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Working With Wood
Like many others who are concerned about how the next generation views and interacts with the natural world, I have read with interest Richard Louv’s seminal work, Last Child in the Woods, a book that details the “nature deficit disorder” afflicting many of today’s children.
By Louv’s contention, the migration of families from a rural to an urban/suburban existence, has led to a generation of children that is more comfortable playing indoors with computers and video games than in their backyards, nearby woods or marshes. According to Louv, the consequences of this change have ramifications for not just lifestyle, but also the health of our children.
As parents of a 5-year-old, my wife and I are well acquainted with the challenges of keeping a child connected with nature when “go outside and play” is not as ready and rich an option as when we grew up. Like many DC-based conservationists we live in an urban area, with a backyard that can be fully explored within minutes. Visits to local refuges and other natural areas are less frequent than I’d like and require a degree of supervision.
In light of that, I recently put to the test Louv’s assertion that children let loose in the woods would, in fact, find all sorts of interesting things to do on their own. On a sunny afternoon in the early spring, I gathered up my daughter and a friend and took them to a heavily wooded local park. Walking down a trail, we noticed an uprooted tree knocked down by a storm and took the opportunity to examine what might be found among the twisted roots and in the hole beneath.
To my surprise both kids took an immediate interest, using small sticks to pick away at the dirt and rocks to reveal bugs and other inhabitants. I quickly moved away to an observation post 40 or 50 yards away and watched quietly to see how long this exploration would last. An hour and a half later, with the sun retiring, I rejoined them only to learn that they had little interest in leaving. During that time, they had happily dissected sections of the rotted tree and proudly proclaimed that they were “working with wood!”
While I roundly support healthier children who enjoy the outdoors and are better adjusted as a result, my central interest in the subject relates more to the question of how the next generation of decision-makers views natural habitats and wildlife. Will a generation brought up on Wii, Tivo and hi-def TV care if we lose a few species here or there, or express concern about sacrificing a natural wetland to development when an artificial solution might produce similar clean water and flooding benefits?
I don’t know the answer and am not eager to find out. What I do know is that the Refuge System offers an unparalleled opportunity to reach families from all geographies and ethnicities. With 548 refuges, many within an hour’s drive of most metropolitan areas, we have a chance to engage diverse communities that wouldn’t necessarily seek out environmental education or outdoor recreation opportunities, and help visitors of all ages develop a personal stake in the future of our country’s natural heritage. I am convinced the Refuge System can serve as the foundation for America’s most successful efforts to administer environmental education.
Although refuges and Friends groups across the country are actively and enthusiastically engaged in administering such programs, the need greatly exceeds capacity. The Refuge System is positioned to become the emotional and educational link to the natural world for the next generation of Americans, but it’s up to the NWRA, FWS and other partners to make such a lofty goal a reality. We owe nothing less to this and future generations of children that will grow up to make pivotal decisions about how we manage our natural resources.
Onward and upward!
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NWRA Evaluating New Agreement at National Bison Range, MT
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NWRA is evaluating a new AFA between FWS and the CSK Tribes to ensure the advancement of the mission and purpose of the National Bison Range, to protect the endangered American bison. © Reid Squyres |
NWRA is currently evaluating a new Annual Funding Agreement (AFA) signed between the FWS and the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes (CSKT) on June 19th for the National Bison Range in northwestern Montana. The agreement comes prior to the issuance of a national AFA policy by the FWS – the lack of such a policy contributed to the breakdown of a previous AFA at the Bison Range between the CSKT and the FWS in December 2006.
The NWRA has repeatedly called for a national AFA policy for the FWS that would guide how such agreements are managed, and ensure that they advance the mission and purposes of the refuge and Refuge System. Under the Tribal Self-Governance Act of 1994, native tribes can enter into AFAs with agencies within the Department of the Interior, including the FWS at national wildlife refuges. The National Bison Range agreement, which outlines how the CSKT will partner with the FWS at the Range for the next three years (fiscal years 2009 – 2011), is awaiting Congressional review for 90 days prior to implementation.
NWRA expects to release its detailed comments soon, and will focus on whether the agreement advances the mission and purposes of the refuge and the Refuge System.
