Sen. Pat Roberts Introduces Legislation to Protect Playa Lakes, Recharge Ogallala
U.S. Senator Pat Roberts (R-KS) introduced important conservation legislation Nov. 18 to preserve playa lakes, protect wildlife and recharge the Ogallala Aquifer.
"The playa lakes are wetlands often overlooked, but invaluable to water quality, to recharging the Ogallala Aquifer and as sanctuary for wintering birds," Senator Roberts said. "This bill works within legislation that is already proven to bring real conservation results in a sustainable way."
Senate Bill 1877 protects playa wetlands by amending the Farmable Wetlands Program under the Conservation Reserve Program to allow the enrollment of 40 contiguous acres instead of 10, and allow payment on 10 of the acres instead of five. These changes ensure that the majority of lakes and their buffer areas will be eligible for enrollment, and it also guarantees that playas will be considered eligible wetlands by USDA.
"This bill helps to define playas as wetlands, which has not always been the case, and gets some welcome funding going toward playas and landowners that have them," said Mike Carter, PLJ V Coordinator.
Because playa lakes are dry much of the year, traditionally they have not been recognized as wetlands in Farm Bill programs. But the wet-dry cycle of playas is a natural function of the wetlands. The seasonality of playas produces diverse vegetation which supports all types of birds - waterfowl, shorebirds, waterbirds and grassland species alike. When the playa's clay basin is dry, deep cracks form which are the main channels of recharge of water through the playa into the Ogallala Aquifer.
"The Playa Lakes Joint Venture commends Senator Roberts and his staff for introducing this ground-breaking and innovative legislation," said Bob McCready, PLJV Chairman. "Given the importance of playa lakes for wildlife habitat and replenishing water supply, this bill has broad appeal - for landowners, municipalities and conservation groups."
PLJV's Science Circular to Launch December 9th
The first issue of the PLJV's new publication, the Science Circular, will be distributed electronically to subscribers on December 9. The Circular is intended for PLJV planning partners, bird plan organizers, biologists and others involved or interested in Joint Venture science issues. It aptly takes its name from the general shape of playas and connotes the sharing and exchange of information. The first issue covers the development of a new comprehensive assessment of the North American Waterfowl Management Plan (NAWMP), the Partners in Flight (PIF) Continental Plan, and highlights the bird experts involved in PLJV planning.
Playa Post ©2003 Playa Lakes Joint Venture. Submission deadlines are the 15th of each month for publication the following month. Send press releases, comments and subscription inquiries to Debbie F. Slobe.
U.S. Senator Pat Roberts (R-KS) introduced important conservation legislation Nov. 18 to preserve playa lakes, protect wildlife and recharge the Ogallala Aquifer.
"The playa lakes are wetlands often overlooked, but invaluable to water quality, to recharging the Ogallala Aquifer and as sanctuary for wintering birds," Senator Roberts said. "This bill works within legislation that is already proven to bring real conservation results in a sustainable way."
Senate Bill 1877 protects playa wetlands by amending the Farmable Wetlands Program under the Conservation Reserve Program to allow the enrollment of 40 contiguous acres instead of 10, and allow payment on 10 of the acres instead of five. These changes ensure that the majority of lakes and their buffer areas will be eligible for enrollment, and it also guarantees that playas will be considered eligible wetlands by USDA.
"This bill helps to define playas as wetlands, which has not always been the case, and gets some welcome funding going toward playas and landowners that have them," said Mike Carter, PLJ V Coordinator.
Because playa lakes are dry much of the year, traditionally they have not been recognized as wetlands in Farm Bill programs. But the wet-dry cycle of playas is a natural function of the wetlands. The seasonality of playas produces diverse vegetation which supports all types of birds - waterfowl, shorebirds, waterbirds and grassland species alike. When the playa's clay basin is dry, deep cracks form which are the main channels of recharge of water through the playa into the Ogallala Aquifer.
"The Playa Lakes Joint Venture commends Senator Roberts and his staff for introducing this ground-breaking and innovative legislation," said Bob McCready, PLJV Chairman. "Given the importance of playa lakes for wildlife habitat and replenishing water supply, this bill has broad appeal - for landowners, municipalities and conservation groups."
PLJV's Science Circular to Launch December 9th
The first issue of the PLJV's new publication, the Science Circular, will be distributed electronically to subscribers on December 9. The Circular is intended for PLJV planning partners, bird plan organizers, biologists and others involved or interested in Joint Venture science issues. It aptly takes its name from the general shape of playas and connotes the sharing and exchange of information. The first issue covers the development of a new comprehensive assessment of the North American Waterfowl Management Plan (NAWMP), the Partners in Flight (PIF) Continental Plan, and highlights the bird experts involved in PLJV planning.
Playa Post ©2003 Playa Lakes Joint Venture. Submission deadlines are the 15th of each month for publication the following month. Send press releases, comments and subscription inquiries to Debbie F. Slobe.
ConocoPhillips Hosts PLJV at Wildlife Habitat Council
PLJV staff attended a two-day symposium for corporations involved in wildlife habitat conservation Nov. 17-18 in Baltimore. The conference, "Collaborations for Conservation" was the 15th annual gathering of the Wildlife Habitat Council (WHC), a non-profit conservation group that works with companies to restore, preserve and create wildlife habitat on corporate lands. PLJV partner ConocoPhillips serves on the WHC board, and invited PLJV Coordinator Mike Carter and Communications Team Leader Debbie Slobe to the event. More than 400 participants representing several dozen corporations and conservation groups, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Natural Resources Conservation Service were in attendance. Workshops included sessions on developing corridors for migratory birds and creating environmental education projects on corporate land, and improving company involvement in conservation work through incentive programs.
'Tis the Season for Bird Monitoring
Thousands of birders across the U.S., Canada, Caribbean and Latin America will soon take part in one of the largest citizen-science efforts to survey birds of the season - the Christmas Bird Count (CBC). Amateur and avid birders alike can participate in the CBC, which is a one-day count that takes place between Dec. 14 and Jan. 5. The CBC is split into about 2,000 count circles organized and led by local birders. There are dozens of count circles in the PLJV region. To get involved in your local count circle, visit the CBC Current Year's Results web site. Select your state from the pull-down menu, then select the count circle nearest you. A page detailing the count circle will appear; click on "list" at the top and a list of circle participants will appear. You can email the circle organizer directly from this page.
Thousands of birders across the U.S., Canada, Caribbean and Latin America will soon take part in one of the largest citizen-science efforts to survey birds of the season - the Christmas Bird Count (CBC). Amateur and avid birders alike can participate in the CBC, which is a one-day count that takes place between Dec. 14 and Jan. 5. The CBC is split into about 2,000 count circles organized and led by local birders. There are dozens of count circles in the PLJV region. To get involved in your local count circle, visit the CBC Current Year's Results web site. Select your state from the pull-down menu, then select the count circle nearest you. A page detailing the count circle will appear; click on "list" at the top and a list of circle participants will appear. You can email the circle organizer directly from this page.
Also each winter, avian biologists from state wildlife agencies take part in the Midwinter Waterfowl Survey, an annual count of duck and goose populations in North America. Surveys take place in January and results provide information on population trends, distribution on the wintering grounds, and habitat use. In Colorado, the Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory (RMBO) is conducting counts of raptors this winter along Breeding Bird Survey routes in the eastern portion of the state in Bird Conservation Region 18. RMBO invites others to use their protocol to count raptors in any other part of BCR 18, which encompasses western Nebraska, eastern Colorado, the Texas and Oklahoma Panhandles and eastern New Mexico. Contact David Hanni for information on the RMBO raptor-count procedure.