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Gleanings from the forest and the web



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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