1 Inside Tracks
Beneath the Gavel ........ 2
Local News .................... 3
Bird Tales ....................... 4
Environmental Issues ... 5
Calendar ......................... S
June Outing
Join us Saturday, June 17,
to explore Colorado Bend State
Park, a beautiful, undeveloped
5300-acre park near the north­ern
edge of the Hill Country.
The park, on the Colorado
River northofLake Buchanan,
is home to caves, wild turkeys,
and white bass. The alluring
Gorman Falls was almost
loved to death, but plant and
animal life are recovering, the
result of TPWD restricting ac­cess
to guided tours only.
We will hike to the falls
with a Parks & Wildlife guide.
The walk is relatively easy.
Conservation Passport is not
required, but bring yours if
you have one. Wear good
shoes, bring water for the hike,
and a brown bag lunch.
Drive time is about 2.5
hours. We will carpool, leaving
at 7:15 am SHARP. Meeting
place will be determined. Call
Patty Leslie Pasztorat824-1235
to reserve a place.
BEXAR AUDUBON SOCIETY
CHAPTER OF THE
NATIONAL AUDUBON
SOCIETY
21 0-822-4503
The Chapter's primary goab are to promote
species and habitat ronseiW.tion, and
environmental education in the mmmunity.
Volume XIII, No. 6 june1995
The Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail
• Why do people travel to Texas?
One reason is to see our many spe­cies
of birds. Nature tourism has a
significant financial impact on the
Texas economy. Learn more at the
June 15 BAS meeting, featuring
Madge Lindsay.
Lindsay has been developing and
implementing a new marketing pro-
·oeeport gram at the Texas Parks & Wildlife Depart-ment.
Known as the Great Texas Coastal Birding
Trail, this project will include more than 100 well-known
and new birding sites along the coast.
Madge Lindsay is a Program Leader in the Wildlife Divi-
IIJhc;~~onAra"""' sion' s Non-game and Urban Branch at Austin. She is a graduate
COIJllls Chr•··of Texas A&M University in Recreation, Parks, and Tourism Sci­ences.
At T AMU she received the Senior Merit Award from the College
of Agriculture and Life Science, and was recognized for academic
excellence.
Lindsay's accomplishments include development of a $1.5 mil­lion
matchin'g grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
for the Texas Private Lands Initiative, a study identifying con­servation
partnership techniques with private landowners,
and development of the State Park Hosts volunteer program.
She is responsible for agency development and coordina-tion
of the Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail (a $1.5million IS TEA project) co-spon­sored
with the Texas Department of Transportation. She was project coordinator for the
State Task Force on Texas Nature Tourism and supervises Non-game and Urban Program
Development, Texas Partners in Flight, and the Hummingbird Round-up Backyard Survey.
Her hobbies include wildlife gardening, bird watching, photography, and eco-travel.
Who should attend? Those interested in birds and birding, resource conservation, travel,
and economic development. Students are especially welcome.
Conservation Committee: Come to the Ruble Center at 6:00pm, June 15, for a joint
meeting of the Bexar Audubon Society and Sierra Club Conservation Committees.
Specifics: Monthly meeting of Bexar Audubon Society, 7:30 pm, Thursday, June 15.
Refreshments will be available at 7:00 pm. Come early to socialize. Free and open to the
public. For more information call822-4503.
Cm1servatio11 Committee: Come at 6:00pm for a joint meeting of Bexar Audubon Society
and Sierra Club cm1servation committees.
Location: Ruble Center, 419 East Magnolia. Nearest freeway exit isNorth St. Mary's, off
Highway 281. Public Transportation: VIA Route 5 (St. Mary's-McCullough-North Star Mall)
to Magnolia Street.
Recently, in the course of the or­ganization's
strategic planning process,
Ted Eubanks, NAS directorfrom the SW
Region, posted these thoughts on the
Audubon CompuServe Forum:
"Let me offer my simple version of
a vision for the National Audubon Soci­ety
. I believe the most significant envi-.
ronmental challenge for the conserva­tion
movement today is the preserva­tion
of biodiversity (intact, viable, self­sustaining
ecosystems in their natural
environment) in the face of relentless
assault from mankind.
A number of organizations share
this concern, [and each adopts its own
approach: legislative, regulatory, and
litigatory; offering scientific and tech­nological
alternatives to existing prac­tices
that threaten natural systems and
their biological constituencies; or even
buying ecosystems and habitat on the
open market].
"I believe that all of these ap­proaches
have their place and value,
and I believe that all have their failings.
We are entering an age of regulatory
rejection, with people chaffing from
what they perceive to be the undue and
overhanded intervention by the gov­ernment
and the courts.
Industry will be slow in accepting
alternative technologies unless they are
well tested and economically advanta­geous.
And [even the deepest] pockets
will never be able to buy enough land to
preserve the ecological heritage of this
country, never mind Latin America.
