Thanks Gordon. Very good, passionate, clear points. And thank you Jim. You were able bring to light some new, mportant information.
MSFA did not share either the murky glass issue or that the glass had been ordered when they called on July 17 to tell an Audubon board member (after 14 months of negotiation) to say no to bird-safe glass. MSFA did not clearly say this in their public statement in July in response to us going public with their decision to not choose bird-safe glass. And MSFA did not share any of this with the score of reporters who have called over the past 4 weeks. All this leaves us wondering - what's the real story, what really happened and when? We may not ever know. What we do know is this: - We spent 14 months negotiating with them privately and respectfully around the issue of bird-safe design and construction until they told us no July 17 (at the time they told it was because it would cost $2.5 million and that was the reason) - They will be including Audubon's lighting recommendations in the operation of the stadium - and that's a partial but real victory for birds - Tens of thousands of people rallied to support this particular case of bird-safe design and construction and in doing so put the overall cause of bird-safe glass on the radar screen in a way we'd never seen locally or nationally - Bird-safe design and construction enjoyed the support of local groups, the Minneapolis City Council, state legislators, sports-talk show hosts, architects and many others locally and nationally - The MSFA may still find itself coming under scrutiny under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act but that will be years out because we'll need to wait until birds actually collide and die We are disappointed that birds are being valued less than the aesthetics for a few thousand fans on 8 Sundays a year who happen to look up from the football field to look back towards the Minneapolis skyline. We are going to deliver 73,000 petition signatures Tuesday to Governor Dayton. We see Governor Dayton as one of our last, best chances and we're going to take it. Thank you to everyone who has done so much to make this one building bird-safe and to bring the issue of bird-safe design and construction to the fore. Sincerely, Matthew Anderson -----Original Message----- From: Minnesota Birds [mailto:MOU-NET@LISTS.UMN.EDU] On Behalf Of Jim Williams Sent: Saturday, August 23, 2014 9:16 AM To: MOU-NET@LISTS.UMN.EDU Subject: Re: [mou-net] Vikings stadium issue Information about the stadium-glass issue can be found in my blog. Jim Williams Wayzata birding blog at www.startribune.com/lifestyle/homegarden/blogs/Wingnut.html > On Aug 23, 2014, at 1:10 AM, Gordon Andersson <gpanders...@msn.com> wrote: > > The ovenbird is in third place among bird species collected after > window strikes in downtown St Paul and Mpls. This was reported in the > Spring 2010 issue of The Loon after three years of the Project > BirdSafe study sponsored by Audubon MN. From spring 2007 to fall > 2009, 111 ovenbirds were picked up of which 101 were dead, 9 were released, > and one was rehabbed at the > Wildlife Rehabilitation Center. This constituted six migration periods. > In each downtown a prescribed circuit is walked each day of migration. > In St Paul the route is 30 blocks long. (White-throated Sparrow is > 1st place > (N=204) and Nashville Warbler is 2nd (N=173)). In those first three > years, approx 1400 birds were killed by impacts with glass in the two > downtowns, > representing 100 species. This program is now in its eighth season. > > > > Today the Viking management announced that they would add another > $20,000,000 for more 'amenities' to the new $ 1 B stadium. (A TV report > tonight cited $46 M in added contribution.) But no dollars will be spent > on bird-safe glass. In an interview, the Chair of the MSFA said that > 'fritted glass' is not acceptable because it would not provide a clear view > by the fans of the environs outside the stadium. > > Many of you contacted Mpls City Council members, the Vikings management as > well as the MSFA members. The city council voted unanimously that the > stadium should use glass that is more visible to birds. The MOU Board also > passed a resolution to this effect. Nevertheless, the approx $1,000,000 > additional cost for safer glass was considered too expensive by the > Vikings owners/mgrs. (Fritted glass is also more energy efficient > than regular > glass.) > > > > I know that a bird will fly into the glass side of a skyway or into a > glass window of a building wall that is framed by solid structural > non-glass elements. The height and width of the glass surfaces of the > new stadium > (~200,000 ft2) will present a very large and invisible "target" to > many birds throughout the year but especially to neotropical migrants > in