Happy birthday to the National Wildlife Refuge System!

From US Department of the Interior Facebook page: 

On March 14, 1903, President Theodore Roosevelt established the first wildlife refuge on Pelican Island in Florida. Created to protect bird species that had been hunted to the brink of extinction, this first refuge led to the National Wildlife Refuge System that now includes over 560 refuges across the country. Though the brown pelican has recovered, Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge continues to protect 14 other threatened and endangered species. 

Audubon California is joining up with several other agencies, including the USFWS to complete a citizen science survey of the California Brown Pelican on May 7. Save the date!

Tricolored Blackbird forage reaches new heights in Merced National Wildlife Refuge

Ian Souza-Cole, Audubon California's new field technician, standing in the forage field at Merced National Wildlife Refuge to show the height of the forage blend that was planted for Tricolored Blackbirds. This growth is a major improvement from last year and we hope it will attract nesting Tricolored Blackbirds.
 

Actions at Southern California air board are deeply troubling for clean air advocates

When the California Coastal Commission removed its Executive Director in February, the voting members denied accusations from environmental and conservation groups that the move was an effort to diminish coastal protection. When the South Coast Air Quality Management District voted to remove its longtime director, it didn’t even bother. Members of the district’s board made clear their intention to roll back air quality regulations. Like the California Coastal Commission, the SCAQMD has made major gains in its area, rolling back smog in the greater Los Angeles Basin to levels not seen in decades. One of the SCAQMD’s first actions after the removal of its executive director was to approve a smog reduction plan endorsed by oil companies and other major polluters.