"However there is another ap­proach
. What about cultivating what I
call a 'culture of conservation'? At times
I've mentioned the need for a conserva­tion
ethic in this country, but I am now
suggesting that this ethic be integrated
into the culture of the country itself.
In our lifetime we have seen many
cultural evolutions. Smoking in public
with no regard to those around you was
once socially and culturally acceptable.
Now, few would enter a friend's home
and light up without asking permission.
A few decades ago few would have
thought twice about driving after a few
beers. Strong legislation and a cultural
change have made such behavior unac­ceptable.
The culture has changed.
June 1995
BENEATH THE GAVEL
"NAS can facilitate, cultivate, and
nurture the evolution of a culture of
conservation promoting conservation
of our irreplaceable natural resources
through cooperation, education, and
acculturation.
"I want to arrive at a desth1ation
where my fellow citizens and leaders
make the right decisions the first thne. I
want to live in a world where environ­mental
enlightenment and sensitivity
are intrinsic and innate, not forced.
"Finally, I am willing to commit the
thne and resources to bring such an evo­lution
about. Forget about two to five
years. Start thinking decades. I'm pa­tient."
Cannen Santasania of Pennsylva­nia,
responded: "More of the general
population [must] understand some ba­sic
concepts of biology, e.g., everythh1g
h1 the environment affects everything
else; it is no longer 'socially, ethically, or
culturally' acceptable to take our envi­ronment
for granted.
[We must teach people that] filling
a wetland will cause their drinking
water to be contaminated or their fish­ing
area to lose fish population or their
home to be flooded in a heavy rain, etc.
I think a culture changes because
people 'learn' that something will affect
them directly in terms of health, their
wallets, or their families. How do peo­ple
learn to change their culture? In my
view it comes about by education, peer
and societal pressure (in a positive
way-endless pressure endlessly ap­plied),
and repetition.
I totally endorse your concept of a
culture of conservation, and I will work
to change as many mh1ds about the
value of our environment, including
habitat, birds, and wildlife, as I can."
Arthur Feinstein of California
writes Ted:" Your vision of a 'culture of
conservation' cannot help but appeal to
all of us seeking to preserve what is left
of our natural world. We have been
working toward it since Aldo Leopold
expressed a similar goal40 years ago."
Ted concludes: "I am not suggest­hlg
that Audubon discard its legislative,
regulatory, or litigation efforts. I agree
that in the immediate future we will
conthme stickh1g fingers h1to dikes.
Ultimately, however, I would like
to live in a world where conservation, in
the broadest sense of the word, is intrin­sic
to decision making. My hope for my
children and grandchildren is that they
enjoy a world where environmental
sensitivity is not a rare att~bute, and
where conservation is a common, not a
special interest."
I believe in the polls that affirm that
Americans care about their environ­ment
and expect their leadership to be
responsible in the administration of sys­tems
that affect and protect ecosystems
and the birds and other wildlife and
plants that depend upon them. We
must work to convert this concern into
a new culture.(As the ESA begins trav­ersing
the reauthorization process this
month, we much voice this commit­ment
loudly and clearly.)
Can we count on you to embrace
this vision? Let me know what you
think about NAS fostering a "culture of
conservation." How do we approach
this task? How will you help?
Thanks to our volunteers-there
are so many volunteers to thank for all
their efforts during recent events: Viva!
Botanica, Earth-Wise Living Day, Earth
Day, Parade of Homes, Cibolo Plant
Sale, the "takings" forum, and other
events at which BAS has been ably rep­resented
by dedicated board members
and other volunteers. I hope we can list
everybody next issue. Until then, you
know who you are, and so do we, and
your board thanks you most sincerely.
· Katie Nava-Ragazzi will appear on
Amparo Ortiz's show at 6am (that's
right) June 20, on KWEX-TV discussing
BAS programs. Tune in.
And we must say good-bye to two
valued volunteers. Barb DeLuca, coor­dinator
of the Natural Initiatives pro­gram,
is heading for a few years on the
open road with husband Nick. We'll get
post cards from wonderful places, I
know. And Valerie Camilli, also on the
Natural Initiatives task force, is moving
to Boise, Idaho, to pursue her Ph.D. We
will miss these two wonderful women
whom we count as dear friends as well
as dependable contributors. "Don't for­get
us! We will not forget you."
- Susa11 Hughes
Bexar Tracks
LOCAL NEWS .
Preliminary legislative Wrapup
Good Bills That Passed
HB 1358. The conservation exemp­tion
bill. Land owners with an ag ex­emption
will be able to manage for wild­life
and keep their ag exemption.
HB2085. Landowner liability cap.
Important to promoting nature tourism
on private lands.
SB97. Anti-canned-hunt bill. Not as
strong as we wanted, but it's a start.
Bad Bills that Died
SB 298. The water degradation act,
lowering DO standards from 5.0 to 3.0.
HB 389. Would have strippe& the
federal tax deduction for conservation
easements.
HB 390. Would have prevented
TPWD from acquirh1g any more prop­erty
until all lands fully accessible to all
people, and met ADA standards.
