Hello Ned, I do think I should get one "free pass" here to respond to Liz's concerns:

There are a number of solutions to our energy dilemma, none of which involve drilling for more oil. In our family, both of our vehicles are hybrids, for which we paid a healthy extra initial investment. Over a few years time we have probably made that up in savings at the pump. If enough hybrids were manufactured and everyone in the USA were to drive hybrids we would be able to do without offshore drilling completely and cut back on drilling on land as well. The last time I was at our auto dealership (in Ohio, by the way) they had about 50 hybrids sitting on the lot, so it isn't hard to buy one. A huge amount of gas is expended in the USA in mowing areas when allowing successional growth would be a much better use of the land, even in such places as Ohio State Parks and Nature Preserves. And of course there are many sources of renewables that we have hardly even begun to tap. 

I think my post may have been misunderstood. I did not mean we should remove all birds in the Gulf from the wild, just a small sampling of the most at risk populations to prepare for what dire circumstances might very well be coming. I am not a big fan of disturbing wildlife for scientific reasons, one of the reasons I have never gotten into banding. I have conducted most of my studies of breeding birds while trying to cause as little disturbance as possible. Once I find a nest I usually try just sitting as still as possible and then watching to see what transpires.  

Best regards,
Frank Renfrow
Fort Thomas, KY






-----Original Message-----
From: Liz Marchio <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: Sun, Jun 6, 2010 4:07 am
Subject: Re: [Ohio-birds] Gulf Bird Recovery Plan (or at least a small piece of one):


Hi. I'm wondering what kind of oil drilling you are OK with. I too am against oil drilling but I also understand the intense need for it. Our culture literally runs on oil. I suppose my real question to you is, have you helped decrease the demand for oil drilling by using less oil-based products? Less plastic bags at the grocery? Less plastic containers? Less gasoline? 

This may sound accusatory, and well, it is. Everyone is screaming for more limits on oil drilling, and even coming up with great ideas such as yours. BUT bottom line is they are still adding to the demand by driving around and using the product. Supply and demand. Out of one side of the mouth- telling the companies to stop supplying oil then the other side of the mouth- buying their product... hat does not make sense. If you are a bike commuter, I'm sorry to have even e-mailed you, but that is pertinent information given the nature of your article.

If there are other obvious forms of obtaining oil that I am missing, please feel free to point it out to me. As far as I know, there really aren't any "safe" or "environmentally sound" ways to do it. 

Also, I want to point out to you that the mitigation practices you're outlining for captive bird populations to "save" the animals will only lead to more drilling. If we can put all of one species into a captive facility, we're basically removing them from the areas we're trying to protect for them. Without them there, it's a free for all. I know your motives behind the idea but in my experience as a Ichthyologist, mitigation does not so any good for wild animals. In Idaho, where I spent my summer, mitigation practices are ruining the salmon runs. Because they know how to breed salmon in captivity and their numbers are decent even with the killer dam system on the Columbia, they will do nothing to help the wild stock. The mitigation via hatcheries has completed the circle and all too soon no wild fish will ever run that system. Hatchery fish are very nearly out competing the wild forms today. I'm just saying, lets learn from that mistake and not make the area free from the animals that need it. Yes, some will have to die to get the point across. Most Americans don't seem to understand the intensity of a situation unless death is involved. 

I look forward to hearing your reply.

All the best,
Liz Marchio


 




From: Frank Renfrow <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: Sat, June 5, 2010 10:24:47 PM
Subject: [Ohio-birds] Gulf Bird Recovery Plan (or at least a small piece of one):

Gulf Bird Recovery Plan (or at least a small piece of one):

Having watched with continuing dismay and horror the unfolding tragedy in the Gulf of Mexico, I feel it is time that concerned persons in the ornithological and birding communities of North America should begin to anticipate what ultimately will be the results of this ongoing catastrophe. What might help in at least some small way would be to begin work to formulate a plan to restore the populations of avian species which are most likely to become imperiled. As someone who has spoken out before on issues political in nature but of real import for the future of our birds I expect that my future ability to post on some of the birding listservs may well be hampered by expressing my opinions in those formats. I have been troubled in the past that many state birding listservs have narrowed our free speech rights in this regard, even though many of the list administrators are employed by state and federally funded universities or even more directly by various government entities. I have in the past spoken out strongly against all offshore oil drilling, particularly of the deep water variety, mountaintop removal and the destruction of our forests and wetlands. I hope that with this horrendous ongoing calamity unfolding before our eyes, the birding communities will finally wake up and realize that the environmental movement is in actuality their movement, as well as everyone else that is interested in seeing our Earth continue as a living planet. 

