Conservation Issues

Important Bird Areas in Westchester, January 2005

Conservation - Long Island Sound, September 2004

Invasive Species, May 2004

Conservation - Long Island Sound, May 2004

Good News on the Conservation Front, Nov, 2003

Animals of Long Island Sound, May, 2003

Reduce Oil Consumption, March, 2003

Time Garbage Takes to Decompose, Jan, 2003

Conservation - The Power of One, Jan, 2003

Rye Golf Club Salt Marsh Restoration Project, Nov, 2002

From the Natural Resources Defense Council, Nov, 2002

Some Fine Points of Recycling, Nov, 2002

20/20 Vision: A Culture of Conservation, Sept, 2002

Beetle Alert, Sept, 2002

Conservation - Important Bird Areas in Westchester County

On November 17 at the Greenwich Audubon Center, The Westchester County Bird Area Program Advisory Committee met at the behest of Dr. Jack Robbins, Deputy Commissioner of the Westchester Parks Department. The committee is charged with "developing, overseeing, and monitoring conservation programs to enhance, protect, and promote Important Bird Areas throughout Westchester, with a view towards migration patterns, propagation, habitat protection, and natural resource management for the bird species of interest to Audubon New York." Attending were participants from Bronx River/Sound Shore Audubon, Central Westchester Audubon, Wildlife Conservation Society, Audubon New York and the Westchester Parks and Recreation Commission.

Dr. Robbins summarized the work that the parks department had done in preparation for the achievement of the objectives of the meeting, including the development of a species profile for each of the six named IBA's/ Westchester Parks and a Westchester County endangered species list.
Mike Burger of Audubon New York made a presentation of the continuing process that established the criteria for IBA designation as well as the ongoing verification and refinement of the data to keep IBA profiles current. Mike distributed copies of the profiles for each of the 6 Weschester IBA's and requested input and correction to data Some corrections were provided and the parks department representatives will review the profiles and forward any additional observations to Mike's office.

Some exciting new information included: the creation of a "Lower Hudson River Eagle Wintering Important Bird Area." This park will run from Croton Point park to Beacon, New York and is to include George's Island Park, a favorite roosting area for Bald Eagles.

With respect to David's Island, the county would like to purchase this property and turn it into a park. Cleanup costs are estimated at up to $20 million in addition to the purchase price.

Westchester County has identified 1700 acres of additional land to conserve and protect.
Sandra Maraffino of BR/SS Audubon has completed a well-documented shorebird survey.

Dr. Robbins closed the meeting by stating he was encouraged by the input and participation and called for a follow-up conference. It was agreed to meet at Croton Point in January, possible on a Monday afternoon. Ms. Amie Worley will coordinate.

Westchester's IBA's currently include Edith G. Read Wildlife Sanctuary, Butler Sanctuary, Huckleberry Island, Lower Hudson River, Marshlands Conservancy and Ward Pound Ridge.

Nominations for additional IBA's in the county can be sent to Audubon New York for consideration

.-- Peter da Silva

Conservation - Long Island Sound

The Long Island Stewardship Act of 2004, sponsored by Senator Joseph Lieberman is moving through Congress. If and when it is passed it will provide $40 million a year: 75% federal funds matched by 25% local funds. Its intent is to improve the Sound's coastlines for wildlife and increase public access. Support is promised by all four Senators from both New York and Connecticut, plus the five Connecticut representatives and eight of the 29 representatives for New York. Presently only 40% of the LIS coastline can be reached for fishing, boating and birding; habitat for the 135 bird species that make the Sound their home is being eroded. Audubon for 15 years has been an active advocate for the sound. The Long Island sound Stewardship system, working with the EPA, New York and Connecticut, is working to identify a network of significant ecological sites in and around the Sound. The proposed Cross-Sound Cable is included in the discussions.

--Louise Jones

Invasive Species

In the April-May magazine of the National Wildlife Federation, there is a warning about the butterfly bush (Buddleia davidii) which can grow to 10 ft and is commonly planted to attract butterflies. This is a non-native species that can become invasive. Better choices include asters, phlox, goldenrod, milkweed, coreopsis, dianthus, blazing star and joe-pye weed, all perennials. Annuals include nasturtium, marigolds, cosmos and zinnias.

Conservation - Long Island Sound

"Long Island Sound, an Owner's Manual" has been released by Wainwright House, located on the Sound in Rye. The fold-out leaflet is loaded with suggestions for us homeowners, and apartment owners too, to help clean up the Sound and keep it clean. First, it suggests safer alternatives to the harsh chemicals in our household cleansers: use boric acid to kill roaches, table salt with baking soda and water to clean ovens, lemon oil with linseed oil as furniture polish. Detergents with phosphorus are to be avoided (read the label again). Paper diapers, sanitary napkins and plastics belong in the garbage, not the toilet. Most important there is a warning against putting acids of any kind, such as oven cleaners, paints and paint cleaners, wood preservatives, pesticides, etc. down the drain or in the garbage; take those, and batteries, to the twice yearly Hazardous Waste collections at WCC or Playland. "Toxics in the House" is available from the Westchester County Health Dept. at 914-285-3072.