HB 448. Cost/benefit analysis for
new environmental regs; didn't take
benefits into consideration.
All bills related to unfunded man­dates
and state sovereignty died.
HB 560. Repealh1g ad valorem
tax exemption of the Nature Con­servancy.
HB 1060. Eliminating considera­tion
of environmental externalities
(the total cost of us~ng a highly pollut­hlg
energy source) in utility plannh1g.
HB 2712. Thank you Senator
Truan for the last filibuster
that killed this bill to strip
cities' and coun-ties'
ability to
enter into a
Habitat Conser­vation
Plan with
the USFWS.
TI1e people will live on.
HB 3060. Construct a resort hotel h1
Palo D~,tro Canyon State Park.
HCR 12. Urged Congress to amend
Clean Air Act.
HCR 13. Urged Congress to end
funding for Endangered Species Act.
SB 1106. Make it' legal to kill black
bears and other carnivorous mammals
on the State Endangered or Threatened
species list if someone would vouch for
you that the animal was killing your
livestock.
. SB 1237. Masqueraded as a state
anti-smokmg bill, but was designed to
kill local ordinances that made it illegal
to smoke in restaurants.
SCR 61. Urging Congress to amend
Water Pollution Control Act.
Bad Bills Passed
SB 14. The Takings Bill. Thi'l will be
an interesth1g two years where we'd
love to be proved wrong about our pre­dictions
of cost and hamstringing the
goverment, or start yelling "I told you
when what we predicted happens.
HB 2473. The Audit Privilege
Bill, I polluted, but I told on
myself, so you can't fine me
cleanup charges.
SB 19/178. Delays velli­cle
emissions inspection and
maintainance programs in
4 most polluted cities.
SB1125/1126. Chang­clean
air permitting,
apparently making it easier
to pollute.
- Sa11dra Skrei
NASSWRO
TI1e learning and blundering people will live on.
They will be tricked and sold and again sold
And go back to the nourishing earth for rootholds.
Bexar Tracks
- Carl Sa11dburg
The People, Yes (1936)
3
SAEN Focus on Air Quality
The San Antonio Environmental
Network (SAEN) met at the Witte Mu­seum
on Tuesday, June 6, to exchange
information about ongoing issues and
projects.
Dr. Neil Carman, Clean Air Pro­gram
Director for the Lone Star Chapter
of Sierra Club, presented the program
on grassroots approaches to maintain­ing
good air quality.
As San Antonio heads toward sum­mer
and has already had its first ozone
alert days, air quality is an increasingly
familiar topic of discussion.
The public, the environmental com­munity,
businesses, and regulators
need to learn more about this growing
problem, so we can determine-and
implement-realistic solutions.
Dr. Carman has worked with many
communities across Texas which have
been threatened by dirty air. He has
dealt with sugarcane burning, chemical
company pollution, cement kilns, and
the Austin tank farm. He has worked
with groups from Mothers Organized
to Stop Environmental Sins (MOSES) to
disadvantaged communities.
Loretta Van Coppenolle, with San
Antonio Trees, spoke briefly about the
benefits of trees in maintaining good air
quality as well as the prospects for a tree
ordinance in San Antonio.
SAEN's quarterly (first Tuesday of
June, September, December, and
March) meetings are free and the public
is encouraged to attend. For more infor­mation
on the programs, or for informa­tion
on individual and group member­ships
h1 SAEN, call532-2332.
NPS Focus on Grasses
Floyd Waller will share his knowl­edge
of the many native grasses of the
area at the June meeting of the Native
Plant Society of Texas, San Antonio
01apter.
You are invited to bring samples of
grasses for identification to the meeting
at Lion's Field Clubhouse, 2809 Broad­way
at Mulberry, at 7pm on June 27.
For more information call Peggy
McCray at 641-6543.
June 1995
BIRD TALES
Burning Birding Questions
My parents have been feedi~tg birds
all winter ill their backyard a11d have
really enjoyed watchi11g their visitors.
My father is housebou11d due to ill11ess so
they plan to co1tti11ue feedi~tg because he
e11joys the view.
Recently they've bee~~ disturbed by a
grackle (or pair of grackles) who attacks
sparrows. In the last week, my mom has
found 6 dead birds and has wit11essed
several other attacks.
Why does this happen? Why do they
always attack the same type of bird even
though it's twt the most prevalent at the
feeder? Is there a11y deterrent?
I have a sharp-shinned hawk that
eats sparrows at my feeder, and I con­sider
myself fortunate rather than dis­turbed.
Food webs don't end with gra­nivores;
the Tennysonian couplet about
Nature being red in tooth and claw may
not be appreciated in Disneyland, but it
is valid. I think this is happening be­cause
the grackles are hungry.
Grackles eat nestling birds; it seems
from your mother's observation that
adult sparrows are acceptable prey as
well. I don't know why the grackles are
not eating other birds; perhaps cardi­nals
are too quick and perhaps mourn­ing
doves are too big and perhaps blue
jays are too belligerent.
