Take Action

Action is the natural outgrowth of our passion to conserve and protect our environment. Audubon Vermont seeks out opportunities where our volunteer advocates and staff experts can have the greatest impact. Audubon has a long history of involvement in key Vermont conservation issues such as establishing the non-game fund, the Vermont endangered species law, and the Vermont Wetlands Act. Audubon was also a leader in creating Vermont's first wilderness areas. The program also works closely with the National Audubon Society public policy division to assist in coordinating grassroots activity on key national issues. Audubon's grassroots network of activists and science-based, solution-oriented approach to resolving public policy issues have earned the organization a reputation as a thoughtful, reputable advocate for wildlife and habitat.

For the latest issues and opportunities for you to speak up for nature
http://www.capitolconnect.com/audubon/

On September 19, 2006, the United State's Senate passed S.2463 the New England Wilderness Act. The Act creates new Wilderness Areas in both Vermont's Green Mountain National Forest and New Hampshire's White Mountain National Forest.

Audubon Vermont thanks Senator Leahy and Senator Jeffords for their work to pass this important legislation. This bill is a reasonable response to the public's interest in having more wilderness included in the balance of uses in the Green Mountain National Forest.

These new wilderness areas will provide critical old forest habitat that will benefit a variety of interior nesting forest birds and other wildlife.

After several years of public meetings hosted by the US Forest Service as the new Green Mountain National Forest management plan was developed, thousands of Vermonters asked for new wilderness areas. Audubon Vermont commends the US Senate for exercising their right to establish new Wilderness areas in response to the comments Vermonters offered at these forums and in letters to the US Forest Service.

Audubon Vermont is looking forward to working the Vermont Congressional Delegation and New Hampshire Congressional delegation to enact this bill into law.

For more information on the bill as passed and maps of the new Wilderness areas go to:
http://leahy.senate.gov/press/200609/091906d.html.

Adam Glebb

Our forests are critically important for birds and other wildlife. Each year millions of migratory song birds depend on our forests to provide the habitat they need to breed and raise their young. Many of these species of neo-tropical migratory birds breeding is more successful in large blocks of unmanaged forests. Blackburnian Warblers, Black-throated Green Warblers and Goshawks have been documented as being more abundant in old growth forests. Wilderness gives our forest the chance to grow into an old-growth condition.

Senators Leahy (D) and Jeffords (I) introduced a bill, S 2565, to establish 48,000 acres of wilderness in the Green Mountain National Forest and a 16,890 acre Moosalamoo National Recreation Area; Congressman Sanders (I) introduced a similar bill in the House, HR 5157. On September 19, 2006, the Senate unanimously passed the New England Wilderness Act (S.2463) which will create new wilderness in Vermont's Green Mountain National Forest and the New Hampshire's White Mountain National Forest. For details on the bill go to:
http://leahy.senate.gov/press/200609/091906d.html.

Please call or email your members of Congress and let them know you support more wilderness in Vermont's Green Mountain National Forest.

This is a terrific start. Now, the bill needs to pass the House of Representatives before the end of the year. Letters to the editor expressing your appreciation of the work Senator Leahy and Senator Jeffords have done to introduce and pass this bill will be helpful. Letters should also thank Congressman Sanders support of wilderness.

Pamela Wells

Vermont's forests are globally important as breeding habitat for a wide variety of neo-tropical migratory songbirds. Many of these songbirds breed best in the interior old growth forest. Studies have shown that in eastern forests neotropical migratory birds like the Blackburnian Warbler, Magnolia Warbler, Swainsons Thrush and Black-throated Green Warbler are more abundant in old-growth forests than in the broader forest landscape. Establishing wilderness areas is the best way to allow old growth forests to return to our landscape.

Wilderness areas are permanently protected places on federal public lands. They contribute to the overall balance of multiple uses on national forests. Visitors to wilderness areas enjoy hiking, hunting, fishing, camping, skiing and the like. Logging, motor vehicles, roads and development are limited to other areas of the national forest. Only Congress can formally designate new wilderness areas on federal public lands, as Vermont's congressional delegation is now proposing to do.

Control efforts should focus on domestic poultry populations.
Audubon Vermont’s Board of Directors endorsed a position statement on Avian Flu that strongly opposes the culling of wild birds and the draining of wetlands in response to the Avian Flu virus, H5NI. Audubon Vermont believes the effective control of the disease should first focus on the domestic poultry industry including monitoring programs and if necessary the immediate culling and correct disposal infected birds and limiting contact between domestic birds and wild birds.

No evidence that wild bird feeding spreads the disease.
There have been no recorded cases of H5N1 in North America. To date, there has been no evidence that feeding wild birds plays a role in the spread of the disease. Audubon Vermont recommends that people feeding birds should clean their feeders regularly. Click here for more information on safe feeding practices.