FYI Tweeters
More on the Columbia River Caspian Tern situation in this letter to USFWS
from the Pacific Seabird Group...
Scott Richardson
salix at halcyon.com

> April 7, 1999
>
>Anne Badgley, Regional Director
>U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
>East Side Federal Complex
>911 N.E. 11th Avenue
>Portland, Oregon 97232-4181
>
> Re: Caspian Tern Management in Pacific Northwest
>
>Dear Ms. Badgley:
>
> The Pacific Seabird Group (PSG) is concerned about the health of the
>Caspian tern population in the Pacific Northwest. PSG is an international
>organization that was founded in 1972 to promote knowledge, study and
>conservation of Pacific seabirds. PSG draws its members from the entire
>Pacific Basin, including Canada, Mexico, Japan, China, Australia, New
>Zealand, and Russia. Among PSG's members are biologists who have research
>interests in Pacific seabirds, state and federal officials who manage
>seabird populations and refuges, and individuals with interests in seabird
>conservation. PSG is especially active with regard to oil spill
restoration
>plans, marine sanctuaries, seabird-fishery issues, and protection of
>endangered or threatened seabird species. Over the years we have advised
>and worked cooperatively with government agencies to further these
>interests.
>
> Like Secretary Babbitt, we hope to avoid "train wrecks" and wish to
>ensure that seabirds do not become endangered. As discussed below, we are
>concerned that federal agencies are so mismanaging Caspian terns in
>Washington and Oregon that PSG may petition the U.S. Fish & Wildlife
Service
>(FWS) to list this population under emergency provisions of ? 1533(b)(7) of
>the Endangered Species Act (ESA). We believe that emergency listing would
>be warranted if, as now seems possible, the federal government has caused
or
>contributed to a widespread nesting failure of this population. We suggest
>means that this could be avoided.
>
> PSG recommends that FWS draft and immediately implement a regional
>plan to restore colonies formerly occupied by Caspian terns in Washington
>and Oregon. This action would mitigate for the ongoing destruction of the
>world's largest colony at Rice Island and the apparent failure of the U.S.
>Army Corps of Engineers to provide suitable alternative habitat (at least
>half of the 8 acres "created" on East Sand Island contains standing water
>where terns will not nest). FWS acquiesced to the destruction of the Rice
>Island colony over PSG's objections to further encourage recovery of
>endangered salmon runs in the Columbia River system. As you know, the
terns
>at Rice Island have been accused of preying on 5-25% of out-migrating
salmon
>smolts annually in the Columbia River estuary. To reduce this predation,
>which assumes it has a detrimental effect on salmon escapement, actions are
>underway by federal agencies to move the colony from Rice to East Sand
>Island, and ultimately to reduce the Columbia River population from 8,000
to
>1,000 pairs.
>
> Currently, no Caspian tern colonies exist in coastal Oregon and
>Washington, except at Rice Island (8,600 pairs). This has not always been
>the case. Since 1957, the region has seen the loss of 6 colonies, three in
>Grays Harbor, one in Willapa Bay, one in Puget Sound and the last near the
>mouth of the Columbia River estuary. Federal agencies forced terns to
leave
>colonies at Everett Naval Station and at East Sand Island (Columbia River),
>by design and apparently without a Migratory Bird Treaty Act permit. The
>others have been lost due to encroachment of human activities on the sandy
>islands required by the species. Rice Island, an artificial island
composed
>of dredged materials, appeared just in time. While the Caspian tern
>population there has had poor breeding success in most years, this could be
>improved by gull control. This species now relies predominantly on dredged
>material islands throughout its North American range because much of its
>natural nesting habitat has disappeared. In this regard, managing Caspian
>terns, like waterfowl, requires intensive habitat management.
>
> The situation in the Columbia River estuary is a major problem.
The
>Rice Island population constitutes 28% of the North American population of
>this species, 38% of the U.S. population and 67% of the U.S. West Coast
>population. Besides the concentration of birds at Rice Island, other
>concentrations occur only in Manitoba and to a lesser degree among the
Great
>Lakes. Breeding populations, thus, are disjunct. Loss or major reduction
>of the Columbia River population, without compensatory increases elsewhere
>in the region, would reduce the U.S. population to the size comparable to
>those of other bird populations listed as threatened under the ESA.
Without
>the Rice Island colony, the total number of Caspian terns breeding in
>California, Oregon and Washington would number only about 4,000 pairs.
>
> Therefore, we recommend that the species be restored to former
>nesting sites in the Pacific Northwest. This may benefit salmon
restoration
>by removing the predation pressure from the Columbia River system. It
would
>also benefit Caspian terns by improving reproductive success in the region.
>The restoration should utilize active, well-tested protocols used in
>successful colony re-establishment of other tern species. Included should
>be appropriate preparation of potential island sites (removal of
vegetation;
>coarse sand, well above water level), placement of tern models with
playback
>recordings of colony calls, and island wardens.
>
> Should you require assistance in planning for this work, PSG would
>be more than willing to be involved.
>
> Sincerely yours,
>
> Craig S. Harrison