>I'll assume that the Nisqually haying schedule is planned to protect
>grass-nesting species. (Does anybody know?)

Don't know about Nisqually, but at Malheur at least, traditionally
hay schedules were set based on dryness of the hay, i.e. getting it
in at the best time. This led to problems with big, slow-to-fledge
crane - but not smaller birds, and most certainly probably not sparrows.

(I'm hedging my bets with that - "most certainly probably not"!)

Haying is frequently verbed by ag types, so we more intellectuals
who tend to verb things like "to irene a post" (hey, that's just
in fun, Irene!) will let it slide.

- Don Baccus, Portland OR <donb at rational.com>
Nature photos, on-line guides, at http://www.xxxpdx.com/~dhogaza