[cayugabirds-l] Happy World Wetlands Day! Call to Action: “Pass historic wetlands reform”

[Johnson, Alyssa]

Good evening all, I am sharing this information on behalf of Audubon New York. 
It is critical that if we all want to continue enjoying wetlands around the 
state including the 50,000 acre Montezuma Wetlands Complex, the tidal wetlands 
including along the Long Island shores and from the Troy Dam on the Hudson down 
to the southern tip of Staten Island, Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge, 
Huckleberry Swamp, Zurich Bog, Thousand Acre Swamp, and many others, we need to 
act.

Please considering telling New York State to pass historic wetlands reform: NYS 
Pass Wetlands Reform.

World Wetlands Day - celebrated on February 
2, 2022 - raises awareness about wetlands as critically important ecosystems 
that contribute to freshwater availability, biodiversity, climate mitigation, 
economies and more. This day also marks the anniversary of the Convention on 
Wetlands, which was adopted as an international treaty in 1971.
Governor Hochul has proposed comprehensive freshwater wetlands reforms as part 
of her Executive Budget proposal. These reforms will bring an additional one 
million acres of wetlands under the protection of the NYSDEC by eliminating 
outdated regulatory maps and arbitrary thresholds for permits issued by the 
NYSDEC’s Freshwater Wetlands Regulatory Program. We now ask the Assembly and 
Senate to lend their support to this historic legislation and ensure it is 
enacted into law.

Why do we need this proposal?

  *   Wetlands provide many critical ecosystem services that benefit everyone, 
and which we can use at no cost. If lost, replacing the ecological functions of 
these wetlands is expensive and resource-intensive - something we can't afford 
amid the increasing threats of climate change.
  *   50% of the 160 species ID'd as endangered or threatened by the NYSDEC are 
wetland-dependent. The Pied-billed Grebe, Black Tern, Northern Harrier, 
Short-eared Owl, Black Rail, and Roseate Tern all rely on wetlands with an even 
mixture of emergent vegetation & open water - also known as hemi-marsh.
  *   NYS’s wetlands maps have not been updated in over 20 years – leaving more 
than 1 million acres of wetlands without protection. New York State's outdated 
wetlands laws and regulations have allowed the filling, dredging, and draining 
of wetlands at an alarming rate. More than 60% of New York State’s historic 
wetlands have been lost.
  *   DEC commissioner Basil Seggos estimates that there may be more than 1 
million acres of wetlands or wetland complexes larger than 12.4 acres that are 
not currently on the state’s regulatory maps and do not receive the state’s 
protection.
  *   In NYS, we have only one Wetland of International Importance as defined 
by Ramsar, which is the Niagara River 
Corridor.
For more information about the Save NYS Wetlands coalition: 
https://save-nys-wetlands-audubon.hub.arcgis.com/

“Wetlands Action for People and Nature” is the theme in 2022. This public 
campaign is an appeal to invest financial, human and political capital to 
ensure the conservation and sustainable use of wetlands for humans and 
planetary health.

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Alyssa Johnson
Environmental Educator
(m) 315.576.5754
(w) 315.365.3588

Montezuma Audubon Center
PO Box 187
2295 State Route 89
Savannah, NY 13146
Montezuma.audubon.org
Pronouns: She, Her, Hers


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[cayugabirds-l] Naturally Curious wrbpage

[Peter Saracino]

For we lovers of the Natural World
Naturally Curious with Mary Holland | An online resource based on the
award-winning nature guide – maryholland...@gmail.com
https://naturallycuriouswithmaryholland.wordpress.com/

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[cayugabirds-l] 2 ducks, 3 crows

[Donna Lee Scott]

It was fun to see 2 Mallards (pair) fly up from lake to join the 3 regular 
Crows foraging on cracked corn & sunflower seeds I had scattered on ground near 
backyard bird feeders this morning!

Many years ago, one winter, I had almost 100 ducks in backyard for several 
days, including an almost all-white Mallard.

Donna Scott
Lansing/Cayuga Lake
Sent from my iPhone

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