~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To
All Chapter Leaders
I
am writing to alert you to an important new analysis
that Audubon and the American Bird Conservancy will be
releasing to the press today and publicizing through
collaborative outreach with Audubon
Ohio
and other state offices and
select Important Bird Areas coordinators throughout the
country.
The
latest in Audubon’s series of
State of the Birds
analyses, WatchList
2007 is the
newest and most scientifically sound list of
America
’s most imperiled birds.
It identifies 178 species in the continental
U.S.
and 39 in
Hawaii
that are in need of
immediate conservation help simply to survive amid a
convergence of environmental challenges, including
habitat loss, invasive species and global warming.
Identifying
and spotlighting the species at greatest risk is the
first step in building the public policies, funding
support, conservation initiatives and public commitment
needed to save them. The joint effort of Audubon and the
American Bird Conservancy, using the best and latest
data, lays the groundwork for an “industry standard”
to guide conservation priorities among conservation
organizations and government agencies. The list is based
on the latest available research and assessment from the
bird conservation community along with data from the
Christmas Bird Count and the annual Breeding Bird
Survey. By dividing imperiled birds into 59 continental
and 39 Hawaiian “red” and 119 “yellow” species, WatchList
2007 helps focus highest attention on the
species of greatest concern (red), while also
highlighting “yellow” species while there is still
time to keep them off the red list.
The
analysis and associated outreach activities are intended
to build public awareness and concern over the fate of
species at a national level, such as
Gunnison
’s Sage Grouse, Piping
Plover, Florida Scrub Jay and Golden-cheeked
Warbler—all among the “red” list species with
highest conservation priority–as well as local
species like Henslow’s Sparrows, Red-headed
Woodpeckers, and Prairie Warblers. Our national policy
office, state programs and other Audubon representatives
will utilize materials, including state-focused fact
sheets (see attached), to help mobilize concerned
citizens to become involved in local, regional and
national activities that can make a difference for these
imperiled birds – and for other wildlife and the
habitat that sustains us all. And we welcome your
participation and collaboration in this effort!
Details
of WatchList 2007
and information on our methodology
will be available online at stateofthebirds.audubon.org/watchlist
after
11:30 a.m. EDT on November 28.
We
hope you will find the WatchList
2007 and future
State of the Birds
reports to be useful tools for your work in
advancing our shared bird and habitat conservation
objectives. In addition, we appreciate your
assistance in directing any media or public inquires to
Audubon’s national media relations staff or your state
WatchList
representative, Casey Tucker. We also encourage
you to contact your state representative for more
information on local implications of this analysis, or
if your chapter would like to become more involved. Please
feel free to contact me at 212 979-3124 or nseverance@audubon.org
with any questions.
Best
regards,
Nancy
Severance
Director,
Marketing & Communications
AUDUBON
