November 5, 2009
Disney Company Makes Significant Commitment to Protect Threatened Forests in the Amazon, Congo and United States
The Walt Disney Company announced today a $7 million investment in forest projects that will build on its long history of conservation and environmental stewardship. The projects will protect forests in the Amazon, the Congo and the United States safeguarding ecosystems that benefit climate and quality of life on the planet.
The investment is being made in partnership with leading non-governmental organizations Conservation International, The Nature Conservancy and The Conservation Fund.
Yellow Warbler © Sean Cronin, from the surfbirds galleries.
Forest protection is one of the most effective ways to combat climate change, improve the livelihood of local communities and protect threatened wildlife. Healthy forests provide food, shelter and income to millions of people around the world. The projects supported by Disney will also benefit species ranging from gorillas in Africa to North American songbirds.
Support for these projects, using a variety of conservation strategies including avoided deforestation, reforestation, and improved forest management, supplement Disney’s company-wide efforts to combat climate change by reducing fossil fuel use and switching to cleaner forms of energy.
“Disney has always been a conservation leader,” said Disney President and CEO Robert A. Iger. “Now, more than ever, it’s essential to take swift action to preserve our most vulnerable natural environments for future generations and to be innovative in achieving that goal.”
Forests are disappearing at an alarming rate. Each year, 50,000 square miles of forest disappear around the world, equal to the size of Pennsylvania. The burning and clearing of tropical forests is responsible for nearly 20 percent of the world’s greenhouse gas pollution – or more than all the world’s cars, trucks, planes, trains and ships combined.
In partnership with Conservation International, Disney is providing $4 million to the Tayna and Kisimba-Ikobo Community Reserves in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and the Alto Mayo conservation project in Peru. The project areas are located respectively in the Congo Basin and the Amazon, two of the world’s most important tropical forest regions.
The protection of these forests will not only reduce carbon emissions, but secure vital watersheds and habitat for a wide-variety of plants and animals, many of them threatened or endangered. These include the gorilla and okapi in the Congo and the Andean spectacled bear and yellow-tailed woolly monkey in Peru.
The majority of Disney’s funds will go towards financing community management of the forests within the project areas and expanding sustainable livelihood practices among local villages. They will also be used to complete project design, conduct forest carbon analysis and finance verification of emissions avoided through successful implementation of the projects.
These projects will decrease carbon emissions by improving forest protection through reducing logging and the impact of slash and burn agriculture. Area communities, which are working with Conservation International and its local partners to design and implement the projects, will benefit economically by preserving the environment.
“This commitment by Disney represents the largest single corporate contribution ever made to reduce emissions from deforestation and will help build confidence in these activities that generate such compelling climate, local community and biodiversity benefits,” said Peter Seligmann, CEO and Chairman of Conservation International. “In addition, as climate talks gain momentum in the US and abroad, Disney’s leadership points the way to the key role tropical forest conservation must play in emerging climate change policies.”
In partnership with The Nature Conservancy, Disney is providing more than $2 million to support the development of an innovative reforestation project in the Lower Mississippi Valley. The Nature Conservancy will work with private landowners in Mississippi, Louisiana and Arkansas to plant trees and restore up to 2,000 acres of former forest land. Restoring these native hardwood forests not only provide carbon benefits but will expand the local habitat of migrating songbirds and the black bear. In addition to planting trees, conservation easements will be purchased on the lands to ensure the forests are permanently protected.
This forest restoration program is considered a pilot project that could be significantly expanded in scale in future years.
“Protecting forests is one of our most powerful tools in the fight against climate change,” said Mark Tercek, President and CEO of The Nature Conservancy. “This innovative project will give private landowners the support they need to join the global fight against climate change and restore local habitats for the betterment of both people and nature. We are proud to partner with Disney to protect critical habitat and ensure these incredible forests will be around for generations to come.”
Disney also will invest $1 million in The Conservation Fund’s sustainable forestry work along California’s North Coast. The Conservation Fund owns and sustainably manages two redwood forests in Mendocino County in an effort to demonstrate that improved forest management, supported by selective harvests and verified carbon offset sales, can benefit both the economy and the environment. Over the past five years, the Fund’s work has bolstered the local economy and begun to revive watersheds that are home to Coho salmon, steelhead trout, spotted owl and other wildlife.
