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help protect NC wetlands and birds



The NC Environmental Management Commission is considering exempting forestry
and agricultural activities from the need to comply with state wetland
protection regulations.  YOUR QUICK EMAIL COULD MAKE A DIFFERENCE and help
protect important wetland habitats from drainage and conversion to pine tree
farms.  About 2 million acres of NC wetlands have been drained and converted
to pine plantations.  If current trends continue, nearly another million
acres of coastal forests will be converted to pine plantations.  An
assessment of the impacts to Watch List bird species of forested wetland
conversion to pine plantations is summarized below.

Send your email to john.dorney@ncmail.net .  State that you OPPOSE THE
EXEMPTION OF FORESTRY AND AGRICULTURE FROM STATE WETLAND RULES.  If you have
time to do more, or want to learn more about the proposal, go to our website
www.southernenvironment.org and click on "act now to save NC wetlands."  A
direct link is provided to comment by email and more detailed reasons
provided to oppose the proposed exemption. 

Harry LeGrand, NC Natural Heritage Program, has assessed the impacts of
predicted conversion of forested wetland to pine plantations on NC coastal
plain "Watch List " birds, those species with the highest conservation
priority as established by Partners in Flight.  Habitat changes of any type
benefit some species at the expense of others.  Extensive drainage and
conversion of forested wetlands to pine plantations harms 22 coastal plain
"Watch List" bird species while benefitting only 3 species.  From a bird
conservation perspective, the implications of converting an addtional
million acres of native forests to pine plantations are tremendous. 

The following birds will be harmed by extensive drainage and conversion of
forested wetlands to pine plantations:

Red-cockaded woodpecker
Black-throated green warbler
Bachman's sparrow
Swainson's warbler
Brown-headed nuthatch
Cerulean warbler
Wood thrush
Hooded warbler
Northern parula
Yellow-throated warbler
Worm-eating warbler
Prothonotary warbler
Louisiana waterthrush
Yellow-billed cuckoo
Red-headed woodpecker
Chuck-will's-widow
Acadian flycatcher
Carolina chickadee
Kentucky warbler
Yellow-throated vireo
Summer tanager
Bald eagle

The following species will benefit:

Prairie warbler
Northern bobwhite
White-eyed vireo

If you have questions, you can email me or ljones@selcnc.org.

Derb S. Carter, Jr.
Senior Attorney
Southern Environmental Law Center
200 West Franklin Street, Suite 330
Chapel Hill, NC 27516
919.967.1450
fax 919.929.9421
derbc@selcnc.org
www.southernenvironment.org