If you really want to deter this activ­ity,
you must go to the source. To keep
the grackles from killing the sparrows
that eat the grain that Jack provides; get
rid of Jack (or alternatively, ask Jack to
stop provisioning the feeder).
A raven has been vandalizi11g parked
cars in a school parki11g lot in New
Bru11swick, Canada; to date about 10 cars
have been hit. The culprit lands on parked
cars a11d rips the rubber off the wind­shield
wipers. The vice-principal has
been hit 3 times, other staff victimized at
random. The school contacted the De­partmeltt
of Natural Resources to see if
a11ythi11g could be done, but since ravens
are protected, 110 action can be taken.
Why would a raven do this? What
can be do11e to deter it from further at­tacks?
A latter-day Poe described a situ­ation
similar to this in Bodega Bay, Cali­fornia
about twenty years ago. I suggest
you get out of town while you still can.
I really ~annat provide an ultimate
cause for this behavior since you don't
tell us what happens next. If the raven
carries the wiper blades away,
I suspect it is using them in its
nest (out in the arid south­west
Chihuahuan ravens
typically use barbed
wire in their nests).
So you want to
deter attacks too? (Seems this
is the month to dump on the
birds; but please remember, they
were here first!) OK, take out the inserts
in the windshield wipers and put them
in the trunk of the car immediately after
setting the parking brake.
From the 6/95 Prairie Falco11
Northem Flint Hills AS
Dave Rintoul, Editor
Pesticides and Birds
A recent study in the Rio Grande Valley suggested that exposure to organo­phosphate
pesticides may be linked to decreases in the population of white-winged
doves in the region.
Researchers speculated that the exposure occurred when the doves drank
contaminated water from irrigated cotton fields. In 1991, 71 per cent of the doves
sampled showed evidence of pesticide exposure, with 21 per cent showing levels
sufficient to affect behavior and/or survival.
Incidence was lower in 1992, with 39 per cent of doves indicative of exposure,
and 6 per cent with levels sufficient to alter behavior/survival. The researchers call
for additional studies of irrigation water in cotton fields in that region.
June 1995
- 011 the Wild Side, December 1994
Bulletin of the Texas Agricultural Extension Service
4
Neighbors
One big problem with neighbors is
something many have experienced,
busybodies. For some, it's neighbors
who don't like wildflowers or weeds or
whatever you want to call them.
But I've got a particularly aggres­Eive
one who keeps trying to educate
me on the dangers of having wasps'
nest under my eaves (I have an abun­dance
of same, thank you). How people
die from stings, all that silliness.
She's volunteered several times to
"help me get rid of them" if "I don't
have the energy. I don't want to hurt
your feelings or anything, but I know
you're a lot older than me, and I'd be
willing to try to help."
Told her she'd see how feeble I am
if she makes a move toward my wasps!
For a couple of years, it was like
living next to a toxic waste dump, the
amount of stuff they put on their lawn
to keep it green. Then one day, the
hubby asked me what I put on my lawn,
which is as green as his (at least, when
it's been raining.)
Nothing, sez I, I just don't rake or
bag. Leaves, grass clippings, whatever,
it just gets shredded and left. Oh, sez he.
Didn't quite convince him.
What DID convince him was the
skin rashes his Yorkies kept getting. The
vet asked, do they go outsid'e much?
Yeah, all the time. Well, do you use ... ?
Oh, sez he. And finally stopped using
poison. NOW he's cdnvinced that
leaves and grass clippings and ...
One result was a boom in the toad
population. I used to see one or two
around, way back in my yard under a
mesquite tree, in a hole they enlarged
by the railroad-tie retaining wall.
Now they're in the front yard-tun­neled
under the driveway. Pretty big
hole, but nothing to worry about.
I sat out one night at dusk and saw
half a dozen of the little critters coming
out of the hole by the mesquite.
I don't know what kind they are
(the only one I can identify on sight is
Bufo canadensis, from my days in Alaska)
but they do their toad thing and I'm
glad they're around.
- Claire Dre11owatz
Bexar Tracks
ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
A Little Paranoia?
Extreme paranoia, my old dad used to
say, is the price of liberty. Vigilance is no
longer enough.
- Bernard Sampson
in Berlin Game, by Len Deighton.
JJ.Ist because you're paranoid doesn't
mean they ain't out to getcha.
- Folk wisdom.
Maybe conspiracy theory is catch­ing.
Item: For twelve years, the Republi­cans
ruled the White House. Which
means the administrative agencies, in­cluding
the EPA, USFWS, OSHA, ar\d
all those agencies which have become so
oppressive.
Item: In 1992, the voters elected a
Democrat, one with a wife who dared to
show some signs of intelligence and
purpose. And a running mate who
made noises about being friendly to the
environment, and not friendly toward
extractive and grazing interests' almost­free
ride on the taxpayers' nickels.
