The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service desperately needs your feedback as they craft a new vision for our National Wildlife Refuge System. More important, they WANT your feedback!
The USFWS and the National Wildlife Refuge Association are spearheading a public engagement effort asking we the people to share and vote on ideas that will shape a new vision for wildlife conservation and the 553 wildlife refuges encompassing over 150 million acres of habitat for more than 750 animal and plant species across our mighty National Wildlife Refuge System. To that end, the principals have created a terrific site called Conserving the Future: Refuges and the Next Generation to elicit votes and comments. The results will inform a vision document to be adopted in July 2011 at a national conference to guide the NWR system for wildlife protection into the next decade and beyond.
If you are a North American birder, you should make your voice heard.
Paul J. Baicich, one of our most passionate proponents of American birding conservation — misguided though he is on the topic of the Duck Stamp 😉 — has identified the Bold Ideas presented on the Conserving the Future site that deal specifically with birds and birding issues. Here are the top 11 (I really like #11) in order of popularity with the number of votes and comments each has accrued as of March 15:
- Make the communication of environmental sustainability a high priority of the NWRs and USFWS (131 votes, 6 comments)
- Raise public awareness of the trade-off between economic growth and wildlife conservation (98 votes, 3 comments)
- Grasslands need renewed emphasis in the Refuge System (89 votes, 4 comments)
- Create a migratory bird conservation stamp (i.e., Duck Stamp) for wildlife observers (81 votes, 12 comments)
- Create a photography permit allowing regulated off-trail access to refuges (80 votes, 15 comments)
- Christmas Bird Count for Kids – A half day free family event with partners @ all USFG visitor centers (46 votes, 5 comments)
- Establish partnership(s) with national birding conservation orgs. to bring kids onto/into NWRs (44 votes, 2 comments)
- Create collectable stamps or cards for all of the mammals and birds for each state or refuge (19 votes, 3 comments)
- Create “mini refuges” when planning commercial development (19 votes, 1 comment)
- Every refuge hosts an International Migratory Bird Day program or event to increase involvement (7 votes, 1 comment)
- Traveling exhibits such as WNS, endangered and invasive species instead of just stagnant exhibits (6 votes, 1 comment)
No doubt you’ll find, as I did, some issues that really resonate with you. You may even have some profound insights that need to be shared in this public forum. I’m extremely grateful to Paul for taking the initiative in raising awareness of this NWR campaign. His underlying point should be well taken by all of us: Birders and bird-educators could have an impact on the future of the Refuge System. They may weigh in to make their voices heard…..or not.
Log in (they have an easy Facebook option) to spend your 20 votes and unlimited comments to shape the future of the National Wildlife Refuge system!Rich Text AreaToolbarBold (Ctrl + B)Italic (Ctrl + I)Strikethrough (Alt + Shift + D)Unordered list (Alt + Shift + U)Ordered list (Alt + Shift + O)Blockquote (Alt + Shift + Q)Align Left (Alt + Shift + L)Align Center (Alt + Shift + C)Align Right (Alt + Shift + R)Insert/edit link (Alt + Shift + A)Unlink (Alt + Shift + S)Insert More Tag (Alt + Shift + T)Toggle spellchecker (Alt + Shift + N)?
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The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service desperately needs your feedback as they craft a new vision for our National Wildlife Refuge System. More important, they WANT your feedback!
The USFWS and the National Wildlife Refuge Association are spearheading a public engagement effort asking we the people to share and vote on ideas that will shape a new vision for wildlife conservation and the 553 wildlife refuges encompassing over 150 million acres of habitat for more than 750 animal and plant species across our mighty National Wildlife Refuge System. To that end, the principals have created a terrific site called Conserving the Future: Refuges and the Next Generation to elicit votes and comments. The results will inform a vision document to be adopted in July 2011 at a national conference to guide the NWR system for wildlife protection into the next decade and beyond.
If you are a North American birder, you should make your voice heard.
Paul J. Baicich, one of our most passionate proponents of American birding conservation — misguided though he is on the topic of the Duck Stamp 😉 — has identified the Bold Ideas presented on the Conserving the Future site that deal specifically with birds and birding issues. Here are the top 11 (I really like #11) in order of popularity with the number of votes and comments each has accrued as of March 15:
Make the communication of environmental sustainability a high priority of the NWRs and USFWS (131 votes, 6 comments)
Raise public awareness of the trade-off between economic growth and wildlife conservation (98 votes, 3 comments)
Grasslands need renewed emphasis in the Refuge System (89 votes, 4 comments)
Create a migratory bird conservation stamp (i.e., Duck Stamp) for wildlife observers (81 votes, 12 comments)
Create a photography permit allowing regulated off-trail access to refuges (80 votes, 15 comments)
Christmas Bird Count for Kids – A half day free family event with partners @ all USFG visitor centers (46 votes, 5 comments)
Establish partnership(s) with national birding conservation orgs. to bring kids onto/into NWRs (44 votes, 2 comments)
Create collectable stamps or cards for all of the mammals and birds for each state or refuge (19 votes, 3 comments)
Create “mini refuges” when planning commercial development (19 votes, 1 comment)
Every refuge hosts an International Migratory Bird Day program or event to increase involvement (7 votes, 1 comment)
Traveling exhibits such as WNS, endangered and invasive species instead of just stagnant exhibits (6 votes, 1 comment)
No doubt you’ll find, as I did, some issues that really resonate with you. You may even have some profound insights that need to be shared in this public forum. I’m extremely grateful to Paul for taking the initiative in raising awareness of this NWR campaign. His underlying point should be well taken by all of us: Birders and bird-educators could have an impact on the future of the Refuge System. They may weigh in to make their voices heard…..or not.
Log in (they have an easy Facebook option) to spend your 20 votes and unlimited comments to shape the future of the National Wildlife Refuge system!
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Thanks for the info. I logged on and voted for a birding conservation stamp (#4 above). I’ve long advocated for a habitat stamp strickly for birders as some of us don’t want to be labeled as hunters. Personally I’m very stubborn on this issue (not that I have anything against hunters)…but the minute they make a birding stamp, I’ll buy two!
I’m in full agreement with you, Jack Daw!