“Across America, forests are shrinking; 35 acres here, 500 there,” said Lawrence Selzer, president and CEO of The Conservation Fund. “The decline is so incremental, it masks a crisis. In partnership with leading companies such as Disney, we are pioneering new approaches to forest conservation and climate change. We’re proud to collaborate with Disney on this critical effort.”
Disney’s forest preservation investment is part of the company’s plan, announced last March, to meet aggressive 3 to 5 year goals to reduce emissions, waste, electricity and water use, and to limit its impact on ecosystems.
Building on 20 years of work by Disney’s environmental affairs department, the targets were formulated by an Environmental Council of senior executives from across the company. Charged with developing and implementing sustainable strategies for Disney’s impact on the environment, as well as ways to use the company’s media reach to encourage positive action, the Council has taken a measured, scientific approach in analyzing the company’s operations and crafting strategic objectives.
In addition to the investment announced today, Disney has over the last year committed to planting close to 3 million trees in Brazil’s Atlantic Rainforest and in the fire-ravaged areas in the mountains surrounding greater Los Angeles through contributions from the Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund and local donations.
Posted by Surfbirds at 8:21 PM | Comments (0)
October 28, 2009
Bahamas Declares New Land and Sea Parks
On Saturday night, at the Bahamas National Trust 50th Gala Ball in Nassau, Prime Minister Hubert A. Ingraham reconfirmed his government’s commitment to the Caribbean Challenge and “the orderly expansion of our national parks system to include up to 10 percent of the terrestrial areas and 20 percent of the near-shore marine resources of the country.”
The new parks encompass some of The Bahamas most pristine lands and waters, and include:
- the establishment of the Fowl Cays Land and Sea Park in Abaco located between Scotland and Man O’ War Cay in the barrier islands of Great Abaco
- the expansion of the West Side National Park of Andros, including Williams Island and Billy Island
- the expansion of the Conception Island National Park
Cuban Pewee, Bahamas © Alan Lewis, from the surfbirds galleries.
In his announcement, Prime Minister Ingraham also noted, “We are mindful of the pressures of development in certain parts of The Bahamas, and equally mindful of our duty to protect the interest of our people and integrity of our resources.”
The Bahamas continues to increase conservation momentum within the Caribbean. In addition to these new parks, the government recently extended legal protection to all species of sea turtles found within its waters. They may not be hunted, trapped or otherwise harmed or harassed.
Posted by Surfbirds at 7:39 AM | Comments (0)
October 15, 2009
New Study Provides Insight on Energy Development and Sage-Grouse Habitat in the Intermountain West
A study released in the current issue of the peer-reviewed journal PLoS ONE (Public Library of Science) will shed new light on oil and gas development potential in the Intermountain West. Maps accompanying the study show the impacts to greater sage-grouse populations in relation to potential energy development. If business as usual continues and more forward-thinking development strategies are not considered, sage-grouse populations will decline an additional 7 to 19 percent.
Prepared by scientists from The Nature Conservancy, the National Audubon Society, and the University of Montana, the study created a tool to understand the cumulative impacts of energy development on species in the West. Agencies can use the study’s findings to determine how best to pursue energy independence while maintaining quality habitat that is critical to imperiled sage-grouse populations as well as a host of other species, including iconic big game of the West.
Sage Grouse © RJ Hall, from the surfbirds blogs
“This study illustrates how impacts to sensitive species, in this example sage-grouse, can be used to forecast biological trade-offs of newly proposed or ongoing development plans” said study co-author Dr. Kevin Doherty, Senior Ecologist at the National Audubon Society. “A 7-19% impact to sage-grouse in their eastern range from just one of the host of issues causing their declines, highlights the need for scientifically credible conservation planning tools to balance natural resource development with wildlife conservation”
Sage-grouse populations are considered indicators of ecosystem health and have been closely monitored by state game and fish agencies over the past decade. The greater sage-grouse is currently a candidate for Endangered Species listing - a result that would have far reaching implications for a wide range of industries in the region.