Item: About a year ago, less than
two years into the Democratic admini­stration,
the drumbeat starts about how
oppressiv:e is our gummint.
How oppressive could it have got­ten,
in those two years?
Why didn't any of these militias feel ,
threatened by the same gummint dur­ing
the previous twelve years?
Or, put it another way, who hired
the hall, hired the 'musicians, and paid
the disk jockeys to get the message out?
Item: The drumbeat includes cut­ting
waste by welfare queens, the eld­erly,
and kids.
It doesn't say much about cutting
waste by the timber, grazing, farming,
and mining industries. Or the other sa­cred
cow, defense.
Item: Those same industries are the
big contributors to the senators and reps '
who are leading the fight to kill clean air,
water, ESA, etc.
Question: Has anyone done a thor­ough
job of following the money? It
worked in Watergate investigations.
Whynotnow?
Where are Woodward and Bern­stein
when we need them?
- Claire Drmowatz
Bexar Tracks
Washington Contacts
, Capitol Switchboard
President Bill Clinton
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington, DC 20500
202-456-2168
internet:president@whitehouse.gov
Vice President AI Gore, Jr.
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington, DC 20500
202-456-6606
internet:vicepresident@whitehouse. gov
Secr~tary Bruce Babbitt
Department of Interior
C St. between 18th S 19th, NW
Washington, DC 20240
202-456-6606
All Senators S Representatives
202-224-3121
Senate Addresses
United States Senate
Washington, DC 205 I 0
House Addresses
House of Representatives
Washington, DC 205 15
Texas Senators
Hon. Phil Gramm
Hon. Kay Bailey Hutchison
San Antonio Are.a Repres~ntatives
Hon. Henry Bonilla
Hon. Henry B. Gonzalez
Hon. Lamar Smith
Hon. Frank Tejeda
When you contact national elected officials, send a copy to NAS headquarters, 950 Third
Avenue, New York, NY I 0022. Let BAS know when you act on local issues. The association
monitors member concern and support and reminds officials about constituents' opinions.
More Rush Rction
Global warming is another topic
about which Rush Limbaugh attempts
to mislead the readers of his books, de­spite
the international scientific consen­sus
on many aspects of this issue.
Rush Fictio11: "A fact you never hear
the environmentalist wacko crowd ac­knowledge
is that 96% of the so-called
'greenhouse' gases are not created by
man, but by nature."
Scie11tijic Fact: It is true that the
greenhouse effect is mostly a natural
phenomenon, produced by gases and
water vapor in the atmosphere, that
have warmed the Earth for eons.
Without these gases, Earth wou,ld
be 40 to 60 degrees colder. In nature,
however, these gases balance, leading
to a stable climate. But the greenhouse
gases added by humans over the last 200
it won't be long now it won't be long
man is making deserts of the earth
years have accumulated to the point
that the amount of C02 in the atmos­phere
is now 25% above what it had
been for the previous 10,000 years.
The scientific consensus is that the
accumulation of C02 and other man­made
gases will alter the climate sub­stantially,
warming the globe by 3 to 8
degrees F. over the next century.
The new EDF report, The Way
Thi11gs Really Are: Debunking Rush Lim­baugh
011 the E11vironment, and a highly
acclaimed book, Dead Heat: The Race
Against the Greenhouse Effect, by Dr.
Michael Oppenheimer and Robert
Boyle are available FREE to members in
thanks for a special contribution of $25
to EDF. Send check payable to "EDF" to:
EDF Publications, 257 Park Avenue
South, New York, NY 10010.
,,
it won't be long now before man will have used it up
so that nothing but ants and centipedes and scorpions
can find a living on it.
5
DotJ Marquis
what the ants are saying
from archy's life of mehitabel
June 1995
ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
Gingrich Going Green?
ESA Today #48, Monday, May 29
A GREEN GINGRICH?
Reuters reports that property rights
advocates "got a boost" from Speaker
Newt Gingrich's testimony before the
House ESA Task Force last week, "but
Gingrich insisted on the importance of
preserving a broad range of species."
"I have ... been consistent in my
support of property rights," Gingrich
said. "On the other hand I have deep
concem for the biological diversity of
the pfanet."
Gingrich said new legislation
should focus not on protecting individ­ual
species but on biological systems:
"We need to rethink the focus away
from a species by species model to a
biologically sophisticated model."
Gingrich also said that somethnes
commercial development should be al­lowed
in an area if only one species is
going to be affected: "There has to be
some element of rationalism about eco­nomic
h1vestment."
ESA TODAY #49, Tuesday May 30
Gingrich to Intervene on ESA?
A front page article in Sunday's
Bosto11 Globe says that House Speaker
Newt Gingrich's testimony before the
House ESA Task Force marks his inten­tion
to intervene in the ESA debate.
"Sounding more like a wildlife bi­ologist
than the leader of a conservative
upheaval, the Speaker last week stood
up for saving plants and annuals from
exth1ction," wrote Scott Allen of the
Globe.
