Volunteers snag debris in Lake Machado.

While the recent election promises even more bad news for environmental and wildlife programs nationally, local voters provided strong support for environmental protection. By a remarkable 3-1 margin, LA City voters approved Proposition O, which authorizes $500 million in bonds for improving water quality and habitat restoration in the city. The proposition includes $60 million to $70million for improving water quality in four city lakes, including Lake Machado at Ken Molloy Harbor Regional Park.

Local voters also elected state and federal legislative members known for progressive environmental positions. By a 2-1 margin, county voters favored Senator Barbara Boxer over Bill Jones. Local Congresswoman Jane Harman won by a similar margin.

At the state level, former Assemblyman Alan Lowenthal as handily won his first term in the 27th Senatorial district. Former El Segundo Mayor Mike Gordon won his first term in the 53rd Assembly district seat recently vacated by George Nakano, who was termed out. Former Senator Betty Karnette also won her first term in the 54th Assembly district, while Jenny Oropeza cruised to victory in the 55th Assembly district.

At times such as these, it is important to remember that protecting remaining wildlife habitat in our region depends upon more than laws and policies. The Chapter has long promoted voluntary efforts to address local environmental problems. Recently, for instance, the Chapter helped organize the annual clean up at Ken Malloy Harbor Regional Park. Nearly 100 volunteers, many of them from the Chadwick School, San Pedro High School and the Harbor City Boys and Girls Club volunteered their team. Whether on foot or in canoes, volunteers collected 332 pounds of trash in 63 bags and 31 pounds of recyclables in 16 bags.

Harbor City Boys and Girls Club participated in the annual clean up of Ken Malloy Harbor Regional Park.

Board members Martin Byhower, Dennis Weyrauch, Julie Greer, Liz Kennedy, Bob Carr, and Jess Morton devoted time and talent to making the clean up a ringing success.

Thanks to everyone for such an inspiring effort

Your year-end gift to the Palos Verdes/South Bay Audubon Society will protect wildlife and wildlife habitat here in the South Bay and on the Palos Verdes peninsula. Our chapter is a strong and trusted voice for the environment, but we need your support to stay that way.

Here are a few ways in which your contribution will be used: · There are $60 million to 70 million dollars in Proposition O funding, passed by Los Angeles voters on November 2. Lake Machado at Ken Malloy Harbor Regional Park was used as an example of where water quality dollars could be spent effectively. The Chapter needs to ensure that the Lake receives the funding it so desperately needs. · Audubon YES! is our youth environmental service organization that deploys hundreds of high school and middle school students into the community to work for protection of our South Bay environment. Our goal is to have students from all South Bay schools helping to protect wildlife and wildlife habitat. · Audubon Board members testify regularly on wildlife habitat protection issues; Martin Byhower and Julie Greer will serve on the newly formed Harbor Park Advisory Board, and Jess Morton and Julie are active in the Dominguez Watershed Council.

Please use the form on page 10 to send your holiday gift to PV/SB Audubon!

Knock Knock...

Anybody home?...

Hellloooo!…

Mmmmmmmmm?

Is anybody out there? Is anybody reading this? Mmmmm! I sure hope so!

Yes, I know. This is not a humor column, but I'm trying to use a little humor to make a point. Are you "out there"? Are our members out there in the community doing great work saving habitat? Are they reading Hummin'? We on the board think you are involved in many environmental issues in the community, but we don't that and for sure!

We would certainly like to find out.

While we need to think globally, we must act locally to protect the few precious areas of open space we have left in the South Bay.

As the Holiday season approaches, everyone is being bombarded with requests to give this, or spend some on that. Your time is valuable, and nothing is truly "free" in today's world. We are asking you to "donate" some valuable information to Audubon by "spending" some of your valuable time to respond to a few questions (see below) and to "return" your answers to us in one of three ways: snail mail, e-mail, or bring it to a brick-&-mortar store!

