Latest News and Updates from Audubon in California
California Condor. Photo: Scott Frier/USFWS
Over the objections of Audubon California and other conservation organizations, Congress over the weekend passed major water infrastructure legislation that included last-minute language that has the potential to undermine the Endangered Species Act and destabilize the wetland habitat that millions of birds need to survive.
The issue was difficult, because members of Congress were eager to pass the larger Water Resources Development Act that contained vital funding for projects around the country, and this controversial language was inserted into the bill in the last few days, giving representatives very little time to remove it.
More than 3,700 Audubon activists joined the chorus objecting to the language, but the language still passed.
According to a new study, we have have grossly underestimated the number of bird species.
Watch this terrific video about UCLA assistant researcher Melanie Barbon and the hummingbirds she sees at the feeder outside her office. Read more about her here.
National Audubon Society President David Yarnold today expressed concern about the man who has been nominated to head the Environmental Protection Agency, Scott Pruitt:
“Scott Pruitt’s nomination as the anti-EPA Administrator causes us deep concern," said David Yarnold (@david_yarnold), Audubon’s president and CEO. "The Environmental Protection Agency's work has always been based on science, but Pruitt is a climate change denier who has worked to dismantle well-grounded protections for clean air and clean water."
Read the whole statement here.
We're glad to see former Audubon California Board Member Cristina Sandoval getting recognition for the amazing work she has led protecting and growing a population of breeding Western Snowy Plovers at Coal Oil Point near Santa Barbara. The Western Snowy Plover is a federally threatened species that has lost many of its breedings sites along the California coast. The article also highlights the importance of the volunteer work by the Santa Barbara Audubon Society.
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