November 20, 2003

Save the owls, Save the bay, Save the salmon

1) Save the owls:

Help protect the western burrowing owl, an imperiled native bird species that lives in the Alameda Creek watershed. Small colonies of breeding owls remain at Camp Parks in Dublin, in Livermore, at Brushy Peak, and at Altamont Pass. Burrowing owls are severely threatened by urban development and persecution of ground squirrels, upon which they depend for nest burrows.

Conservation groups petitioned in April 2003 to list the burrowing owl as a state endangered or threatened species. Due to intense political pressure from development and agricultural interests, the Department of Fish and Game recommended against listing the species. The CA Fish & Game Commission will consider the burrowing owl petition at its Sacramento meeting on Thursday, December 4, 8:30 am. The meeting is at the State Personnel Board Auditorium, Room 150, 801 Capitol Mall. The agenda and meeting information will be posted at http://www.dfg.ca.gov/fg_comm/2003mtgs.html

Attend the meeting and speak out or write a letter of support for the burrowing owl listing petition:

Write to:

California Fish and Game Commission
1416 Ninth Street
Sacramento, CA 95814

* Request that the California population of the western burrowing owl be listed as an endangered or threatened species under the California Endangered Species Act.
* Explain your interest in the burrowing owl, any expertise or experience you may have with the species, and your organizational affiliation, if any.
* Discuss why you think burrowing owls need additional protection. Mention any loss of owls or threats to owls in your area.

Facts about owl declines in California:

* Breeding owls have been extirpated or nearly eliminated from 15 counties, or 30% of their range in California. Sharp declines have been documented in an additional 30 counties, or 60%.
* The numbers of breeding pairs of owls are thought to be declining at 8% per year
* 91% of all owls in the state occur on private land with no habitat protection in place

Visit www.biologicaldiversity.org/swcbd/species/b-owl/index.html for more information about the burrowing owl and the listing petition.

2) Save the Bay:

Check out Save The Bay's nifty new website, www.savesfbay.org, where you can get involved with Save The Bay's work. From canoe trips and hands-on wetlands restoration to citizen action, you can help celebrate, protect and restore our region's most important natural treasure: San Francisco Bay.

3) Save the salmon:

More than a year after the largest adult fish die-off in U.S. history struck the Klamath River, the federal government has acknowledged that its diversions of water to Klamath Basin farms were partly responsible. Federal scientists had largely reached that same conclusion more than six months ago, but were prevented from releasing their findings pending review by Bush administration officials (sound fishy?).

Go to: http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/front_page/1069246894223300.xml for the full story.

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Support your local watershed group! Become a member of the ACA - get a free color ACA t-shirt with membership of $25 or more.

Jeff Miller, Director
Alameda Creek Alliance
(510) 845-2233
P. O. Box 192
Canyon, CA 94516
http://www.alamedacreek.org
"Protecting and restoring the natural ecosystems of the Alameda Creek watershed"