Forest Strnad makes an excellent point. Dennis Anderson wrote in Sunday's Trib (page C14) about the disappointing 2004 duck hunting season: no ducks. He writes about continuously shrinking duck habitat and lack of effort by the state DNR, the governer, the legislature, and federal agencies to reverse this trend. Anderson suggests that hunters pick a date and gather in public protest.
It occurred to me, too, as it did to Forest, that birders, their clubs, and the MOU, the latter with its stated interest in bird conservation, could join the hunters in this effort. There are those in the birding community who might think it inappropriate to join hunters in complaint that there are not enough game birds to shoot. That position is shortsighted. Habitat for ducks -- what Anderson describes as wetlands and their associated uplands -- also is habitat for myriad non-game bird species. Anderson writes: "Last week, in an e-mail message to Minnesota waterfowl activist Lance Ness, DNR wetland wildlife habitat program leader Ray Norrgard said: 'Moderate success [in restoring Mallard numbers] will require an additional 1.5 million acres of prairie wetlands and at least that much grassland in long-term protection. At our current rate of wetland restoration, that will take about 150 years, assuming we stem the loss of existing wetlands. The long and the short of it is that we are in trouble and have been for a long time.'" Think of adding 3 million acres of habitat to serve wetland and grassland non-game bird species. More Mallards would be great. More Sedge Wrens and nesting blackbirds, more Bobolinks and grassland sparrows, that would be great, too. But, 150 years from now? Assuming we can stop the current rate of loss? Hunters, through the taxes they pay on arms and ammunition, through purchase of duck stamps, through purchase of licenses, through their clubs and various organizations (Ducks Unlimited, to name one) have made very significant contributions to non-game bird conservation. If only we birders could point to such a history of direct financial support for habitat acquisition and preservation of non-game birds. Duck hunters are not the only hunters who contribute. Similar contributions are made by pheasant, grouse, and turkey hunters and the organizations that unite them. The state all-bird conservation initiative, now called Bird Conservation Minnesota, had among its earliest supporters all of the major bird-hunting organizations. The hunters did not suggest that an effort that steps beyond game birds to encompass all bird species was for any reason outside of their concern for habitat and conservation. Birders should share that enlightened view. Birders buy no license or activity stamp, as do hunters. When we buy birding equipment, we pay no tax dedicated to preservation of our activity, as do hunters. We get a free ride. Yes, some of us do buy duck stamps and licenses, either because we too hunt or to show support and make a contribution. Some of us write checks to National Audubon, The Nature Conservancy, or other environmental organizations. I have had someone tell me that his purchase of a state park sticker constitutes support for bird conservation. All of those things can be counted as contributions. But I think very few of us make the contributions or do the hard, local work done by hunters in Minnesota and elsewhere. And if it has come to the point where hunters must take to the street in protest to force conservation action, then birders should join them. We have as much to lose and as much to gain, and we are way behind on our effort to see that natural-habitat conservation is a priority item in this state. Anderson suggested in his column today that a protest plan be made and a date be set. I'll be watching his columns in the Strib to see if that happens. If hunters show up to demonstrate to the state legislature and the DNR that action is needed, I plan to be there. Perhaps Forest will join me. How about you? Jim Williams Wayzata On Dec 12, 2004, at 2:50 PM, Forest Strnad wrote: Greetings Minnesota Birders: In today's, Sunday issue of, MINNEAPOLIS STAR TRIBUNE, Dennis Anderson, columnist, writes about the EMPTY SKIES of ducks and for duck hunters.
