protect the birds that are the most vulnerable to climate change, like this Snowy Owl.

EPA Cuts Industrial Carbon Pollution
In a much anticipated announcement, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released new standards to require new power plants to meet standards for carbon pollution. This is the first time ever the EPA has moved to cut industrial carbon emissions from a major source—power plants—taking a critical step toward removing dirty coal from our nation's power supply. In a related move last year, the administration also published standards to increase fuel economy for cars and light trucks, taking a bite out of the carbon emissions from that other major source.

These and other actions proposed by EPA will improve air quality for millions of Americans and curb carbon pollution, the leading cause of dangerous climate change that threatens vulnerable birds and global biodiversity. Audubon strongly supports these critical policy improvements and we are working with other organizations to set the record for comments in support of the carbon rule on new power plants. You can help by responding to our alert asking for comments (coming soon) or returning the Snowy Owl postcard in your March/April Audubon Magazine. Let's send EPA an avalanche of support for this bold first step to reduce industrial carbon pollution.

Read more about the new standards at Audubon Magazine's blog.

Briefly Noted

Take the TogetherGreen Spring Greening Challenge!
Take the TogetherGreen Spring Greening Challenge and see how simple actions can help green your home and environment. Complete a simple task to positively impact the environment and be entered to win prizes. Enter today!

Keystone decision wrong for the environment.
On Thursday, March 23, the Obama administration announced plans to expedite permits for the southern portion of the controversial Keystone pipeline. Audubon immediately condemned the decision as exposing the public to oil spill risks while also taking a step toward completion of the northern portion of the pipeline. Construction of the pipeline risks destroying precious bird habitat in Canada's Boreal Forest and allows for development of Canada's tar sands, which will worsen the global warming threat to birds and global biodiversity. "The decision to expedite half of the Keystone pipeline is not half wrong, it is all wrong. And worse, it's all about politics," said David Yarnold, President & CEO of the National Audubon Society, in a statement to the media.

Audubon seeks to protect Wilderness in Izembek National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska.
A reckless plan to build a road through the Wilderness area of Izembek National Wildlife Refuge threatens an Important Bird Area of global significanceand the vulnerable birds that use the lagoon to refuel on their long migrations to and from Arctic breeding grounds. More than 80 species have been documented here. About 90 percent of North America's Pacific Brant stop to feed here during migration. To learn more about this incredible wildlife refuge, visit: ak.audubon.org/izembek-national-wildlife-refuge

Keeping the pressure on to restore Long Island Sound.
Representatives from our Connecticut and New York offices, along with Audubon members, will come to DC next month to walk the halls of Congress and show their support for a healthy Sound! The restoration of the Long Island Sound has long been a top Audubon priority. Currently, Audubon is working to reauthorize the underlying legislation that makes the restoration of the Long Island Sound possible. At the same time, we are advocating for Congress to continue to fund Long Island Sound restoration in the annual budgeting process.

News from Our State Network

California: Audubon supports properly-sited solar project in the Imperial Valley.
Audubon California joined other environmental groups in supporting a 4,200 acre solar project in the Imperial Valley of California on the border with Mexico. "The Imperial Valley is an Audubon Important Bird Area of global significance, and sensitive species of birds depend on the agricultural lands for nesting, foraging and roosting," said Garry George, Renewable Energy Project Director with Audubon California. "This project developer is siting it right by carefully choosing the lands that have the least impact on birds, and by working with the California Department of Fish & Game and Audubon to avoid, minimize or mitigate for the species affected by the project." 8 Min, the developer, will provide voluntary regional mitigation funds for Burrowing Owl above and beyond the requirements of the project.

April Mystery Bird
Ruby-crowned Kinglet | Dan Pancamo/Flickr Creative Commons Congratulations to Glaeshia O., of Durham, NC, who was randomly chosen from the entries that correctly identified last month's Ruby-crowned Kinglet, at right. Good luck with this month's challenge, That's a Lot of Shorebirds!, below. HINT: I was among the species present when the largest number of shorebirds was recorded on a single-day count in the Izembek-Moffet-Kinzarof Lagoons Important Bird Area—41,351! The winner will receive a plush Audubon singing bird and will be chosen at random from all entries received that correctly identify the species (NAS employees can play but not win). One entry per person please. Please email us your entry, being sure the words "Mystery Bird" appear in the subject line. Deadline for entering is Sunday, May 6.

April 2012 Mystery Bird | Credit: John & Karen Hollingsworth/Flickr

Photo credits: Bald Eagle - George Gentry/USFWS, Brown Pelican trio - Christina Evans/cgstudios.smugmug.com, Ruby-crowned Kinglet - Dan Pancamo @pancamo/Flickr Creative Commons, Mystery Bird - John & Karen Hollingsworth/USFWS