Here are our questions. (Please number your responses to correspond with each question.)

1. Are you a member of NAS or a chapter-only member? Are you aware that there is a chapter-only membership?
2. What do you perceive the benefits to be of an Audubon membership?
3. If you are a chapter-only member, why did you select this option?
4. Are you active in the environmental community? If yes, what activities are you involved with? Through what groups? If no, what would motivate you to become active?
5. Do you feel well-informed on local environmental and habitat issues? Would you become more active if you were better informed?
6. Hummin' is our primary method of communicating with you. (We know you read it—you are reading this!) What parts do you like? What parts would you change? What types of articles would you like to see in or write for Hummin'?
7. Do you visit the chapter website (www.lmconsult.com/pvaudubon)? Tells us what you think about it as a communications vehicle.
8. Would you prefer to receive Hummin' by e-mail only? (Please e-mail your name and e-mail address to audubonbob@cs.com.)
9. Did you attend the monthly meetings at South Coast Botanical Gardens? If so, what did you like or dislike about the meetings, and how would you change them?
10. If you did not attend the meetings, please tell us why. Your input on this question is critical in planning for future meetings.
11. When you think about environmental issues, do you think about whether Audubon should be involved? Do you communicate this to the chapter?
12. What are your wildlife and wildlife habitat concerns for the South Bay (such as Harbor Park, the Forrestal Canyon and mountain bike issue, more development on the Peninsula, habitat protection for the butterflies, etc)?
13. What actions are you most likely to take to address these concerns (write letters, attend meetings, hold informational meetings in your home, join field trips, etc)?
14. Are you willing to become active in the local chapter? If yes, how would you like to help?
15. Last, and most important, please tell us who you are and how we can reach you if we have questions.

Please send snail mail responses to Audubon, PO Box 2582, Palos Verdes, CA 90274. Send e-mail responses to audubonbob@cs.com. Or, bring your answers to Wild Birds Unlimited, 25416 Crenshaw Blvd in Rolling Hills Plaza. No obligation. If you do bring it in to the store, you will receive a FREE gift as a thank you for responding to these questions. Please submit your responses no later than Dec. 31, 2004. Answer any or all of the questions, as you please, and as time allows. From all of the Board, thank you, and have a wonderful and safe holiday season full of great birds!

Have you recently renewed your membership? Do you know when it expires? Simply check the address label on this newsletter to find your renewal date. It's highlighted in every issue for you! Please renew NOW if your time is approaching, and thanks for supporting Audubon!

Most officers and board members will return to office during the coming year. In addition, we welcome three newcomers to the Board of Directors, Eileen Byhower, Tracy Drake and John Nieto. Each offers us a new perspective on our mission. Relatively new to birding, Eileen comes to us as not "one of the usual suspects!" In her relatively brief tenure as Director of the Madrona Marsh Nature Center, Tracy has introduced a host of programs that clearly establish it as a model for every aspiring nature center. John will further enrich our board with his years of pioneering environmental education leadership. Without doubt, the 2005 Board of Directors will be our finest ever.

The changing face of conservation of neotropical birds will be the theme of a presentation by Dr. Robert Ridgely at the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History at 7:00 pm on Saturday, March 19.

Dr. Ridgely, who received his Ph.D. from Yale University, is a leading ornithologist in the study of endemic and endangered species of birds in the Americas. He is the author of Birds of Panama, Birds of South America Volumes I and II, and Birds of Ecuador.

In 1997, Dr. Ridgely discovered a new species of bird, Jocotoco Antpitta (Grallaria ridgelyi), which was named after him. In 1998, Dr. Ridgely founded the Jocotoco Foundation that has created and sustained six habitat reserves in Ecuador. Dr. Ridgely serves on many conservation boards and is currently International Vice-president of the American Bird Conservancy.