Learn more about NWRA’s guiding principals regarding AFAs.
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Celebration Launches New Duck Stamp
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Director Dale Hall buys first Duck Stamp of Year from postmaster at the 75th Anniversary Ceremony. © Desiree Sorenson-Groves |
June 27, 2008 was the official First Day of Sale for the Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp, a.k.a. the Duck Stamp. This was the 75th time the first stamp was sold to the Director of the FWS by the U.S. Postmaster. In 1934 Postmaster William Mooney sold the very first Federal Duck Stamp to J. N. “Ding” Darling, both the artist and Director of the U.S. Biological Survey, the predecessor to the FWS. NWRA Board member Jim Sprankle, a world-renowned wildfowl wood sculptor, was a judge for this year’s contest and assisted in the ceremony.
The event, held at Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World in Hanover, Maryland, honored 2008-2009 Duck Stamp artist Joe Hautman of Plymouth, Minnesota and eighteen-year-old Junior Duck Stamp artist Seokkyun Hong of Dallas, Texas. Hautman won with his depiction of a pair of northern pintails and Hong for his depiction of a pair of Nene (Hawaiian goose).
The $15 Stamp is not a license but rather a revenue stamp required for all waterfowl hunters age 16 years and older. Proceeds from the sale of stamps help purchase wetland habitat for the National Wildlife Refuge System. The stamp also serves as an entrance pass to those national wildlife refuges with admission fees. Federal Duck Stamp sales have been a vital part of wetland habitat conservation for years. Every U.S. state has at least one national wildlife refuge that has benefited from duck stamp sales. Since 1934, the Duck Stamp has raised more than $700 million creating over 5.2 million acres of waterfowl habitat!
NWRA encourages everyone interested in habitat conservation to purchase a stamp - 98 cents on every dollar goes directly to land acquisition and chances are the refuges you love the most have benefited from the stamp.
Find out how many acres of YOUR refuge were acquired through the Duck Stamp program!
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Small Wetlands Program: Celebrating 50 years of protecting potholes
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This prairie pothole in South Dakota is one of the tens of thousands of potholes protected by the Small Wetlands Program established in 1958. © Paul McIver |
Monitoring the condition of tens of thousands of potholes sounds like it might be a job for your car's navigational GPS. But the prairie potholes protected by the Small Wetlands Program are an essential component of the 36,000 Waterfowl Production Areas (WPAs) scattered primarily across the upper Midwest and Great Plains. These small, often seasonal wetlands and surrounding uplands provide remarkably diverse bird habitat and serve as North America’s “duck factory” – producing 50 percent of the U.S. breeding duck population.
Established to counter a rapidly spreading practice of draining prairie potholes for agricultural use, the Small Wetlands Program traces its origins to the 1958 amendment to the 1934 Migratory Bird Hunting Stamp Act that had launched what became known as the Federal Duck Stamp. The 1958 amendment both refined and expanded the 1934 Act, by requiring that the proceeds from sales of the Federal Duck Stamp be used specifically to secure permanent protection of habitat, eliminating the previously allowed option of directing these funds toward habitat development and maintenance, and by expanding the land acquisition authority to include habitat for both waterfowl production areas and migratory bird refuges.
Half a century later, the Small Wetlands Program encompasses 3 million acres of WPAs -- 18% of Refuge System lands in the lower 48 states. WPAs are administered through 38 Wetland Management Districts as part of a landscape level conservation program that works with surrounding landowners and agencies across multiple jurisdictions.
Waterfowl protection was the impetus for the Small Wetlands Program; but as is often the case in habitat protection, what's good for the goose is not only good for the gander, it is also good for the egrets, sparrows, meadowlarks, and dozens of other species of waterbirds, grassland songbirds, and landbirds -- as well as native plants and invertebrates.
NWRA joins in the celebration of the success of the Small Wetlands Program over the past 50 years and in the recognition that much remains to be done in the face of increasing pressure to convert the remaining prairie wetlands and grasslands to croplands or housing developments. When you purchase a Duck Stamp, you are protecting additional migratory bird habitat – It’s as simple as that! We encourage you to help ensure the continued success of the Small Wetlands Program.
