When you sign this, please make sure you change the information from my name to yours! Thanks! Romi/"Blue"
Audubon Trouble reading this e-mail? View it online. Dear Romi, Tell your Senator that you support protections that allow this Least Tern and its chick to survive. Since 2008, with new protections in place, the number of nests of beach nesting colonial waterbirds like terns has quadrupled. Photo by Walker Golder/Audubon Rare birds and sea turtles are in trouble on Cape Hatteras National Seashore. YOUR U.S. Senator will be voting on Thursday on whether to rollback science-based protections that have helped endangered wildlife make a remarkable comeback. One of your U.S. Senators serves on the committee that is considering misguided legislation that could be a death sentence for endangered birds like the Piping Plover. We need every vote possible to stop this bill in its tracks. Even if your Senator usually votes for the environment, we are not sure of the votes and your letter is critical. Please urge your Senator to stand up for the birds and sea turtles at Cape Hatteras National Park—and for sound, science-based management at all National Parks. Nesting birds and sea turtles on Cape Hatteras National Seashore, part of our National Park system, has long been imperiled by unregulated beach driving. In 2008, the National Park Service began implementing reasonable restrictions on off-road vehicle (ORV) use and science-based protections for beach wildlife, as required by federal law. After an extensive public comment period, the final rules governing ORV use were adopted in 2012. The vast majority of people who participated in that process support better management of off-road vehicles, safer beaches for families who wanted vehicle-free beaches, and better protections for wildlife (only 4-5% of seashore visitors drive on the beach). Under the science-based protections for wildlife and responsible restrictions on ORV use, sea turtle nests have increased from 82 to a record-setting 222 nests, Piping Plover pairs increased from 6 to 15, and Piping Plover and American Oystercatcher fledging success increased 150% and 50%, respectively. Nesting by terns and Black Skimmers increased from 314 to 1,314 nests. At the same time, tourism has thrived and a new record was set for tourism revenue. Despite the obvious benefits of these new rules, some members of Congress are trying to overturn the impressive progress that has been made for beach wildlife and reinstate the failed policies of the past. New legislation (S 486) would eliminate the sensible safeguards to preserve Cape Hatteras National Seashore for current visitors and future generations to explore and enjoy. This legislation threatens every National Park and Seashore where ungoverned recreational demands threaten the iconic places, wildlife, wildlife habitat, and landscapes of this country. The park service's new rules already allow ORV use on the majority of the seashore. The plan also increases visitor access to beaches. The new rules represent a balance between recreational use, pedestrian use, and the needs of wildlife. We can't let misguided legislation undermine the great comeback birds and wildlife are making at Cape Hatteras. Ask your Senator to VOTE NO on S 486 and fight to uphold critical protections for the wildlife at Cape Hatteras. Sincerely, David Yarnold President & CEO ________________________________ Trouble with the "Take Action" links in the message? Try cutting-and-pasting this link into your web browser: www.audubonaction.org/site/Advocacy?id=1453 Audubon 1200 18th Street, NW, Suite 500, Washington, DC 20036 audubonact...@audubon.org [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ --------------------------------------------------------------------------- LAAMN: Los Angeles Alternative Media Network --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Unsubscribe: <mailto:laamn-unsubscr...@egroups.com> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subscribe: <mailto:laamn-subscr...@egroups.com> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Digest: <mailto:laamn-dig...@egroups.com> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Help: <mailto:laamn-ow...@egroups.com?subject=laamn> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Post: <mailto:la...@egroups.com> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Archive1: <http://www.egroups.com/messages/laamn> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Archive2: <http://www.mail-archive.com/laamn@egroups.com> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Yahoo! 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