Allen says that the House ESA Task
Force roadshow earlier this year laid the
foundation for quick action in the
House to cripple the ESA. "But last
week, Gingrich urged task force mem­bers
to slow down and view the hear­mgs
as the beginning of the debate,"
Allen says.
"Rather than write a new bill by
next month, as the panel had planned,
Gh1grich called for a meeth1g of hlter­ested
parties during the August recess
to work out changes in the law."
Committee markup of an ESA bill is
still scheduled for June 28.
ESA Today #50, Wednesday May 31
Sounds More Like It
A letter-to-the-editor in today' s
Bosto11 Globe questions the idea that
House Speaker Newt Gingrich's in­volvement
with the ESA will be a plus
for the environment.
"Gingrich has repeatedly declared
himself a friend of the environment,
even as he works with polluters to make
it hnpossible to enforce laws that pre­vent
environmental assault," writes
John Andrews of Lexh1gton, MA.
Andrews cited the "salvage log­gh1g"
rider passed by the House that
would suspend the ESA and other envi­ronmental
laws for federal thuber sales.
From the E11da11gered Species Coalitio11
For more i11[o call (202)547-9009
Lost Jobs: Nothing To Do with Being Green
As the battle between jobs and the
environment rages, ... one economist
says ... call a truce. Eban S. Goodstein
of ... Economic Policy Institute iil
Washh1gton, DC, recently published his
study tracking the number of jobs lost
because of environmental legislation.
Ush1g Departtnent of Labor statis­tics
from 1987 through 1990, Goodstein
found that an average of only 0.1 per
cent of all larger-scale layoffs nation­wide
were the result of environmental
regulations, accordh1g to the employ-
-ers' own estimates. Changes in a com-
June 1995
pany's ownership, in contrast, ac­counted
for ahuost 35 times the number
of jobs being termh1ated.
The top six causes for loss of jobs, by
percentage:
Seasonal work 29.5
Falling product demand 20.5
Other (incl. reorganization) 12.5
Contract completion 8.0
Business ownership change 4.5
Bankruptcy 4.0
- Sasha Nemecek
Scie~ttific America11, June 1995
6
MARI4.P OF SLACl: GOOO'f
ESA EXlltCll~ACfiS
OClBUEDTOSTARf~
Jl.J'E24.1f YOJOOI'OlllltG
asE THIS YEAR. CA.L Y<LR
~AllVESJWTB.L
THEft'\ YOJ tofT v.mf Jtff
REtu:n~ IN THE
PROlEC110'60F THE
EI'VJI'Gm)SPEOES ACf.
Family Planning Attacked
On Tuesday, May 24, the House
began consideration of another decep­tively-
named bill, HR 1561, the Ameri­can
Overseas Interest Act of 1995.
This bill would reduce authorized
funding levels for intemational family
plannh1g and development aid by more
than 30 percent. Development assis­tance
suffered a 20% cut last year. Addi­tional
cuts would devastate efforts to
stabilize world population and protect
the environment worldwide.
HR 1561 would also elhnh1ate the
US Agency for h1temational Develop­ment,
which administers U.S. develop­ment
assistance. Programs such as fam­ily
planning, sustainable agriculture
and natural resource management
would be transferred to tl1e State De­partment,
which is ill-equipped to man­age
them and lacks the teclmical exper­tise
which has made US AID so effective.
Activists should call their Repre­sentatives
and URGE THEM TO OP­POSE
HR 1561. Remind them that cut­ting
preventative programs is penny­wise
and pound foolish-reducing the
federal budget by less than V10 of a
percent while paving tl1e way for ex­pensive
disasters in the future.
It is expected that durh1g the de­bate,
amendments to restrict intema­tional
family planning programs will be
offered. Urge your Representative to
vote against these amendments as well.
- Lismme Nelso11
NAS Govemme11t Affairs Office
Bexar Tracks
ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
With the 25th Anniversary of Earth
Day just past, it is critical to remember
something that our elected repre­sentatives
in Washington seem to have
forgotten: Every American has the right
to a safe and healthy environment.
But this right is threatened by those
we have elected to serve us, and the
special interests who shovel dollars into
their campaign coffers, and write bills
that would take away our right to clean
air, safe water, and thriving wilderness.
Since Earth Day 1970, we have
woven an environmental safety net to
protect us from smog, acid rain, toxic
emissions, water pollution and other
poisons that threaten health and safety.
This safety net has improved our
lives. Our air is cleaner. Rivers no longer
catch fire. The bald eagle has returned.
Act Now!
As Obie Wan Kanobi said to Luke
Skywalker "Let the Force Be With You."
This force is within you now, but
you have to use it. You must make the
politicians-our employees-hear the
noise and feel the heat.
There are many ways to do this.
1) Sign the Environmental Bill of
Rights petition. We'll have a copy of it
at the next BAS meeting.
2) Get your friends and family to
sign it, too.