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Refuge Manager and Volunteer Honored by Take Pride in America
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Top: Secretary of Interior Dirk Kempthorne (left) and FWS Director Dale Hall (right) present award to Charles Holbrook (center). Bottom: Secretary Kempthorne and TPIA Executive Director Katie Loovis present award to volunteer Jack Webb. © Department of Interior |
Take Pride in America recognized Charles Holbrook and John “Jack” Webb at the 2008 Take Pride in America National Awards ceremony held Friday, July 18 in Washington, DC. Fifteen individuals and groups from across the country were honored for their outstanding contributions to local, state, and federal public lands.
Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne, Director of the Fish and Wildlife Service Dale Hall and Take Pride in America Executive Director Katie Loovis recognized Charles Holbrook as 2008 Federal Land Manager, an honor presented annually to federal land managers in recognition of their volunteer programs and efforts to recruit volunteers. Holbrook received the National Award for Federal Land Managers for his work as a project leader at Aransas/Matagorda Island National Wildlife Refuge Complex in Austwell, Texas, where he coordinated volunteers of all ages on projects such as trail construction, cleaning campsites, staffing the visitor’s center, planting native plants, and litter removal.
Secretary Kempthorne and Take Pride in America Executive Director Katie Loovis also recognized Jack Webb as a 2008 Take Pride in America National Award Winner for his volunteer work at Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge in Folkston, Georgia. A “jack of all trades,” Webb used his talents as a carpenter, plumber, fundraiser, mechanic, landscaper, electrician and artist, donating more than 10,000 hours of service to the refuge over the past 22 years.
“This is a remarkable group of volunteers,” Secretary Kempthorne said. “These men and women have left lasting legacies of service on our public lands, and truly show the impact that a committed group of volunteers can make on the environment and lands around them.”
Established in 2003 to promote the appreciation and stewardship of public lands, Take Pride in America is a national partnership program of the Department of the Interior. Take Pride in America is active in all fifty states, has partnerships with public, private, and nonprofit organizations, and features Clint Eastwood as its national spokesman. Take Pride in America encourages citizen stewardship through an innovative public awareness campaign and an interactive website that showcases volunteer opportunities at natural and cultural sites. To learn more about Take Pride in America, please visit: www.takepride.gov.
The NWRA congratulates Charles Holbrook, Jack Webb and all of the land managers and volunteers who work so hard to help maintain and preserve our public lands, especially the National Wildlife Refuge System.
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Funding For Refuges Likely Stalled
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House Appropriations Chairman David Obey is unlikely to move the Interior bill which funds the Refuge System by September 30th. © AP Photo |
The appropriations process, at least in the U.S. House of Representatives, is currently stalled and may not resume for the rest of the year. The Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, David Obey (D-WI) has signaled that he is unlikely to move many appropriations bills, including the Interior bill which funds the National Wildlife Refuge System, by the end of the fiscal year, September 30th.
Instead, Congress is likely to pass a Continuing Resolution, or CR, before the fiscal year ends, funding refuges in the new fiscal year (FY09) at the same levels as this fiscal year until Congress can pass the spending bills. However, because this year is an election year, Congress may ultimately not pass FY09 funding for refuges until January.
The Senate Appropriations Committee could address the Interior Appropriations bill next week, but more likely, after the August recess. Even if the Senate and the House were to complete work on the bills and send them to the floor of each chamber for a vote, the President has vowed to veto any spending bills over his budget request for FY09, and it is likely these bills would indeed be over his request.
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Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Border Fence
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Border Fence construction near Buenos Aires NWR in Sasabe, AZ ©Dean Knuth / Arizona Daily Star |
On June 23rd, the Supreme Court rejected a petition that challenged the constitutionality of building a border fence along the U.S. border with Mexico. The suit was the best chance to stop the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from building the 700-mile long fence, some of which will be built on sensitive habitat in the six national wildlife refuges that span the border.
