Denny,
Seattle Audubon, National Audubon, Defenders of Wildlife and American
Bird Conservancy did pick this cause with care, and we are supported by
esteemed ornithologists and fisheries biologists such as Frank Gill and
Carl Safina. Our mission to protect birds is made much more difficult
if we choose only to defend birds when they are threatened and
endangered. While Caspian Terns are not listed in Washington state, a
full 50% of their west coast breeding population is found in the lower
Columbia River.

Salmon and piscivorous birds have coexisted for a very long time.
Salmon are in decline in the Columbia River not because of fish-eating
birds, but because of poor hatchery management, destructive land use,
natural resource extraction, water diversion, hydroelectric dams,
harvest, etc., etc. The Columbia River system is not fully functioning,
and salmon are some of the victims of our short-sighted "management" of
this river.

Caspian Terns are also impacted by our land use practices. Breeding
islands throughout the west coast have been destroyed by people,
intentionally and unintentionally.

In our case, we are asking the Corps of Engineers to follow standard
federal regulatory process (NEPA). We believe that the Terns should be
moved only if it is scientically defensible. The Corps own fisheries
biologists have stated that moving the Terns might actually harm wild
fish. We also believe that the Terns must have somewhere else to breed
if they are to be moved.

Let us not be lulled into complacency. Piscivorous birds are coming
under attack all across the country. They are a much "easier" political
target than substantive salmon recovery efforts.

We will continue to defend fish-eating birds and fight for the recovery
of wild salmon. Those two issues are not mutually-exclusive.

~Helen Ross
Conservation Coordinator
Seattle Audubon Society

-----Original Message-----
From: osprey at nwinfo.net [mailto:osprey at nwinfo.net]
Sent: Wednesday, May 31, 2000 1:03 PM
To: TWEETERS at u.washington.edu
Subject: RE: Caspian Terns and Audubon


It seems to me that the Audubon societies - whether national, state or
local
- need to pick their causes with care. We cannot challenge every issue
that
has an impact on birds. The Caspian Terns on Rice Island is one issue
that
has the potential to make Audubon look quite foolish.

Caspian Terns are not a threatened or endangered species. Their
population
is quite healthy across their breeding range. In some areas their
population is so high they have an actual nuisance. Moving them off of
Rice
Island will have little impact on their population now or in the future.
If
moving them will help the salmon population, even in a small way, it is
a
beneficial move.

Audubon has fought on the side of the salmon for many years. Jumping to
the
other side just because of a minor impact on one bird species is
unnecessary
and has the potential of weakening the image of Audubon.

Denny Granstrand
Yakima, WA
* * * * * * * * * * *
* Denny Granstrand *
* Yakima, WA *
* osprey at nwinfo.net *
* * * * * * * * * * *