Dr. Ridgely will be introduced by Kimball Garrett, Collections Manager of the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History

Dr. Ridgely will make his presentation in the Natural History Museum's auditorium. Following Dr. Ridgely's presentation, there will be a reception (included in the cost of the ticket), catered by Wolfgang Puck in the Museum's Grand Foyer. Fruit, cheese, cookies and coffee will be served with a cash bar serving wine, beer and soft drinks.

Dr. Ridgely will sign books at this event. Books can be pre-ordered at the Los Angeles Audubon Society Bookstore and will be delivered to the Museum on the night of the event. Contact books@laaudubon.org or call toll free 888-522-7428. Wild Birds Unlimited is a sponsor.

Tickets are $50 and partly tax-deductible for most donors. Proceeds will benefit Palos Verdes/South Bay Audubon Society, Los Angeles Audubon Society, San Fernando Valley Audubon Society, Pasadena Audubon Society, Santa Monica Bay Audubon Society, and Ridgely's Jocotoco Foundation.

Please contact Frances Spivy-Weber, at 310-316-0041 or frances@monolake.org if you are interested in a ticket or in purchasing a group of ten or more tickets.

Fall is an exciting time to bird locally, since different birds are usually found on each visit to a nearby park. Though this year's fall migration did not measure up to the very spectacular ones that have spoiled us in the past, there were plenty of interesting sightings. Periodic migrational waves from late August through early October brought generally low numbers of land birds. It felt like fall migration was over after about 5 October since the bird species seen afterwards were mostly of the wintering variety. It appears that fewer vagrants alighted in our area this fall; however, a lower number of diligent observers in the field than in some past years probably contributed to the low count.

Following a relatively cool July and August, heat waves on 4-11 and 21-24 September brought temperatures to above 80 degrees near the coast. A high temperature of 101 at LAX on 5 September was a record for the date. Precipitation totals were unusually high for the month of October. Three storms occurring on 17, 19-20 and 26-27 October brought record rainfall amounts for these dates at LAX. These three storms accumulated over nine times the historical average precipitation for the month of October in downtown Los Angeles; one would have to look back to 1889 to find a higher total for October.

Twenty-nine Greater White-fronted Geese flying south over Mar Vista on 18 Sep (Kevin Larson-KL) and one in the L. A. River (LAR) channel near Willow St. 21 Sep-15 Oct (John Green) were unexpected—and early—migrants. A Northern Fulmar moving south past Pt. Vicente (PtV) on 30 Oct was the first seen locally since 28 Jul (KL). Approximately 18,000 Black-vented Shearwaters moving north past PtV in one hour on the morning of 16 Oct was an extraordinary spectacle (KL). Rare in our area, an American White Pelican was at the Ballona Freshwater Marsh (BFM) 28-29 Sep (KL).

An American Bittern reported on the Redondo Beach pier on 2 Oct (Lidia Seebeck) was likely an exhausted migrant that overshot the coast the night before. An American Bittern at BFM on 23 Oct is the first record at this recently created marsh (Richard Barth-RB). Up to three Least Bitterns were heard at BFM 2-31 Oct (KL). Groups of migrant White-faced Ibises stopping at BFM included seven 5-6 Sep (Daniel S. Cooper-DSC), ten on 14 Sep (KL), and a high count of 23 on 22 Sep (RB). From one to four White-faced Ibises were present at LAR 12 Sep-9 Oct; one flew south past PtV on 5 Sep (KL). Single juvenile Northern Harriers at Madrona Marsh (MM) on 5 Sep (David Moody-DM) and at BFM on 3 Oct (KL) and 13 Oct (RB) were the only local reports.

Pacific Golden-Plover (Robert Hines, USFWS)

A golden-plover species at LAR on 3 Sep was tentatively identified as a Pacific Golden-Plover (Rich Sonnenberg et al).

