PROTECTING HABITAT FOR FUTURE BIRDING

Offered by Bob Hansen ........2/11/99


Actions we can take as birders to improve the chances future birders will have equal birding opportunities and critical habitat. Your thoughts on these and suggestions of other actions we can take are appreciated.

(1) Create data base systems so that folks can do something with their data. In other words, indentify and document specific locations, rather than just birds.

(2) Individual, groups and communities identify critical and rich birding locations.

(3) Document locations with photos and systematic counts

(4) Work with local government agencies and non-profit organizations (e.g., The Nature Conservancy, Trust for Public Lands) to secure long-term protection ( zoning, conservation easements, acquistion)

(5) Serve on local parks boards to create ecology oriented parks, and restoring habitat

(6) Work with local government and utility companies to reduce and minimize costs by modifying vegetation management standards of right-of-ways and public property.

(7) Consider acquiring and eventually donating properties with critical habitat to a group such as The Nature Conservancy, or a governmental parks agency, with stipulations as to how the property shall be managed.

"Formerly one of the premier landbird 'traps' in New England, this small island (Stage Island) has suffered heavy residential development. The resulting loss of habitat and increasingly restricted access have eliminated the birding prospects here--a particularly sad example of what has happened in many portions of Cape Cod." Blair Nikula, "A Birders Guide to Eastern Massachusetts", p. 171