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Audubon Advisory January 12, 2012 Vol 2012 Issue 1   Roseate Spoonbills need a healthy Gulf.   Our Next, Best Chance to Pass the RESTORE Act for the Gulf of Mexico The RESTORE Act has been praised for its bipartisan support and commitment to restoring the environment and economies of the Gulf damaged by the BP oil disaster. Congress must act to ensure the fines owed by BP and other responsible parties are used for restoring the Gulf of Mexico ecosystem for the people and wildlife that live there.  Read more.   The Farm Bill preserves habitat for Western Meadowlarks and other grassland birds.    The 2012 Congress: A Look Ahead In addition to our number priority to pass the RESTORE Act, two big bills with big ramifications for the environment—the Farm Bill, which is the single, largest source of conservation funding, and the Water Resources Development Act, which is instrumental in restoring large ecosystems, are also slated for action. Read more.     The Ivory Gull, an Arctic-dependent species, spends its life on and around the sea ice. It feeds in open water and on the remains of marine mammals killed by polar bears and other predators.    Dangerous Offshore Drilling Proposed in the Arctic Ocean The federal government recently released a new proposed Five-Year Program (2012-2017) for offshore oil and gas leasing that could open up pristine new areas in the Arctic Ocean offshore of Alaska to oil drilling. If we've learned anything from the Deepwater Horizon disaster, it's how unprepared the oil industry is to respond to a major oil spill. This is especially true in the Arctic Ocean. Read more.     The agreement will increase healthy habitat for the endangered Red-cockaded Woodpecker.    Audubon and Sierra Club Win Major Environmental Benefits for Arkansas in Power Plant Settlement Audubon and Sierra Club recently announced a legal settlement that phases out one of the dirtiest coal plants located upwind of Arkansas, in Northeastern Texas. The settlement will mean clearer air, more clean energy and efficiency, and protections for Important Bird Areas and other sensitive habitats. Read more.     Audubon is seeking more robust protections for birds like the Piping Plover, whose habitat would be impacted by the pipeline.    Audubon Weighs in on 15,000 Mile Habitat Conservation Plan Audubon responded to a request from a major pipeline company for authorization to impact habitat needed by 43 imperiled species. Audubon seeks more robust protections for the threatened interior Least Tern, Piping Plover, and Red-cockaded Woodpecker, and asks for avoidance of Important Bird Areas in subsequent phases of permitting. Read more.   News from Our State Network Over 1500 New Yorkers push for stronger environmental protections from hydrofracking.   January Mystery Bird Congratulations to Andrew S. of Arcata, CA, who was randomly chosen from the entries that correctly identified last month's Savannah Sparrow, at right. Good luck with this month's challenge, Poking Around, below. HINT: Over 10% of my global population can be found in the California Bay Delta, an ecosystem that is being restored with help from the Water Resources Development Act. The winner will receive a plush Audubon singing bird and will be chosen at random from all entries received that correctly identify the species (NAS employees can play but not win). One entry per person please. Please email us your entry, being sure the words "Mystery Bird" appear in the subject line. Deadline for entering is Sunday, February 5. Photo credits: Western Meadowlark - John and Karen Hollingsworth/USFWS, Roseate Spoonbill - Rebecca Field, Ivory Gull - jomilo75/Flickr Creative Commons, Red-cockaded Woodpecker - Julio Mulero/Flickr Creative Commons, Piping Plover - Gene Nieminen/USFWS, Savannah Sparrow - Amanda Boyd/USFWS, Mystery Bird - Greg Thomson/USFWS

The Audubon Advisory is published monthly by Audubon's Public Policy Program.
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