Counts of Solitary Sandpipers at LAR ranged from one to five on several dates 4 Sep -12 Sep (RB, KL). Some of these birds had remained since late August; a few may have been new arrivals to add to the remarkable total of 12-13 recorded there 13-31 Aug. Another Solitary was at BFM on 21 Sep (Tom Wurster-TW), and a late bird was at LAR on 9 Oct (Andrew Lee-AL). From one to four juvenile Baird's Sandpipers were counted at LAR 4-12 Sep (RB, KL); one there on 25 Sep was the last sighting (KL). Several juvenile Pectoral Sandpipers stopped at LAR. Single day counts of five or more were recorded six times 9 Sep-9 Oct (RB, KL, AL); twenty there on 26 Sep was a high count (KL). Single juvenile Pectoral Sandpipers were seen at BFM 17-24 Sep (RB) and on 10 Oct (Barbara G. Johnson). A juvenile Ruff was found by RB at LAR in Paramount 10-13 Sep; based partly on a few plumage details, it was apparent that this same bird moved south along LAR to near Willow St. in Long Beach 19 Sep-16 Oct.

A Heermann's Gull at Alondra Park (AP) on 18 Oct was inland, where rare (DM). A young Long-tailed Jaeger was seen from PtV on 11 Sep; direct comparison of this lightly-built jaeger with an adult Parasitic Jaeger gave a convincing identification (KL).

White-Fronted Goose (David Menke, FWS)

A Common Murre flying north past PtV on 30 Oct was the first seen locally since 22 Nov 2003 (KL). Four murrelets that appeared to be Xantus's and four Rhinoceros Auklets were seen from PtV on 30 Oct (KL). Two Cassin's Auklets were seen from PtV on 16 Oct and 23 Oct (KL). Single White-winged Doves were at Sand Dune Park (SDP) on 2 Sep (RB) and at BFM on 19 Sep (David Bell-DB).

A Greater Roadrunner was reported along the coast in Rancho Palos Verdes in early Oct (fide Bob Shanman); a time when this tenuous resident of the peninsula might be reported no longer has been thankfully put off. A migrant Burrowing Owl was found in an unexpected location on 30 Oct—roosting in a tree at Banning Park (KL). For the sixth consecutive fall, a Common Poorwill found refuge in Brad and Amy Henderson's Lawndale yard; the bird was present from October through early November. A late Black Swift at LAR near Willow St. on 3 Oct was well described (DB). On 1 Oct, David Coy reported that for the second year in a row, large numbers of migrant Vaux's Swifts were roosting nightly down the flue of the Cooper Arms Building in downtown Long Beach. Remarkably, he reported that an estimated 30,000 birds were involved. This explains the large numbers of this species recorded along LAR during the last two fall seasons. Counts of 1000-4000 or more individuals were noted during visits to LAR in late Sep and early Oct (KL).

Loggerhead Shrike (George Jameson, NAS)

A migrant Costa's Hummingbird at the South Coast Botanic Garden (SCBG) on 11 Sep was the only one reported (KL). An adult male Yellow-bellied Sapsucker at Harbor Park (HP) 15-16 Oct was a very rare find (Martin Byhower-MB). A Red-naped Sapsucker was at Loyola Marymount University (LMU) 9-10 Oct (Russell Stone-RS); another was at Leland Park in San Pedro on 23 Oct (KL). A Nuttall's Woodpecker in Playa del Rey on 4 Sep is so far the only report in the area this year (DSC). An apparently pure male "Yellow-shafted" Northern Flicker was at Banning Park (BP) 30-31 Oct (MB, KL).

