Subject: [Tweeters] Sweeping generalities of "cattle country"
Date: Jan 13 07:16:47 2016
From: Doug Schonewald - dschone8 at donobi.net


Thanks Scott

There is always going to be biased people on both sides of the fence. I recall a farmer near Othello who was presented with an environmental honor for his tireless efforts to improve habitat and enhance wildlife on his properties. Not only was he commended on his own efforts (at his own expense I might add) but environmentalists were so impressed with his efforts that he was awarded some kind of grant to continue his work to further improve habitats on his properties. It is an impressive body of work. Of course he really could have made a difference by riding a bicycle, driving a Prius, or becoming a vegetarian.

This kind of behavior is EXACTLY the reason I left organized birding for good. I still bird regularly, but, with the exception of a few close associates and birding friends, I wouldn't report a Rustic Bunting if it was bouncing around my backyard all winter, especially to Tweeters. The "Holier Than Thou" attitudes and other BS that will come with such a report is not worth it.

Cheers

Doug


--- downess at charter.net wrote:

From: Scott Downes <downess at charter.net>
To: tweeters at u.washington.edu
Subject: [Tweeters] Sweeping generalities of "cattle country"
Date: Wed, 13 Jan 2016 06:40:55 -0800

A brief note that sweeping generalities of areas mentioned in emails such as "hostile to wildlife in cattle country" is not only partially inaccurate but it hurts the relationships that we should all try to build.

Land use policies are often at odds between environmentalists and ranchers, but I've seen many ranchers actively feed birds, report unusual birds they've had on their land, hardly hostile to all wildlife.
There are individuals that are hostile to birds and wildlife throughout the state. These sweeping generalities reinforce the divide of east vs west in the state that some groups try to promote. We should try to encourage any love of wildlife rather than blindly casting these negative generalities.

Scott Downes
Downess at charter.net
Yakima Wa_______________________________________________
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