To feed our gardens the suggestions include using composted vegetables, grass clipping and leaves, which also reduces landfill garbage. Biodynamic gardening information can be had by calling the Cooperative Extension or Biodynamic Gardening Association at 215-3227-2420.

For more information about the Sound check out tne Long Island Sound Study's web site at http://www.longislandsoundstudy.net . The site highlights new Sound projects and other programs of interest to the environmental community.

---Louise Jones

Good News on the Conservation Front

In August, the Open Space Institute bought ten thousand acres of forest, mountains and lakes in northeast New York's Essex County to protect the headwaters of the Hudson River. The $8.5 million purchase was made fromTexas Chemical Company and NNL Industries that had been mining titanium in the area. It caps a 10-year effort by Moe Martens, president of Open Space Institute, which over the years has bought and protected 500 thousand acres of forest and open space in the state. Six thousand acres of the parcel will be kept "forever wild" guaranteed by the New York State Constitution; 400 acres, containing the abandoned village of Adirondac, will be designated an Historic District within Adirondack Park and 3,000 acres will be sold as protected working forest to a timber company.

-- Louise Jones

Animals of Long Island Sound

A Conference Sponsored byThe Long Island Sound Watershed Alliance
The Long Island Sound conference on March 29th focused on the plight of the animals who live, not very comfortably, in the Estuary off our shores. The seven speakers reported on various aspects of the increasing threats to the health of animals such as crustaceans, terrapins and shellfish, which have been declining in numbers in recent years.

The most dramatic and disturbing news is the recent lobster die-off which has been occurring mainly in the western section of the Sound, near the Narrows, and has put lobster fishermen out of work. The number of native crabs countrywide is dramatically down, due to predation by introduced species, and shellfish, such as quahogs studied off Staten Island, are showing alarming signs of parasitic attack. Diamond back terrapins, once plentiful in Oyster Bay harbor, have been producing fewer young in recent years.

There are three theories for the plight of these species: pesticides, parasites and environmental change. The changing environment - global warming- is believed to be the major culprit. Increasing temperatures have caused unusually warm water, well above the lobsters' tolerance. Introduced species, many brought here in the water ballast of foreign ships, were noted as an increasing problem. One speaker estimated that 10 thousand types arrive in U.S. harbors every day. Studies in San Francisco Bay have shown that these new creatures such as toads, shipworm, zebra mussels, and plants such as purple loosestrife in wetlands, alter the environment, bring pathogens, and compete with and prey on native species.

The bad news about the animals was encouragingly countered by a video trip through underwater landscapes of the Sound showing good numbers of fin fish such as striped bass, scup and flounder. A recent trawler survey of the Sound proposed that, with proper management in rebuilding, there is hope for a positive response. There was a warning, however, that "chemical cleaning" is not the same as biological cleaning.

We were also treated to LI Sound history lesson by Tom Anderson author of the book, This Fine Piece of Water.

---Louise N. Jones

Reduce Oil Consumption

Vehicle fuel efficiency standards have not been changed in 15 years. (27.5 MPG for cars and 20.7 for SUV's and light trucks).

Today half of the vehicles sold are SUV's and others classified as light trucks so gas usage per mile traveled has, on average, increased rather than decreased in the last fifteen years.
Yet, automakers today have the technology to raise standards to a combined 40 MPG for new cars and light trucks.

If this were done over the next decade, we would ultimately save more oil each year than we imported from the Persian Gulf in 2001. This begins to give us the independence from Middle East oil that is so desirable, especially when combined with other conservation measures.

Unfortunately the administration has proposed legislation that would improve efficiency by only 1.5 MPG over the next five years! Clearly this must be raised. Express your viewpoint. Write to Senators Clinton and Schumer and Congresswoman Lowey to press for higher fuel efficiency standards.

-- Peter da Silva

Time Garbage Takes to Decompose

Glass bottle - 1 million years
Plastic beverage bottle - 450 years
Disposable diaper - 450 years
Foamed plastic cup - 50 years
Plastic bag 10-20 years
Cigarette filter 1-5 years
Apple core - 2 months
Help keep our planet clean. Dispose of garbage carefully. Recycle all appropriate items.

Conservation - The Power of One

Many of us think that individually we can do relatively little to protect our environment yet all the while knowing that conservation is the single most important thing we can do for ourselves and all living things. We underestimate the power of One. Each of us can do a lot to protect our environment by doing a few simple things.
1. Support family planning here and in other countries. The current human growth rate is not sustainable if we want to maintain our quality of life.
2. Conserve the resources that we have:
Turn off unneeded lights.
Reduce the number of trips to shops by grouping banking, groceries, laundry and pharmacy, etc. visits together.
Reduce oil consumption by proper insulation and sensible thermostat settings.
Take public transportation or car pool.
3. Re-cycle as much as you can, no pun intended, for it takes only half the energy to recycle an aluminum can as it does to manufacture one.
4. Support development of alternatives to fossil fuels and the companies that pioneer their development. The sooner we have non-polluting fuels, the healthier we will be.Think also of the freedom from Middle East oil.
Now multiply the reduction of pressure on our environment achieved by one by all of us and the benefits are staggering. You've got more power to affect conservation than you think.