A Least Flycatcher was at MM on 25 Sep (KL). A Hammond's Flycatcher at BP on 26 Sep was the only one found (KL). Ten Gray Flycatchers was a remarkable showing: one was on the bluff near LMU 6 Sep (KL); up to three (on 10 Sep) were at SDP 10-14 Sep; one was at BP 11 Sep; one was at BFM 14 Sep (KL); one was at SCBG 18 Sep (KL); one was at Wilderness Park (WP) 20 Sep (DM); another was at SDP 21 Sep; and one was at LMU 25 Sep (RS). Single Dusky Flycatchers were at SDP 3-4 Sep (KL), at MM on 15 Sep (DM), at SDP 21 Sep-1 Oct (KL), and at BFM 3-5 Oct (KL). An adult male Vermilion Flycatcher was seen in south Torrance on 4 Oct (Ron Melin). Last winter's immature male Vermilion Flycatcher returned to Columbia Park in adult plumage; it was present 14-18 Oct (DM). A Tropical Kingbird was at LAR near Del Amo Blvd. on 9 Oct (KL); either the same or another was seen a short distance upriver at Deforest Park (DP) on 19 Oct (RB).

A migrant Bell's Vireo was found at LMU on 25 Sep (RS). One Plumbeous Vireo was at HP on 10 Oct (MB) and it appeared that two were present at Deforest Park (DP) on 24 Oct (KL). Single migrant Cassin's Vireos were at DP on 5 Sep (RB), at Alondra Park (AP) on 8 Oct (DM) and at SDP on 8 Oct (KL); one in the southeast section of HP on 24 Oct was likely a returning winterer (KL). Hutton's Vireo sightings included up to two at SDP 3 Sep-29 Oct, one at AP on 13 Sep (DM), one at WP on 18 Sep (KL), and another at HP on 2 Oct (KL).

A female Purple Martin was at BFM on 19 Sep (DSC); another female at LAR on 30 Sep was late (KL). Notable in fall locally, a Violet-green Swallow was at LAR on 2 Oct (KL). Single Bank Swallows were seen at LAR on 26 Sep and 2 Oct and at HP on 2 Oct (KL). The Red-breasted Nuthatch is an occasional irruptive visitor away from its normally preferred montane habitat. Several reported widely in the area from 10 Sep on (e.g., up to seven at WP 27 Sep-13 Oct) were indicative of such an event. A White-breasted Nuthatch—rare in our area—at Chadwick School in Palos Verdes on 16 Oct gave calls consistent with the Pacific breeding population, S. c. aculeata (MB, KL). A Rock Wren was calling below the PtV Fishing Access parking lot 10-30 Oct (KL).

A California Gnatcatcher at the newly opened White Point Nature Preserve in San Pedro 11-12 Sep (Andrea Vona) had likely dispersed from nearby breeding locations. Uncommon in fall, Swainson's Thrush sightings included one at SDP on 7 Sep (RB), one at DP on 15 Sep (RB), three at WP on 16 Sep (DM), one at SDP on 18 Sep (KL), and one at WP on 7 Oct (DM). A Sage Thrasher was a rare find at BFM on 22 Sep (RB). Another Sage Thrasher record involved a window-killed specimen recovered in Rancho Palos Verdes on 6 Oct (fide Ann and Eric Brooks). Single migrant Phainopeplas were at SDP on 7 Sep (RB) and at WP on 20 Sep (DM).

Prothonotary Warbler (Nell Baldaccino, FWS)

Late Nashville Warblers were in San Pedro on 13 Oct (Jess Morton), at MM on 22 Oct (KL) and at BP on 30 Oct (MB). Three Virginia's Warblers were found this fall: one was at SDP on 27 Aug (KL); one was at DP on 4 Sep (KL); another was in Playa del Rey on 5 Sep (DSC). A late Lucy's Warbler was at DP on 16 Oct (KL). A Palm Warbler was at BFM 13-23 Oct; possibly two were present there on 23 Oct (RB). Another Palm Warbler was at Entradero Park on 14 Oct (KL). Five Blackpoll Warblers made a very good total; singles were at BFM on 19 Sep (DSC), at BP on 24 Sep (KL), at HP on 2 Oct (KL), at BFM on 9 Oct (DSC), and at AP 14-18 Oct (DM). A female American Redstart was at SDP 3-5 Sep (KL); an adult male was at Lunada Bay on 17 Oct (Nancy DeLong), and a young male was at Recreation Park in El Segundo on 27 Oct (RB). A Prothonotary Warbler at SDP on 18 Sep (Judy Howell and Pat Heirs) was convincingly described. A Northern Waterthrush was seen at BFM on 8 Oct (Barbara Elliott). A late MacGillivray's Warbler was at SDP 22-29 Oct (KL). Migrant Yellow-breasted Chats were at SDP 18-24 Sep (KL) and at BFM on 9 Oct (DB).