3) Call your Senators and Repre­sentatives
to tell them to vote against
the regulatory refonn bills and other
efforts to chain saw environmental
laws. Call them at 202-224-3121, and ask
for them by name.
4) Call President Clinton and urge
him to make good on his promise to
veto the logging-without-laws bill that
puts timber companies above the law.
5) Educate your neighbors by writ­ing
to your local newspaper to oppose
efforts to tatter the environmental
safety net. Write about the threat to a
favorite stream, or forest, or park.
The Beastie Boys once sang "You
Cotta Fight For Your Right To Party."
They were right.
You gotta fight for your right to
breathe clean air, drink safe water, and
walk in uncontaminated fields."
Unless we fight back in our comm u­nities,
churches and synagogues, public
streets, and newspapers, we will lose
our right to a clean, safe environment.
So promise yourself this. You will
help unleash the public .roar that will
drown out the polluters' dirty money,
and stop these efforts to poison our
But now the special interests want home in the name of corporate greed.
to shred the environmental safety net,
and gut the gains of the last 25 years.
Their latest weapon is jargon and Another Underhanded Move
techno-babble to disguise their sneak State officials met with agriculture
attack on the environment. and timber interests critical of the ESA
• They weaken the Clean Air Act by to devise proposals for changing it, but
putting it in a "rescissions package." environmental groups were not invited.
• They stop future controls on acid Environmental leaders, who
rain by calling for "risk assessment." learned recently about the talks, are un-
• They prevent reductions in mer- happy about being excluded from the
cury, lead, and benzene by calling "ESA Reauthorization Working Group"
for" cost-benefit" analysis. and many of its draft recommendations.
• They stop wetlands protection in Private groups engaged in the talks
legi~lation called "takings." ' . include Texas Farm Bureau; Champion
They are using words as a smoke . International, a timber company; Texas
screen to hide their efforts to rip apart Logging Council; Texas Wildlife Assn.,
the environmental safety net. representing major landowners; Texas
The new congressional leadership & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Assn;
and their special interest allies from and Texas Sheep and Goat Raisers.
Exxon, General Motors, and the Chemi- Larry McKinney, resource protec­cal
Manufacturers Association are tion director for TPWD, said the draft
spending millions of dollars to shred the recommendations embody "middle-of­environmental
safety net. the-road, common-sense" reforms, be-
They have a lot of money in this , cause "ESA is not working in Texas."
fight. Fortunately, we have the best peo- But Scott Royder, the Lone Star Si-ple
money CAN'T buy: YOU! erra Club's state conservation director,
For all their millions of dollars of called the discussions "a sham." Recom­false
advertising and campaign contri- mendations produced so far would
butions, their efforts can wither before "gut" the law, which most Texans sup­the
force of public opinion. But our port, according to polls, he said ....
elected officials must feel the full gale An official of the wildlife agency
force of your voices before they have the said a superior told staff scientists that
courage to ignore big polluters. environmentalists have been excluded
Bexar Tracks 7
because they" compromised their credi­bility
with the department."
Staff experts on endangered spe­cies,
who have not been involved in the
talks, also were discouraged from mak­ing
written comments on the proposals.
Mike McMurry, an Agriculture
Dept. official, said the talks were "not
meant to exclude anyone" or "disem­bowel
the act," but to "create more com­fort
level for landowners to get them
more cooperative." Bob Currie, of the
Texas Logging Council, said he success­fully
objected to having environmental­ists,
because they have "created prob­lems"
for landowners and businesses
and should not "dictate the solution."
The day after the Chro11icle asked
TPWD officials about the talks, they
sent the proposals to three environ­mental
groups-Sierra Club, National
Audubon Society and Texas Nature
Conservancy-for written comments.
Dede Armentrout, NAS regional
vice president, said a TPWD official told
her it was unlikely that environmental­ists'
comments would alter the propos­als
significantly.
- From an article by Bill Dawson
Housto11 Chro11icle 5/3/95
June 1995
SPRING/SUMMER PlANNING CALENDAR
* Bexar Audubon Event 24 Honey Creek SNA. 9-1 I am. Eth-
§ More Information Inside nobotany walk along Honey Creek
TCP Texas Conservation Passport or fee Canyon. 210-935-4012 voicemail.
24 Honey Creek SNA. 1-3 pm. Hydrol-
JUNE ogy of Guadalupe River G Snorkeling.
10 Honey Creek SNA, 9-1 I am. Lower Begin with a discussion of hydrology
Edwards Plateau ecosystem walk and jump in for hands-on experience.
along Honey Creek Canyon. Bring bathing suit G mask for great
10 Guadalupe River SP Amphitheater, 7- wet activity.
8 pm. Herbal medicine, folk cures, 27§ Native Plant Society of Texas. Native
and curanderos. Cindi Gonzales, Texas Grasses. See Inside.
UTSA-ITC.
10 Second Saturday, Friedrich Park. Ori- JULY
enteerin,-learn the basics of orien- I Honey Creek SNA. 9-1 I am. Lower
teering learn to use a compass. Edwards Plateau ecosystem walk.