On to the small piece of a  plan:

The rehabilitation of birds already sickened by the oil is a noble cause but might not be of much help to the ultimate goal of saving the bird populations in the Gulf area. On the other hand, fish and wildlife agencies do have invaluable resources that can be brought to bear for a Gulf Bird Recovery Plan. Universities, research facilities, environmental organizations, independent ornithologists and birding hobbyists all have an important role to play. Captive breeding plans have been used in the past for species and subspecies on the brink of extinction. These have met with some limited success even though until this time they have only begun when the species is on the verge of extinction. The more limited the gene pool is that is left to draw from and the more compromised the health of the captive breeding stock the less likelihood there is for recovery. That is why it is imperative to start now while there are still thousands of healthy birds to draw from among populations in the Gulf. 

Here is a basic outline for what I would suggest to be a good course of action:

            1. A detailed analysis should be undertaken of which species of birds having breeding populations along the Gulf are at the greatest risk of imminent extirpation by the oil spill. A consortium of the above-mentioned groups needs to bring their best minds to bear to do this quickly. Endemic Gulf of Mexico subspecies and local populations with the most distinct distinguishing characteristics from other populations of their species in unaffected areas need to be given highest priority. This list would also be prioritized in the order of those species that have highest exposure to water, shoreline or wetland habitats. Songbirds and other land bird species need to be evaluated as well, as there may be unforeseen risks to localized populations of these as well. Bird species that are more sedentary in nature are especially at risk as the likelihood is lower of other members of their species coming in from surrounding areas to fill a void. 

            2. Fish and wildlife officials need to oversee an extensive capture program of what is determined to be a viable number of healthy individuals to continue the gene pool in these at risk subspecies and local populations. 

            3. The captured birds will need to be “warehoused” in captivity, in enclosed aviaries, zoos, and other available institutions. Captive breeding programs would have to be maintained for these birds. It is likely that a good percentage of the species will not be conducive to captive breeding but there should be a significant percentage that could be maintained for some time in this fashion. Such facilities will likely have to hold these captive populations for a long period, probably for years until their home territories are down to an acceptable level of toxic exposure that is closer to what those species had already been dealing with prior to the oil spill. 

            4. Migratory birds not nesting in the Gulf but passing through need to be studied closely for ongoing health issues that might affect their population numbers as well. Oil has an insidious way of working its way through the food chain and toxic pollution of the air could be a factor during long flights over the Gulf by so many of our migratory bird species. 

That is the nutshell of my proposal of a Gulf Bird Recovery Plan (or at least small piece of one). It’s not much and it might not work, but at least it’s something to think about trying. I hope that it might stir others to think about what we can do as we go forward. I am interested to hear what other elements others might want to incorporate into the plan. 

And let us not forget the big picture:

There also needs to be a complete and immediate international ban on all deep water drilling worldwide. Also, we must stop the use of toxic dispersants. The “remedy” may well be worse than the “cure” in this case. It goes without saying that all oil spill clean-up efforts that are of a non-toxic nature will need to be vigorously increased and then maintained for many years to come. Oil from the Exxon-Valdez continues to contaminate Prince William Sound and that was just the tip of the iceberg compared to this one. It has become increasingly clear that we cannot continue to just hope for the best, but we must prepare for the worst, as all signs indicate that the worst is yet to come. 


Frank Renfrow
Fort Thomas, KY




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______________________________________________________________________

Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society.
Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list.
Additional discussions can be found in our forums, at www.ohiobirds.org/forum/.

You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at:
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