A Summer Tanager was at BP on 30-31 Oct; its plumage suggested that it was adult female of the eastern race (KL, MB). Green-tailed Towhees were found in Playa del Rey 5-6 Sep (DSC) and at SDP on 12 Sep (Mark Conrad). Single Clay-colored Sparrows were reported at MM 24-25 Sep (DM) and at BFM 1-3 Oct (KL). Sightings of two Brewer's Sparrows at HP on 5 Sep and 2 Oct were probably of different pairs of migrants (KL); one was at BFM on 23 Sep (RB) and up to four were counted at MM 24-30 Sep (DM, KL). A Brewer's Sparrow at MM on 31 Oct was late (KL). Early Vesper Sparrows were sighted at HP on 5 Sep (KL) and at SDP on 7 Sep (RB). A Vesper Sparrow was in Playa del Rey on 12 Sep (DSC); one was sighted again at HP on 19 Sep (RB) and another was at MM 22-23 Oct (DM). Sightings of single Vespers at BFM on 24 Sep, 9 Oct and 14 Oct probably involved either one or two birds (KL, DB, RB). One Lark Sparrow at MM 1-6 Oct was followed by three on 17 Oct and five on 31 Oct (DM); one was at BFM on 8 Oct and two were at the old PV Landfill site on 31 Oct (KL). Though they have been found on earlier dates along the So. Cal. coast, a Swamp Sparrow at BFM 19-31 Oct appears to be our earliest local fall arrival (KL).

A female Indigo Bunting was seen at DP on 17 Sep (DB). A Bobolink in the Ballona Wetland area on 23 Sep was the only one found (DSC). The only Yellow-headed Blackbirds were singles at MM 5-7 Sep (DM) and at BFM on 23 Oct (TW). It appears to be shaping up to be a Pine Siskin invasion year. A few siskins were reported at a feeder in Wilmington in mid-September (Joannie Spring). There were no other siskin sightings until 22-31 Oct when many local and regional sightings were reported.

Following are the earliest dates on which these fall migrants were noted this year: Common Loon (4)—10 Oct PtV (KL); Green-winged Teal—6 Sep BFM (KL); Ring-necked Duck—23 Sep BFM (DSC); Surf Scoter (3)—10 Oct PtV (KL); Bufflehead—18 Oct BFM (RB); Sharp-shinned Hawk—10 Oct Peck Park (KL); Merlin—5 Oct BFM (KL); Virginia Rail—3 Sep BFM (RB); Dunlin—10 Sep LAR (KL); Bonaparte's Gull—23 Oct PtV (KL); Mew Gull (second-year)—30 Sep LAR (KL); Rhinoceros Auklet (2)—10 Oct PtV (KL); Vaux's Swift—14 Sep SDP (RB); Red-breasted Sapsucker—8 Oct AP (DM); Northern Flicker ("Red-shafted")—23 Sep BFM (DSC); Say's Phoebe—1 Sep BFM (RB); Ruby-crowned Kinglet—10 Sep WP (DM); Hermit Thrush—21 Sep SDP (KL); Cedar Waxwing—26 Sep SDP (KL); American Pipit—26 Sep LAR (KL); Yellow-rumped Warbler ("Myrtle")—24 Oct DP (KL); Yellow-rumped Warbler ("Audubon's")—24 Sep MM (DM); Fox Sparrow—25 Sep LMU (RS); Lincoln's Sparrow—3 Sep Playa del Rey (DSC); White-crowned Sparrow—15 Sep Redondo Beach (KL); Golden-crowned Sparrow—13 Oct MM (DM); Dark-eyed Junco ("Oregon")—5 Oct SDP (KL); Purple Finch—1 Oct (DM)