In 2006, Congress passed the Secure Fence Act, mandating that 700 miles of physical fencing be installed along the U.S./Mexico border by the end of 2008. The Act also gave the Secretary of the DHS the ability to waive any law or treaty to erect the fence, including environmental laws such as the National Environmental Policy Act, Clean Water and Clean Air Acts, Refuge Improvement Act, Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 and Endangered Species Act. On April 1, 2008, DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff invoked his ability to waive these laws and was thus able to continue construction unhindered by compliance. At the same time, DHS agreed to pay the Department of the Interior $50 million in mitigation funding which would be used to offset the damage created by the construction.
Refuge lands will be harmed by the construction of the physical barrier and wildlife species including the endangered ocelot and jaguarondi will be unable to access to the Rio Grande River and reach other populations across the border during the breeding season. Construction on the fence at the Lower Rio Grande NWR in southeastern Texas may begin as early as next week and thus far, none of the $50 million has transferred from the DHS to the Department of the Interior for mitigation.
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Investing more than hope in our refuges
By Derrick Z. Jackson
Globe Columnist / July 12, 2008
EVEN AS they praise the purchase of nearly 300 square miles of sugar-industry land by the state of Florida, environmentalists wonder whether this attempt to save Everglades National Park by restoring its water flow will translate into concern for wetlands in general.
"I think people have an understanding of what the Everglades is because it is a national park," said Laurie Wunder, a biologist at Lake Umbagog National Wildlife Refuge in New Hampshire and Maine. "The wildlife refuge system essentially performs similar functions, but refuges are not as recognized in the public eye. I'm not sure if it will translate into that kind of recognition."
Desiree Sorenson-Groves, vice president of government affairs for the National Wildlife Refuge Association, said, "Wildlife refuges are small on the landscape, even though in total size [nearly 100 million acres], they have more land than national parks [84 million acres]. They are like postage stamps compared to parks.
"They are not as iconic like Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons and their majestic views. They are usually low in altitude but high in biodiversity. They contain all the habitat, and they are where all the animals go. Because they are so small, they have lots of pressures on them, such as encroaching development. But because they are not as dramatic, they often end up as a stepchild."
In May, the Cooperative Alliance for Refuge Enhancement, a coalition of 22 groups ranging from the NWRA, the Nature Conservancy, and the Audubon Society to hunting groups and the National Rifle Association detailed in a report to Congress that the underfunded system is deteriorating. The report said the system, currently receiving $434 million a year for operating funds, needs $765 million a year. With budget cuts eliminating 300 jobs in recent years, the operations and maintenance backlog has grown to $3.5 billion. The coalition says 2.3 million acres are being overrun with invasive plant species and the refuges have only about a quarter of the law enforcement needed to protect them and their visitors.
Last month, a House appropriations subcommittee proposed a raise in refuge operations to $469 million. Subcommittee chairman Norm Dicks, a Democrat from Washington state, said, "These refuges have been desperately understaffed, with almost 200 of our wildlife refuges having no staff at all to protect the wildlife and serve the visitors."
Environmentalists are grateful for any extra few million, but in Capitol Hill testimony last fall, NWRA president Evan Hirsche detailed needs that demand many more resources. Hirsche said that half of the 548 refuges do not have a single biologist, which runs contrary to the 1997 Refuge Improvement Act, where Congress said the Secretary of the Interior shall "ensure that the biological integrity, diversity, and environmental health of the system are maintained for the benefit of present and future generations of Americans." Hirsche said there was no active habitat management or wildlife surveys in the refuges along the Potomac River and that nationally, volunteers now do 20 percent of the work in the system.
"The refuge manager explains that he is 'hoping for the best,' for the eagles, herons, and hundreds of bird species" along the Potomac, Hirsche said. "Hoping for the best can't be what the architects of the Refuge Improvement Act had intended."
Hoping for the best will not be good enough in the long run, with wetlands from the Everglades to Umbagog to precious prairie potholes (for migratory waterfowl) likely to be among the first places to feel the effects of global warming. Umbagog, with the help of the Trust for Public Land, is in the middle of a several-year effort to expand the refuge, currently at 21,647 acres, to nearly 70,000 acres, partially to include adjoining upland forests.
"People are becoming aware that having land to complement refuges is important, but it's also hard to put the priority up there against things like healthcare that play an urgent part in society," said Rodger Krussman of the trust. "There's never enough money for conservation. We can always use more." Sorenson-Groves added, "If we could, we could add another 100 million acres to the system."