the spring and fall. And this is so that the people who attend 8 > home games a year at the stadium can look away from the field of play > for a transparent view outside the building. > > > > On some nights in the spring, millions of birds fly over the metro area. > As you know, these birds actively feed during the day and also fly > into windows. > > I also know that there are other significant causes of bird mortality > in addition to window glass--- both winter and summer habitat loss, cats, > poison, vehicles. But one must look at the additive effect of all of these > and then try to mitigate each one. If you subscribe to the belief > that one more dead bird doesn't matter (or that window kills are not > important), than I suggest you should not vote either, because you are really > only one vote. > > > > > So to paraphrase FDR or George Marshall--- "A thousand million dollars > for a football stadium and and not one million dollars to prevent > unnecessary bird deaths." > > It is too late at night to fact check all of this, but I think it is > fairly accurate. the paraphrase is my own. > > There is a good write-up of this issue on Sharon Stiteler's blog "Birdchick" > dated July 26, 2014. > > > > I know many of you are concerned about the effect the stadium, as > planned, will have on flying birds of many kinds. I don't know what to > suggest > except more phone calls and emails. or protests with placards. If anyone > has any ideas or direction, please share them. There was a lot of email > about this issue here a couple weeks ago. > > > > (You should also read about the poor ovenbird.) > > > > Gordon Andessson > > St Paul > > > > > > From: American Bird Conservancy [mailto:i...@abcbirds.org] > Sent: Friday, August 22, 2014 4:30 PM > To: gpanders...@msn.com > Subject: ABC's Bird of the Week: Ovenbird > > > > > <http://support.abcbirds.org/site/R?i=Cmr7sW-1k4Nj_KFv3LyU5g> The > Walking Warbler > > > <http://support.abcbirds.org/site/R?i=Tt3_BoNWkyoIu3hq7OoatQ> > > > > > > Teacher, Teacher! > Ovenbird > > The Ovenbird gets its name from its unique nest, which looks like a > domed oven. This inconspicuous, ground-nesting warbler is best-known > for its emphatic and distinctive song-a series of progressively louder > phrases often described as "teacher, teacher, teacher." > > Like the Wood Thrush > <http://support.abcbirds.org/site/R?i=E9SDxP7P3HJr6C5ZvPIn6g> and > Kentucky, Cerulean > <http://support.abcbirds.org/site/R?i=XpLcXg8ZxZ4hLW2vdH902Q> , and > Worm-eating Warblers > <http://support.abcbirds.org/site/R?i=XOp9FK986OlputnPBnlHOA> , > Ovenbirds require undisturbed expanses of forest for successful > breeding. Although more flexible in habitat requirements on their > wintering grounds, Ovenbirds and other Neotropical migratory species benefit > from habitat conservation in these regions as well. > > Learn more and listen to the Ovenbird's song > <http://support.abcbirds.org/site/R?i=pT6Qv_XFfTV6uCjn3DnRpg> >> > > <http://support.abcbirds.org/site/R?i=j1QuGSN3GReApXhWBQq5Xg> > > > > > <http://support.abcbirds.org/site/PixelServer?j=xgmRb3iQwkhUjlpw8S-oNw > > > > > > <http://support.abcbirds.org/site/R?i=4jrtTRgHyPte38ehWow4PQ> > > <http://support.abcbirds.org/site/R?i=9gQTdMN3agr5uW0zBPVI0g> > > <http://support.abcbirds.org/site/R?i=3vfkPm7nx5WRR94VVkWJNA> > > <http://support.abcbirds.org/site/R?i=TskT4uElZGmAiLwsMX2yqA> > > > > > <http://support.abcbirds.org/site/R?i=86ET7ZpiNU3YgqmnOtpAIg> > <http://support.abcbirds.org/site/R?i=86ET7ZpiNU3YgqmnOtpAIg> > <http://support.abcbirds.org/site/R?i=86ET7ZpiNU3YgqmnOtpAIg> > > <http://support.abcbirds.org/site/R?i=oplYtIUAISZVyJ06kaFF9w> > <http://support.abcbirds.org/site/R?i=oplYtIUAISZVyJ06kaFF9w> > <http://support.abcbirds.org/site/R?i=oplYtIUAISZVyJ06kaFF9w> > > <http://support.abcbirds.org/site/R?i=T-sqAjzOLS9uDlIRj01NsQ> > <http://support.abcbirds.org/site/R?i=T-sqAjzOLS9uDlIRj01NsQ> > <http://support.abcbirds.org/site/R?i=T-sqAjzOLS9uDlIRj01NsQ> > > <http://support.abcbirds.org/site/R?i=tbgP9HJsqwA2BRSaeHVGdw> > <http://support.abcbirds.org/site/R?i=tbgP9HJsqwA2BRSaeHVGdw> > <http://support.abcbirds.org/site/R?i=tbgP9HJsqwA2BRSaeHVGdw> > > > > <http://support.abcbirds.org/images/content/pagebuilder/green_rule.jpg > > > > > American Bird Conservancy | P.O. Box 249 | The Plains, VA 20198 > > > <http://support.abcbirds.org/site/CO?i=HaaHZvgTL2dlf4cnj0AmEW5cQNC5gXi > r&cid= > 1042&RemoveInterest=1021> Unsubscribe > > > > <http://support.abcbirds.org/site/R?i=zBBlDfuVcwT5LukdcIoigA> > nonprofit software > <http://support.abcbirds.org/site/R?i=SJc7wHpLYi0D70-yROYf7g> > > > ---- > Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net > Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html ---- Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html ---- Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