Following are the latest dates on which these fall migrants were noted this year: Lesser Yellowlegs—16 Oct LAR (KL); Solitary Sandpiper—9 Oct LAR (AL); Willow Flycatcher—21 Oct SDP (RB); Western Kingbird (2)—9 Oct LAR (KL); Warbling Vireo—21 Oct SDP (RB); Cliff Swallow—9 Oct LAR (KL); Lazuli Bunting—20 Oct MM (DM).

Thanks to all who reported sightings during the period. Please send your sightings to me at cbirdr@comcast.net for the Palos Verdes/South Bay and vicinity, including areas east to the L.A. River, north to about the 105 freeway, and along the coast up to Marina del Rey.

When the state of Utah sought to revoke wilderness protection for land that the Clinton administration had shielded from development, the state's lead lawyer, Connie Brooks, wrote the following to an Interior Department attorney: "We need a clear statement. No more wilderness." According to the article, "Recasting Wilderness as Open for Business," (Los Angeles Times, 25 October 2004) this appears to be the mantra of the Bush administration.

The 1964 Wilderness Act was passed overwhelmingly by both houses of Congress and was signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson. Initially, the law set aside nine million acres, and banned oil and gas drilling, road building, logging, and off-road vehicles from those lands and from further acquisitions. The law prohibited new mining claims, new reservoirs, power lines, or pipelines.

Over the last 40 years the national wilderness system has grown to 105 million acres, more than half of it in Alaska. Much of the rest is scattered through some of the nation's most dramatic country. This wilderness system takes up less than 3% of the lower 48 states. Until now, every president except Richard Nixon has added at least three million acres to America's inventory of wilderness for the sake of wildlife, clean water sources, scientific study, and human enjoyment.

Now the Bush administration is ending a decades-old policy of protecting land in its wild condition. In a sweeping policy shift, Interior Secretary Gale Norton said that the department would no longer provide interim protection for lands nominated for wilderness designation. The Interior Department is barred forever from identifying and protecting wild land the way it has since 1964.

Early in 2004, Representative Maurice Hinchey (D, NY), joined by 103 members of Congress, including 23 from California, requested that Norton stop development on a portion of the 9.1 million acres of Utah land the lawmakers were trying to protect through a bill called America's Red Rock Wilderness Act. This bill covered all of the land that the Clinton-era Bureau of Land Management (BLM) had declared had wilderness character. In September, for the third time this year, the BLM sold leases to oil and gas companies within the proposed wilderness area.

In 1998, the BLM put more than 440,000 acres of Utah's scenic red-rock wilderness off limits to industrial development. Utah then brought suit against the Clinton administration in order to revoke protection for 2.6 million acres of this land. Utah lost the case in the federal appeals court in 1998, but was allowed to file an amended complaint five years later.

In a Bush-era court settlement, Utah won the right to revoke wilderness protection for the 2.6 million acres. Environmental groups have challenged the accord, arguing that it was an illegal backroom deal between Norton and Governor Leavitt. A short time later, Bush appointed Leavitt head of the Environmental Protection Agency. Now the administration is set to aid development in other proposed wilderness areas including 43,600 acres in Western Colorado, huge areas of the rare temperate Tongass Rain Forest in Alaska, and mountainous areas of California.

Do you find it disturbing that we have just elected a president who is determined to open our roadless areas as well as our last wilderness areas to road construction, oil and gas drilling, mining, and off-road vehicle destruction? Then you must become a member of an environmental group that is fighting back.

