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1) In 1999 Governor Pataki asked to put the Cerulean
Warbler on a list of
species that are of "special concern" in New York State.
http://www.state.ny.us/governor/press/year99/may11_4_99.htm
2) National Geographic News reported in September
23, 2002,
"After more than six years of research,
scientists have named the 500 most
important bird areas in the United States. With a map already
finished and a
book on its way, the researchers hope their list of hotspots will
help focus
conservation projects where birds need them most."
and then:
"Nearly half of the top 500 IBAs (Important
Birding Areas) are prime habitats
for species on the Partners in Flight Watch List, which identifies
birds that
scientists think will be next in line for the endangered species
list, if
nothing is done to protect them. Cerulean warblers and Henslow's
sparrows are
two examples."
3) The Southern Environmental Law Center reported
in 2001:
"Groups Warn of USFWS's Failure to Protect
Songbird
Asheville A coalition of 28 national, regional
and local conservation
organizations who are seeking protected status for the declining
Cerulean
Warbler notified the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today that
the agency's
failure to begin protecting the Cerulean violates the Endangered
Species Act.
The groups, including the National Audubon Society, say the agency
has failed to
respond to the petition they filed in October to list the Cerulean
as a
federally threatened species. The Act requires that before filing
a lawsuit,
citizens must give the agency 60 days notice, which the coalition
did in a
letter sent today.
The Cerulean Warbler, a migratory songbird known
for its brilliant blue plumage
and distinctive song, has declined an average of 4% a year throughout
its
eastern U.S. range for a total loss of 70% over the last three
decades, making
it one of the fastest-disappearing birds in the country. Experts
attribute this
dramatic decline in the U.S. to the destruction and fragmentation
of large
forest tracts, which the Cerulean needs to reproduce in the summer,
and
deforestation in the Andean mountains of South America, where
it spends the
winter. In the U.S., the Cerulean's decline has been the worst
in the core of
its range in the Southeast and Midwest, where the total decline
is about 80%."
(read the full story here: http://www.selcga.org/Newsroom/res_news_2001-03-
12.shtml)
4) And finally, the West Virginia Department
of Natural Resources says this
about the bird:
"Habitat:
Large tracts of mature deciduous forest with
a closed canopy and many large tall
trees are required as habitat by the cerulean warbler. It is found
in a variety
of forest types including bottomland forests, moist cove forests
and dry upland
forests. Although it is poorly understood, the vertical structure
of the canopy,
sub-canopy, middle and understory layers within the forest also
seem to be an
important habitat factor.
Threats and Prospects:
There are several factors that are contributing
to the decline of the cerulean
warbler. Among these are loss of habitat on the species’
breeding and wintering
grounds due to logging and agricultural clearing, loss of habitat
on important
migratory stopover locations, and habitat fragmentation of existing
contiguous
forest. Also, changes in forestry practices allowing for shorter
stand rotation
and even-aged stand management eliminate the large tall trees
that cerulean
warblers require, thus limiting potential habitat."
Note the threat to the warbler caused by the
management practice called "even-
aged stand management" which is what the NYSDEC is proposing
for large portions
of their forests in Putnam County's Highlands.
Is this what we want?
Jeff Green
PlanPutnam
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