Tweeters,



Did you know it is legal for the public to cut down snags on National Forests in eastern Washington? This includes the well-known Bethel Ridge area on the White Pass Highway where many birders go to seek woodpeckers (10 species are possible!). Black-backed, White-headed, and American Three-toed woodpeckers are special targets in this area. This region also has excellent habitat for other sought-after species like Flammulated Owl. This year in the Bethel Ridge area, nests of rare species like black-backed and white-headed woodpeckers were cut down by woodcutters.



Audubon Washington has taken on protection of snags as a conservation issue to help preserve habitat for for woodpeckers and the many other species of snag-dependent wildlife.



Please help raise awareness of this issue. You can sign a petition that only takes a minute of your time: https://works.audubon.org/petition/snagged-end-snag-cutting-federal-lands



And/or, you can contact the National Forests yourself in writing/emails/phone. Information on who to contact is on Audubon Washington's webpage: http://wa.audubon.org/chapter-conservation-projects-programs



Please consider taking a moment to help wildlife that rely on snags. The many species of wildlife that depend on snags will ALL thank you: woodpeckers, sapsuckers, owls, bluebirds, swifts, swallows, wrens, chickadees, nuthatches, ducks, kestrels, bats, squirrels, chipmunks, and more.



Thanks for helping to protect the remarkable diversity of woodpeckers in our Cascade forests.



Andy Stepniewski

Wapato WA

steppie at nwinfo.net




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