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Gleanings from the forest and the web
- To: carolinabirds@duke.edu
- Subject: Gleanings from the forest and the web
- From: Joshua Stuart Rose <jsr6@duke.edu>
- Date: Thu, 26 Oct 2000 18:02:38 -0400 (EDT)
- Sender: carolinabirds-owner@acpub.duke.edu
Hi Carolinabirders,
Spent yesterday in my backyard grading exams, and today accompanied a
chunk of the biodiversity class I TA to the Korstian Division of Duke
Forest in Orange County. Winter species have taken over in all
departments. My yard had a few Ruby-crowned Kinglets, a vast number of
Golden-crowneds, several White-throated Sparrows, and a very active and
vocal duo of Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers in combat. Also a sudden influx of
Mourning Doves; at least 10, after seeing only a pair or two at any one
time all spring and summer. Migrants, maybe? In the Korstian Division
today, many more Golden-crowns, a Brown Creeper, a Hairy Woodpecker, and
a Winter Wren. Also a couple of dragonflies and a Mourning Cloak
butterfly.
Good and bad news on the web. In Virginia, the state government has
finally stopped insisting that Horseshoe Crabs were not being overfished,
and will abide by the quotas on which every other Atlantic state has
agreed, so hopefully shorebirds on the Atlantic flyway will have ample
food (from that one source, anyway) for the foreseeable future. This from
the VA-bird listserv at
http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/VABD.html#972481679
On the West Nile Virus front, researchers have found that the virus can
be transmitted between crows in the laboratory, i.e. with NO mosquitoes
present! Perhaps this explains why the rampant spraying for mosquitoes in
the northeastern US has not stopped or even slowed the spread of the
virus. Details at
http://www.enn.com/news/wire-stories/2000/10/10262000/reu_wnv_39594.asp
Meanwhile, the American Bird Conservancy has issued a statement that says
that not only does spraying not slow the spread of WNV, it actually
*accelerates* it! Not only does the spray affect mosquito predators more
strongly than it affects mosquitoes themselves, apparently it also
weakens bird immune systems, making them more suceptible to infection.
You can read the ABC's full statement on the BIRDCHAT archives at
http://listserv.arizona.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind0010d&L=birdchat&F=&S=&P=5468
As WNV has now reached North Carolina, we should keep this information in
mind, and not let the Carolinas make the same mistakes that the
northeastern states have...
Lastly, a friend sent me the message below about the fight against chip
mills. For those who don't already know this, chip mills advance the
treatment of forests as agriculture instead of ecosystems. They promote
the replacement of natural, healthy, diverse, older forests with
monocultures of young Loblolly Pine that have almost no other plant
species and relatively few animals, and allow harvesting of pines at even
younger ages than traditional timber practices, further decreasing
biodiversity. Anyone who thinks we need habitat for bird species other
than Pine Warbler and Brown-headed Nuthatch (two of the ten or so species
that can actually survive in Loblolly plantations), call the Governor at
the number below and urge him to protect North Carolina's forests!
Good birding,
Josh
Joshua S. Rose
Duke University
Department of Biology (Zoology, R.I.P.)
jsr6@acpub.duke.edu
http://www.duke.edu/~jsr6/
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Mon, 23 Oct 2000 19:10:54 -0700 (PDT)
From: Corvallis Environmental Center <ecenter@peak.org>
To: enviro@peak.org
Subject: HELP STOP CHIP MILLS FROM DESTROYING SOUTHEAST FORESTS
To: All Activists
From: Kelly Sheehan, American Lands' Southeast Organizer
Date: October 19, 2000
HELP STOP CHIP MILLS FROM DESTROYING SOUTHEAST FORESTS
The movement to stop the proliferation of chipmills and the expansion of
industrial forestry in the South has seen tremendous success in the past
year. Chipmills, like giant pencil sharpeners, grind whole trees into
chips for pulp, paper and particle board. The expansion of the timber
industry in the South in the past 10 years accounts for all of their
expansion in this country.
The strategy being used to address this issue is a call for state
moratoria on any new and expanding mills throughout the South, using
federal and state studies on the impacts of chipping operations to
generate citizen pressure and legislative reform, challenging permits
for new mills, and market-based strategies to reduce the corporate
demand for pulp, paper, and particle board.
Missouri enacted a 2 year moratorium on new and expanding mills last
April, and since then Willamette Industries is leaving the state citing
the political climate as a reason. A four agency federal study of the
impacts of chip mills and industrial forestry is now underway. Similar
state studies are happening in VA, NC, and ongoing in Missouri.
The North Carolina study is near completion and the Department of
Environment and Natural Resources is about to make their recommendations
for action to the governor. The study clearly indicates that our forests
are in grave danger and that we need moratorium on new and expanding
mills until forest protection policies are in place.
Take Action: Call North Carolina Governor Hunt at 1(800)662-7952 and
recommend that he immediately enact a moratorium on new and expanding
chip mills in North Carolina until comprehensive forest protection
policies can be enacted.
DAY OF ACTION AGAINST STAPLES NOVEMBER 15
A campaign is being launched to challenge the office supply industry for
their egregious consumption of virgin pulp and paper, calling on them to
sell only post- consumer recycled and tree free paper products. A day
of action against Staple's will take place on November 15 and activists
are encouraged to hold demonstrations, call the CEO, write and fax
letters, and alert the media. For more info, contact Kelly Sheehan,
Southeast Organizer, American Lands, mailto:sheehan1@mindspring.com,
828.698.2422
CITIZENS CHALLENGE UNSUSTAINABLE LOGGING INDUSTRY ACROSS THE SOUTH
Litigation and citizen pressure are challenging a permit for a Homanit
chipmill in Montgomery county, North Carolina and a Godfrey mill in
Stokes county, North Carolina. In addition, activists are challenging
the expansion of a Willamette pulp mill in Kingsport, TN that would
triple the mill's capacity, resulting in more destruction of southern
forests for pulp and paper.
The story of the groundswell of resistance to the expansion of chipmills
in the South has received significant media attention in the past year.
Front page articles have been printed in the Wall Street Journal,
Washington Post, and New York Times. Stories have run on CNN, Jim
Lehrer News Hour, and in Sports Afield, Outdoor Life, Mother Jones, and
Outside magazines. Nearly every paper in NC and TN have editorialized
in favor of protecting the South's forests.
Our coalitions are growing rapidly. In the past year, 7 of the largest
whitewater companies have formed a corporate alliance that is calling
for a moratorium on chipmills across the south. Religious leaders are
also speaking out against the destruction of southern forests. The
Commission on Religion in Appalachia (CORA), an organization of state
council of churches from 19 states across Appalachia, has joined the
campaign to call for forest protection. Last week they requested a face
to face meeting with each of the presidential candidates on the issue.
To find out more or to join the effort to stop the expansion of
industrial forestry in the South, contact Dogwood Alliance,
828/697-1998, mailto:info@dogwoodalliance.org,
http://www.dogwoodalliance.org.
Steve Holmer
Campaign Coordinator
American Lands
726 7th Street SE
Washington, D.C. 20003
202/547-9105
202/547-9213 fax
mailto:wafcdc@americanlands.org
http://www.americanlands.org
To subscribe or unsubscribe please send a message to
mailto:wafcdc@americanlands.org ..............
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This message has been posted to the list ENVIRO. This is an
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coordinated by the Corvallis Environmental Center, an organization
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