Work with a real surveyor. Free, 698- Guadalupe River SP amphitheater, 7 ·
I 05 7 for reservations. 8pm. The Snake Lady, Diane Surick,
10 Second Saturday Beginners Bird will introduce snakes to the audience.
Walk, SA Audubon, Judson Nature 8 Honey Creek SNA 9-1 I am. Beetles
Trails, next to Alamo Heights pool. and Other Insects. walk along Honey
Free, open to all. 8-11. Georgina
Schwartz, 34 2-207 3 for more info.
Creek Canyon with Dan Sunburg,
the Bug Man.
15 BAS General Meeting, Ruble Center. 13* BAS Board Meeting.
17§* BAS Outing to Colorado Bend State 15 Honey Creek SNA, 9-1 I am. Chil-
Park. See front page. dren's nature walk.
17 Honey Creek SNA, 9-11 am. Chil- 15 Guadalupe River SP Amphitheater, 2-
dren's nature walk, with emphasis on 4 pm. Woody plant identification. $6
flowers and insects along the way. fee and reservations required 2 I 0-
Wade in creek for collection and 935-4012. Identify common woody
study of aquatic insects. plants using an easy key that you
17 New Braunfels Old Town Cemetery, will keep.
2:30pm. Necrogeogrthhy: rjlional- 20* BAS General MeetinJ.'
ity of burial practices. e tra itional 22 Honey Creek SNA, -II :30 am. Pre-cemeteries
of Texas provide one of historic Cultures of Central Texas. Ar-the
best insights into the cultural di- chaeologist Herb Uecker will lead
versity of the state. trail walk and discuss prehistoric peo-
17 SE New Mexico AS. Tour of pro- pies, culture, and resources used.
~osed Fort Stanton Area of Critical 29 Honey Creek SNA. 9-1 I am. Eth-nvironmental
Concern. Dotti Russell nobotany walk.
at 505-622-2354 for info. 29 Honey Creek SNA, 2-4 pm. Woody
24 Houston Audubon Society, first an- plant ID, same as 7/15.
nual Brazos Bend 4th of July Butter-fly
Count. P.D. Hulce at 713-863-
1142 for info.
OFFICERS AND BOARD
Susan K. Hughes President 532-2332; fax 532-2023 Bexar Audubon Society, Inc.
Harriet Wiygul Vice President 534-7505 P. 0. Box 6084
Bill Sain Treasurer 408-7731
Anita l. Reeves Secretary 308-9254
Walter Barfield Board Member 736.0355
Claire Drenowatz Board Member 5994168
Jim Garriott Board Member 695-9520
Patty leslie Pasztor Board Member 824-1235
Katie Nava-Ragazzi Board Member 804-1226
Richard Pipes Board Member 2 81-2452
Bill Woller Board Member 696-31 86
COMMITTEE CHAIRS
Birdathon
Conservation
Education
Hospitality
Membership
Outings
Programs
Publicity
Ways S Means
Bexar Tracks Editor
Marge lumpe
Richard Pipes
Betty Minyard
Harriet Wiygul
Dan S Kristy Davis
Patty leslie Pasztor
Chris Dullnig
Susan K. Hughes
Bill Sain
545-1822
281-2452
344-6128
534-7505
609-5678
824-1235
8284017
532-2332
408-7731
Claire Drenowatz 5994168; fax599-3545
CompuServe 73232,506
San Antonio, TX 78209
Address Correction Requested
AUGUST
5812 Honey Creek SNA, 9-1 I . Lower Ed-
19
wards Plateau ecosystem walk.
SE New Mexico AS. Trip to the Lin-coin
National Forest to view moun-tain
wildflowers. Dotti Russell at
505-622-2354 for info.
ONGOING ACTIVITIES
Bexar Audubon Society general meetings are
held on 3rd Thursdays at 7:30pm, at the Ruble
Center, 4 I 9 East Magnolia. BAS board meet-ings
are generally held on 2nd Thursdays at
7:00. Outings are ua~ally the Saturday follow-ing
general meetings.
lntroductoi'!J memberships to NAS, including
Audubon Magazine. cost only $20. Great gift.
Send check to BAS (payable to NAS) at P. 0.
below. Note chapter code W 19, and name
address, and phone number of new member.
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department offers
many nature activities for annual Texas Con-servation
Passport Holders ($25 per year). Call
for event listings: 800-9 3 7-9 3 9 3.
National Audubon Society's Actionline 800-
659-2622.
Other conservation organizations: please add
Bexar Audubon to your mailing list if we're not
already on it, and we'll be glad to include your
events in our calendar each month.
We welcome submissions for Bexar Tracks.
Next paper deadline 5/20, electronic deadline
5/26 (see article inside).
0 Printed on acid-free,
50% post-consumer
waste paper.
Non-profit
Orgmization
U. S. Post"'!e Paid
San Antonio, TX
Permit #5 90