“Sage-grouse are useful in prioritizing conservation because their abundance is indicative of large and intact shrub-dominated grasslands, the most endangered ecosystem in North America,” said study co-author, Dr. David Naugle, Associate Professor, University of Montana. “Challenges with sage-grouse are a harsh reminder that the value of small-scale conservation actions may be negated if large-scale cumulative impacts are ignored”
The new study and its detailed maps of the Intermountain West indicates that future oil and gas drilling could impact up to 9.1 million acres of sagebrush shrub lands and 2.7 million acres of grasslands - key sage-grouse habitat.
Global demand for energy has increased by more than 50 percent in the last half century, and a similar increase is projected between 2007 and 2030. Much of our domestic demand will be served by new exploration in the western US - making the health of wildlife in the West, such as sage-grouse, an issue of national importance.
“The Conservancy and the Audubon Society have been jointly working with state and federal agencies to proactively identify areas of high biological value that may impact oil and gas operations,” said study lead author Holly Copeland, spatial ecologist, with the Nature Conservancy in Wyoming. “Linking wildlife impacts with predictive oil and gas models will provide tools to decision makers charged with meeting the challenge of maintain healthy wildlife populations while responsibly developing domestic energy resources.”
Posted by Surfbirds at 6:54 AM | Comments (0)
October 6, 2009
Effort to Boost Wisconsin’s Prairie Chicken Population Now Complete
Minnesota and Wisconsin may be rivals on the football field but the two states have been working together for years to save an iconic species of America’s grasslands. An effort to relocate prairie chickens from Minnesota to Wisconsin – where the birds are at risk – is now complete, The Nature Conservancy announced.
More than 100 greater prairie chickens have been captured in western Minnesota and relocated to Buena Vista Marsh in central Wisconsin, including 5 birds that were released late last week.
Greater Prairie-chicken © Mike Watson/Birdquest, from the surfbirds galleries
Wisconsin’s prairie chicken population is in danger of collapsing due to declining genetic variability caused by loss of grassland habitat.
Most of the birds relocated to Buena Vista Marsh have come from The Nature Conservancy’s 24,000-acre Glacial Ridge Project in northwestern Minnesota.
Glacial Ridge is the nation’s largest prairie-wetland restoration project and as a result of efforts by the Conservancy and its partners the area’s prairie chicken population is thriving.
“We’re thrilled the Conservancy has been able to help Wisconsin’s prairie chicken population,” said Mary Jean Huston, director of The Nature Conservancy in Wisconsin. “Wisconsin is one of only two states located east of the Mississippi River that still has prairie chickens in the wild.
“These birds from Minnesota were critically needed, but we must also restore and conserve Wisconsin’s best grasslands if we don’t want to lose this incredible bird and true symbol of the prairie.”
Peggy Ladner, director of The Nature Conservancy in Minnesota, said she’s pleased that Glacial Ridge’s success is benefitting Wisconsin.
“Grasslands are the most endangered and least protected habitat in the United States,” said Ladner.
“Our success in restoring Glacial Ridge has allowed for some prairie chickens to be shared with Wisconsin,” Ladner added. “While this is great news, it remains the case that prairie chickens are classified as a species of special concern in Minnesota. That’s largely because we have less than one percent of our original native prairie left in Minnesota and we’re still losing ground every day.
Posted by Surfbirds at 6:52 PM | Comments (0)
October 4, 2009
Canada and U.S. Join Forces to Protect Natural Gem
The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) and The Nature Conservancy (TNC) have announced the protection of the Wilson Island group near Rossport, Ontario. This initiative is the largest conservation project ever completed in Ontario. The landmark acquisition in northwestern Ontario will preserve habitat and species at risk for the long term.
The Nature Conservancy and NCC have identified the Northwestern Lake Superior Coast as a high priority for conservation action based on the bi-national Great Lakes Conservation Blueprint for Aquatic Biodiversity. The NCC/TNC collaboration allowed the two organizations to negotiate the deal for Wilson Island with an American vendor and raise private donations from U.S. donors and foundations to secure a large area of undeveloped Great Lakes Shoreline — an increasingly rare opportunity.
Bald Eagle, second year bird feeding on cow carcass © Chris Charlesworth, from the surfbirds galleries
The eight islands in the Wilson Island cluster total more than 4,700 acres (1,900 hectares). They are situated in the heart of the recently established Lake Superior National Marine Conservation Area — the largest protected freshwater area on the planet. Wilson Island’s high cliffs provide nesting habitat for Peregrine Falcons and Bald Eagles, while the smaller offshore islands provide important nesting habitat for colonial waterbirds. The rare coastal wetlands and forests, rugged cliffs, bedrock shoreline and globally rare sand beaches of the islands support rare species such as Mountain Fir-moss and Northern Woodsia fern.