See article in its original context.
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Friends Focus: Friends of Pool 9
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Friends of Pool 9 members Bob Henkel, Jr. and Troy Hill fill a boatload of trash during the 2008 river clean up day. © Sue Stirn |
Three years old and 400 members strong, the Friends of Pool 9 are making a difference along their 31-mile stretch of the 261-mile Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge (NW&FR). Despite daunting obstacles, the Friends of Pool 9 have made significant improvements to the quality of the refuge, earning praise from refuge staff and cooperation from the local community.
Pool 9 lies primarily in Allamakee County, Iowa in the northeast corner of the state near the Wisconsin and Minnesota borders. It is home to the refuge’s highest concentration of nesting bald eagles and more than 100 species of fish. Established in 1924 in part as a breeding place for migratory birds, the refuge is home to 5,000 great blue heron and common egret nests and more than 600 species of plants.
With countless public recreation opportunities, the river has some other inhabitants as well. The Upper Mississippi River NW&FR saw 3.7 million visitors last year, the most visitors to any refuge in the lower 48. Visitation to the refuge and its seventy adjacent communities brings hundreds of millions in revenue dollars to the region each year. However, people can leave negative marks on the refuge landscape as well, and with just 37 permanent staff for over 240,000 acres, the refuge benefits tremendously from the hard work of refuge friends groups up and down the river.
In 2005, talks between the local community and refuge staff about how to improve the quality of local beaches around Lansing, IA resulted in the formation of a small group of respected area citizens who would eventually become the Friends of Pool 9. The newly formed group collected $10,000 from area residents, rented a barge and a bulldozer, and 165 members volunteered their time and talents to improve fourteen beaches, build 23 beach pockets for campers, and take part in a river clean up.
Two pool-wide clean ups and thousands of volunteer hours later, the group has removed hundreds of barrels and trash from the river. This past spring, 108 volunteers showed up for the group’s second annual clean up despite concerns about higher than normal river levels. In total, volunteers gave over 500 hours of community service that day.
And to prevent garbage in the first place, the Friends implemented the ‘Leave No Trace’ program, installing 27 display boards with accompanying informational brochures and trash bags throughout the landings and beaches of Pool 9. Friends of Pool 9 board member Dan Porter commented on the program’s success, “It appears our Leave No Trace program and the level of concern our beach users show is guiding their environmental conscience.”
Over the past few months, natural disasters have created enormous obstacles for local community members. Allamakee County is among the 78 counties listed under the Presidential Disaster Declaration in response to the floods and tornadoes that devastated Iowa last month. But despite challenges in the community, the Friends of Pool 9 have been able to preserve their group and its mission to improve the quality of the refuge and educate the local community. This week, the group held a ‘Reconnecting Kids/Parents with Nature Day’ with 230 kids, parents, professionals, and volunteers in attendance. The goal was to get kids off the computer and on the Mississippi River to enjoy the excitement of nature.
With a wealth of projects in the works, including a virtual geo-caching activity as well as proposed auto and boat routes, the Friends of Pool 9 don’t seem to be slowing down any time soon. President John Verdon gives praise to the Friends and the teamwork of concerned citizens in the community. “This is a real show of solidarity of all people that live in the Mississippi River valley. They’re anxious to help when it comes to protecting and restoring the natural beauty of the river. I’m proud to be part of the group and the movement it’s creating up and down the river. We are making a difference.”
The Friends of Pool 9 would like to thank Tim Loose and the staff at the Upper Mississippi NF&WR McGregor District for helping them make their goals a reality.
For more information on Friends of Pool 9, contact PO Box 455 Lansing, IA 52151.
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August 8 - Key West NWR, FL and Klamath Lake NWR, OR/CA turn 100
August 18 - Lake Malheur NWR, OR turns 100
August 28 - Chase Lake NWR, ND turns 100
During the winter of 1811-12, a series of some 1,874 recorded tremors within the New Madrid fault dramatically altered the landscape over some 30-50,000 square miles and left Reelfoot Lake (Reelfoot NWR, TN) in its wake.
(source: www.FWS.gov)
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