Hi Tweets,

In answer to this query,

>>If hunters can make this kind of purchase, why don't the vastly more
>numerous birders? What's to stop a similar 'Birders' Stamp'/land purchase
>program? >

Chris Maack writea:

>I think that kind of thing is in the works in the U.S., with the
>"Teaming with Wildlife" initiative that would levy an excise
>tax on optics and outdoor equipment to be used for wildlife
>conservation issues, including land acquisition. I'm trying
>to find out the status of the enabling legislation right now
>and will post something when I do.

Well, no one likes paying a tax (and North Americans seem particularly
hostile to taxation) however worthy the goal, and that--in my
opinion--limits the scope of such a program. It may bring in some money, but
a dedicated stamp program is voluntary and volitional, and I'd submit would
bring in *more* money, whether in addition to the tax or separately. Heaven
knows there's a huge number of good bird artists who'd jump at the chance of
competing to design non-waterfowl stamps.

>Also, the Nature Conservancy has purchased many tracts
>that are managed for wildlife and important habitat
>conservation.

Yes, conservationists are saving habitat and ecosystems; not birders saving
birding habitat for recreational birding. But historically, the majority of
recreational birders just go along for the ride after others do the gutwork
on conservation, and then go bird in the areas thus preserved. And mostly
expect to do so for free. How often do *birders* get together and buy land
because the *birding's* good there?

>Don't see why birders per se couldn't get
>together on a purchase now and then.

Yeah, strange, isn't it? There's so many of us, yet we're by *far* the least
likely to do something like this. We're the least organised special
interest--but much the 'nicest', not coincidentally--and, unsurprisingly the
one most likely to be ignored and/or elbowed aside by much smaller but more
effectively focussed and aggressive interests. There's reasons for this
rooted in some of the underlying assumptions and mythologies of recreational
birding, but I'm not interested in getting megazorched just yet, so we'll
kinda slide over and around this part--softly, softly...

Someone in the US Dept. of Commerce once said something to the effect that
if birders ever *did* organise into a politically and economically cohesive
group the way hunters have done so successfully, they'd be one of the most
powerful lobbies in the US on sheer numbers and buying power alone. They
might, someday. And cats might sing Mozart. Exasperating.

Michael Price The Sleep of Reason Gives Birth to Monsters
Vancouver BC Canada -Goya
mprice at mindlink.net