Wilson is by far the largest of the eight, and has north-facing cliffs on water and canyons, raised basalt beaches and an unexplored interior. It supports all the arctic-alpine species and vegetation communities for which Lake Superior’s north shore is famous. Lake trout and whitefish spawn in the nearshores. In a Parks Canada study of the entire northwest coast of Lake Superior, the Wilson Islands ranked second overall for their representation of significant features of the region.
“The Wilson Island group presented an unmatched opportunity to protect large-scale, ecologically significant and relatively untouched habitat,” remarked NCC’s Chris Maher, regional vice-president, Ontario. "This project has been on the conservation community’s wish list for many years, and the joint effort to protect this island group has been crucial its success.”
"This project represents a major step forward in our binational effort to conserve the Great Lakes 'vanishing coastal areas',” said Dennis McGrath, Michigan's assistant state director for The Nature Conservancy. "This project is important not just to Canada, but to the entire Great Lakes region."
Posted by Surfbirds at 7:21 AM | Comments (0)
September 21, 2009
Nature Conservancy Purchases Major Sandhills Tract
The Nature Conservancy has announced the purchase of a key tract in northern Cumberland County. The 1,263-acre parcel includes a critical block of longleaf pine ecosystem at the eastern edge of the Sandhills.
“We talk a lot about keystone tracts, pieces of property that are vital to an ecosystem,” says Conservancy Conservation Director Rick Studenmund. “This truly is a keystone tract in every sense of that word. Several clusters of endangered red-cockaded woodpeckers nest on the property. It contains the headwaters of Carvers Creek and includes extensive forested wetlands.”
Red-cockaded Woodpecker © David Laliberte, from the surfbirds galleries
The North Carolina Natural Heritage Program, which inventories rare plant and animal species, ranks the tract as nationally significant. It is one of the finest examples of longleaf pine forest left in the Sandhills, and boasts a rich variety of plants and animals in addition to red-cockaded woodpeckers.
The tract is also important for its location; it shares two and one half miles of border with Fort Bragg. Because it provides an important buffer to the installation and helps the Army in its efforts to restore red-cockaded woodpecker habitat, the Army helped The Nature Conservancy to purchase the property. It also shares a two-mile border with Carvers Creek Sandhills State Park; one day it will become a part of that park.
In 2001, the Conservancy purchased 1,173 acres in the area, which formed the core of Carvers Creek Sandhills State Park. In 2004, James Stillman Rockefeller bequeathed the 1,435-acre Long Valley Farm to the Conservancy; that property will also be transferred to the state park system.
Posted by Surfbirds at 6:33 AM | Comments (0)
September 5, 2009
The Bahamas' Sweeping New Legal Protections for Sea Turtles
Sea turtles have gained another important haven in the Caribbean. Effective September 1, new laws in The Bahamas completely prohibit the harvesting, possession, purchase and sale of sea turtles and their eggs found either within Bahamian waters or on any of its hundreds of beaches.
After 12 months of public debate on how to protect the country’s marine resources, thousands of citizens spoke of their support for laws and regulations that, when enforced, will protect and conserve the country's marine natural resources for the benefit and enjoyment of all people. Five of the world’s seven sea turtle species inhabit the Bahamas, and previously it was legal to kill any sea turtle species found there except one, the hawksbill. The hawksbill turtle has been protected in Bahamian waters since 1986.
Green Turtle © Rich Lindie, from the surfbirds galleries
The new laws and amendments that are in force now represent the next phase of expanded marine conservation here. As The Bahamas formally extends strong legal protections to four of six known species of sea turtles in the Caribbean — hawksbill, green, leatherback, and loggerhead — these species can now swim and nest within this country in relative peace.
"The Nature Conservancy applauds the people of The Bahamas for their decision to expand the protection of sea turtles within our waters and on our beaches, and to back that decision with the weight of law," said Eleanor Phillips, Director of the Conservancy's Northern Caribbean Program.
