The Valley Harrier (Page 2)

THE VALLEY HARRIER

Newsletter of the

ARKANSAS VALLEY

AUDUBON SOCIETY

(Colorado)

Volume XXVIII Issue 6

October, 2002

Page 1 2 3 4 5

Table of Contents

CONSERVATION NOTES

by Dave Johnson

The Division of Wildlife has a facility in Alamosa which every conservationist should be familiar with: the John W. Mumma Native Aquatic Species Restoration Facility. This is the only state-run facility in the nation specifically designed to raise threatened and endangered fish, amphibians and mollusks. The NASRF was dedicated in June, 2000 and its first production season was the summer of 2000.

Currently, NASRF has boreal toads and 12 species of fish, including three on the federal endangered species list (bonytail, Colorado and razorback suckers). The other nine are all on the Colorado endangered species or “species of special concern.”

As I reported last month, boreal toads raised at NASRF have already been stocked at selected sites along the Big Thompson River in Larimer County. Razorback suckers, Arkansas darters and common shiners are also being stocked in various wildlife areas where the fish are native.

The Division should be congratulated for its good work in promoting the recovery of T&E aquatic species.

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The Bush administration and its clones in state government are continuing their attack on wildlife. Secretary of the Interior Gail Norton persists in her attempt to sabotage the well conceived and widely accepted plan to introduce grizzly bears into the Bitterroot Mountains of Idaho and Montana. The Wyoming Game and Fish Commission has voted to seek an end to endangered species status for gray wolves, thus allowing unrestricted killing of the wolf. Utah is preparing to allow tundra swan hunting with no provisions for safeguarding them or even imposing a penalty for shooting trumpeters.

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Anyone how is tempted to believe that the oil industry can be trusted to drill oil in the Coastal Plain of the Arctic NWR without ruining the environment should check its record in the Kenai Peninsula NWR.

The Kenai was established by Pres. Roosevelt in 1941 and opened to oil drilling in 1957. In the last 45 years there have been over 350 oil spills, fires and explosions on the refuge. Over 270,000 gallons of oil has spilled in a recent accident. Soil and groundwater are contaminated by numerous toxins, including PCBs, some of which exceed by 10 times the EPA limits.

Major pipeline and flowline breaks or leaks have occurred in 1961, 1969 and as recently as 1991, 1994, 1995 1999 and 2002. Among other toxins, PCBs benzene and xylene have contaminated groundwater. USFWS biologists have found deformed frogs.

The numerous [problems which have occurred within the last few years belie oil industry claims that modern technology makes drilling safer for the environment. The bottom line is, oil drilling is completely incompatible with the goal of maintaining a pristine natural environment. The Coastal Plain should be made a Wilderness Area. It should never, under and condition be opened to the oil industry.