Tweets --

I second Scott Richardson's concern over the press release posted about
marbled murrelet surveys. While I would encourage anyone interested to
participate, I would like to add a word of caution. The press release
(unintentionally, I'm sure) uses some specific terminology in a rather
loose fashion. There is no guarantee that the results of these surveys will
save murrelet habitat or prove murrelets are nesting in the sale units.
Particularly worrisome are the phrases "... will verify that this
threatened seabird nests in ..." , and "This marbled murrelet occupancy ...
meets the more restrictive interpretation of the 'known to be nesting'
language ..." The terms "occupancy" and "nesting" do not mean the same
thing. In addition to direct evidence of nesting (active nest, old nest cup
with distinctive fecal ring and/or eggshell fragments, chick or eggshells
on forest floor), "occupancy" means (to quote Pacific Seabird Group
protocol) birds having been observed "flying below, through, into, or out
of the forest canopy within or adjacent to a stand." These behaviors are
considered highly indicative of nesting, but not direct proof. Direct proof
is extremely difficult to come by! These are the types of reasons the
protocol has been challenged by politicos in Washington, and short of
finding an actual nest, I don't think these extra surveys will satisfy the
politicians. Hundreds of occupied sites have been identified over the last
several years, but politicians seem to demand "known to be nesting" proof
on the order of the closed-circuit film of the WAMU peregrines. Murrelets
are not peregrines, they are not bald eagles, and they aren't even spotted
owls. Murrelets just don't work that way -- there are good reasons the
first tree nest in North America wasn't discovered until 1974!

While I may seem to picking nits here, it is precisely because of the
challenges posed by anti-environmental politicians that all murrelet data
meet the highest standards of accuracy possible. These days, science and
politics meet in the courtroom.

So, go ahead. Follow your heart; do what you can to help. Learn more about
murrelets; enjoy your time in the forest. But please understand that the
picture is more complicated than the press release might indicate.

-- Janet Hardin
Port Townsend, WA
wings at olympus.net