"I grew up here among these islands and have known the play of light on these waters all of my life and I have always been proud to be a Bahamian. But today, I am especially proud of my country and I am extremely pleased, both personally and professionally, to support new laws that give one of the most endangered animals on Earth a little more hope for survival.
“I remember when sea turtles were a common sight in our waters and I am very hopeful that— as neighboring countries continue to join with the Bahamas in protecting their marine resources through the goals of the Caribbean Challenge — sea turtles will once again be common, not only in The Bahamas, but across all the nations of the Caribbean."
Since its announcement in 2008, The Bahamas has provided key leadership and support for the Caribbean Challenge. The goal of the Challenge — currently endorsed by five sovereign Caribbean nations — is to not only permanently establish a network of 20 million acres of marine protected areas across the territorial waters of at least 10 countries, but also to ensure that once established, the protected areas also receive sufficient, permanent funding through sustainable financing tools.
In addition to park user fees and concessions that are constant, renewable sources of operating funds, sustainable finance tools also include dedicated conservation trusts and endowments that enable private funds to leverage matching public funds to provide an unprecedented level of financial security for the permanent protection and management of parks and protected areas, thus ensuring their survival as healthy, functioning, natural areas forever.
To take just one example, the Conservancy led a team of scientists, researchers and students on a scientific expedition to explore the west side of Andros Island. They discovered a haven for baby sharks and sea turtles and a wealth of other natural life. With scientific support and expertise from the Conservancy, the Andros Conservancy and Trust (ANCAT) and the Bahamas National Trust are developing management plans and activities for an expanded national park on the west side of Andros. The Conservancy also works with island residents to support their wishes for an island-wide network of parks and to help foster the Bahamas’ longstanding conservation ethic.
The amendment outlawing the killing of sea turtles came after a year of extensive public debate about the issue, and support from Oceana, the largest international organization focused solely on ocean conservation. Oceana sent several formal support letters and garnered 14,000 emails from conservationists to the Bahamas’ Marine Resources Department director in support of the ban.
Outlawing the killing of sea turtles in its waters could also substantially benefit the tourism industry in the Bahamas, as the country derives more than 50 percent of its gross domestic product from tourists. A recent survey from Oceana found that scuba divers were willing to pay almost $30 more per dive for an increased chance to see a sea turtle in the wild.
Posted by Surfbirds at 7:22 AM | Comments (0)
New Analysis Shows America’s Heartland Hardest Hit by Climate Change with States Heating up 10+ Degrees
America’s heartland will suffer the greatest jump in temperatures from climate change over the next century – with some states potentially heating up more than 10 degrees Fahrenheit – threatening the nation’s agriculture industry and food security, according to a new analysis by The Nature Conservancy.
The scientific analysis, which looked at likely temperature changes across the United States over the next 100 years, found that Kansas, Nebraska and Iowa would heat up the most if emissions continue to rise unchecked.
Baltimore Oriole © Mark S. Szantyr, from the surfbirds galleries
Next were South Dakota, Oklahoma, Missouri and Illinois, all of which would experience more than a 9.5 degree F increase in their average annual temperatures.
“To many, climate change doesn’t seem real until it affects them, or their backyards. From the food we put on the table to the animals that make our country unique, this study shows that none of us is immune if temperatures continue to rise as projected,” said Jonathan Hoekstra, Director of Climate Change for The Nature Conservancy. “In many states across the country, the weather and landscapes could be nearly unrecognizable in 100 years.”
Among the impacts Americans could see over the next 100 years:
America’s $200 billion agriculture industry could face serious threats as higher temperatures dry out soil and shift production patterns. Weeds that wreak havoc on crops also become more difficult to combat as carbon dioxide levels rise in the atmosphere.
The dairy industry could suffer serious declines, since dairy cow productivity starts decreasing above 77°F.
Many states could lose their official birds as they move out of state in search of cooler climates — including the Baltimore oriole of Maryland, black-capped chickadee of Massachusetts, and the American goldfinch of Iowa.
Even under the lowest emission scenario – which assumes strong actions successfully lower global emission rates over the next century – nearly every state in the US is projected to experience temperature increases well above the 3.6 degrees F (2 degrees C) threshold many scientists say will cause irreversible impacts to the Earth’s lands, waters, wildlife and human communities.
Posted by Surfbirds at 7:16 AM | Comments (0)