--Peter da Silva

Rye Golf Club Salt Marsh Restoration Project

We have been following a proposal to restore a portion of the salt marsh at the golf club which has been reduced by the spread of the common reed (Phragmites Australia). The proposed restoration would have a number of environmental impacts while the change proposed would not be permanent.

In the meantime, at least four uncommon bird species, including the King Rail, have been seen breeding in this area. If the Phragmites is removed, they will not return to the affect area.
Jack Robbins, of Westchester County Parks, Recreation and Conservation Department has informed us that the proposal has been revised and invited our comments. We thank him and as soon as we have the new proposal we will study it and provide a response.

--- Peter da Silva

From the Natural Resources Defense Council

We are being made increasingly aware of a number of proposals to dismantle several environmental safeguards to clean water which have taken decades to put in place. Proposals have been made to weaken requirements to treat raw sewage, clean up polluted waters and keep solid waste out of our waters and wetlands.

You can help by: Sending a message to the Chair, White House council on Environmental Quality through the NRDC's Earth Action Center at http://www.mrdc.org/action/ or:

Send a letter explaining your own reasons why the administration should stop attempting to weaken the clean water act to: James L. Connaugton, Chair, White House Council on Environmental Quality, 722 Jackson Place, NW, Washington, DC 20503. Fax: 202-456-6546.

One of the most disturbing alerts received is that the administration has given approval for the Navy to begin deploying the new low frequency active (LFA) sonar system across 75% of the world's oceans. The unbelievably strong (235 decibels) sonar uses underwater loud speakers to blast the oceans, then waits for a response.

At close range these intense shock waves destroy whales eardrums, cause their lungs to hemorrhage and even kill. At further distances, the noise can result in permanent hearing loss to marine mammals after a single transmission and causes whales to swerve from their migration routes. Tests made 2 years ago in the Bahamas caused a mass stranding and deaths of individuals from 3 species. Please help by making a contribution online to defray legal action to stop the Navy at: http://www.NRDC.org/joingive/join/LFA2.asp .

-- Peter da Silva

Some Fine Points of Recycling

Here are some recycling requirements that you may not be aware of:
- Recycle rinsed food and beverage cans, clean aluminum foil trays and empty aerosol cans. No need to remove labels. Discard plastic caps in the trash.
- Remove all caps from glass containers. Discard plastic caps in the trash and place metal caps in your recycle bin.
- Plastic containers coded 1 or 2 can be recycled. Put their plastic caps in the trash.
- Do not place any plastic item larger than a gallon milk jug in the recycling bin, even if it is coded 1 or 2. Large plastic containers clog the processing system.
- Do not put plastic bags in your recycle bin. They contaminate the load and have to be removed at taxpayers' expense. If you save your recyclables in plastic bags, just dump them in your bin and throw out or reuse the plastic bags.
- Plastic items such as dishware and plastic toys of any kind are contaminants. In fact, plastic items that are not containers are not appropriate for your recycle bin.
- Brown corrugated cardboard boxes must be cleaned of excessive amounts of plastic tape. Flatten and place all corrugated boxes inside another corrugated box and place all brown bags inside another brown bag. No need to remove staples.
- Don't forget to recycle magazines, junk mail, catalogs and phone books. The heavy stuff really counts towards decreasing our waste disposal bills.
If you want more information, you can call the County Recycling Hotline at (914)813-5420.

20/20 Vision: A Culture of Conservation

In 1995, the Audubon Society called for its membership to embrace a culture of conservation. The 20/20 vision is the implementation strategy which is focused on two major elements: the establishment of Audubon Centers and the focus on education. It is a lofty vision grounded in basic logic: "To restore the natural ecosystems, focusing on birds, other wildlife and their habitats, for the benefit of humanity and the earth's biological diversity."

Since the environment is shared by all of our lives and that of all the earth's inhabitants are are interconnected in countless ways, it is to our benefit to understand our environment in order to protect it.

What better place to begin that process that at an Audubon Center. Audubon Centers are places in their communities that include natural open space, permanent facilities and people. They are places where families can watch wildlife, explore and play outdoors together or on their own engage in conservation action, restore a wetland, learn how to landscape to attract birds and butterflies or address local conservation issues. The network of Audubon centers is growing and it is hoped that they will provide the understanding that will motivate us to care for the world around us.
The protection of natural resources is not just petitioning the government to preserve a pristine wilderness in Alaska but also to preserve as much of the natural world in our own communities as we can. Visit and enjoy an Audubon Center near you.

-- Peter da Silva

Beetle Alert

Have you seen the Asian Longhorned Beetle. This destructive insect is a serious threat to trees in New England. It has been found in NYC and Chicago. This insect kills trees. Maple trees are its favorite host. Almost 7,000 trees have been cut down in the infested areas to eradicate it. It is easy to recognize. It is a large (3/4 to 1 1/2 in. long), shiny black beetle with white spots and long black and white banded antennae. We must limit its spread. If you see this beetle, call 1-800-554-4501. For more information visit: www.uvm.edu/albeetle.