At the last meeting of our Environmental Priorities Network, our members wrote to the chief of the BLM office in Price, Utah. Since the settlement discussed above, only the Price BLM office has issued a land-use plan, and it is destructive to the wilderness there. The plan leaves 98% of wilderness-quality lands open to oil and gas development, despite the fact that the U.S. Geological Survey estimates that those deposits would amount to 4 days worth of oil and 4 weeks worth of natural gas. It also allows Off Road Vehicle (ORV) use without limitation on much of the land within the Red Rock Wilderness Act area.

I encourage readers of this column to write to the following address and to oppose the Price Resource Management Plan. Urge them not to designate any "open areas" where ORV use is allowed without limitation. Send a letter, card, or E-mail to demand that the unique and scenic Red Rock wilderness area be maintained as nature's habitat and protected from commercial exploitation.

Send letters to:

• Price Bureau of Land Management
• Attention: Floyd Johnson
• 125 S 600 West
• Price, Utah, 84501 or

Send E-mail to:comments@pricemp.com

You will need to fight hard to protect America's priceless natural heritage!!

On September 14th, at the Pacific Unitarian Church on Montemalaga Drive, John Quigley hosted a discussion with local environmentalists about his experience saving a 400-year-old oak tree called Old Glory in Santa Clarita, California. He also shared his views on the environmental policies of the Bush Administration.

Quigley's story was one of danger, adventure, and civil justice. He talked about how hard he fought to save this local tree in danger of being destroyed by development, and about the support he received from the children in the neighborhood.

His experience is a model for anyone who feels that there is something worth fighting for. His story also shows that through perseverance even one person can make a difference.

Mr. Quigley believed that 400-year-old oak tree was far more important than making more space for a few more houses. Rather than just sit back and complain, he took action.

I believe that this is something that more of Americans need to do. If we have something that we believe is wrong, we have to do something about it, because complaining rarely accomplishes anything. Quigley's act put more light on the fight for the environment, and will hopefully inspire more people to take the kind of courageous actions he did.

I found his talk about the Bush policies incredibly interesting as well. Although he pointed out that he could spend a few days going over the threats the Bush Administration posed to the environment, he spent a good hour summarizing his personal beliefs as well as some of the things the Administration had already done. Many of the policies that President Bush proposes he does not fund properly, if at all. The President also has continued to make more cuts in the previous environmental policies. In addition, the President has not been addressing the growing global warming issue, as well as the air quality issues that are clearly present here in Los Angeles.

John Quigley's presentation in Palos Verdes this September was both enlightening and inspiring to me, as well as members of the community.

Palos Verdes High School (PVHS) reopened in September 2002, my freshman year at the high school. Although everything had to start from scratch, the classes, the school programs, the activities, and school spirit all quickly matured into a great school. However, soon I noticed that the school accumulated a lot of trash. All over campus the students left their empty bottles and cans behind.

Having recycled at home all my life, I realized that these recyclables could bring in valuable funds to support school programs. I therefore started E-Club, the PVHS environment club in October 2003. With a 30 member group of enthusiastic friends and classmates, I was convinced that the difficult task of implementing a recycling program could be successful at PV High.

Struggling with how to get started, I found the opportunity to apply for a Competitive Recycling Grant from the California Department of Conservation. Developing a detailed proposal, we devised a well-organized, feasible, and in-depth plan to purchase the necessary equipment, transport the recyclables to the recycling center for the CRV refund, and promote the program to the entire student body.

Among hundreds of organizations that applied, from multinational companies to universities, PV High E-Club's proposal received the top score and was selected for funding. In January 2004, the California Department of Conservation made a surprise visit to help make the PVHS self-sustaining recycling program kick-off a great success.

The implementation of the program has been an on-going challenge. Many times we have been confronted with unforeseen obstacles, such as people from the neighborhood taking the cans and bottles for their own purposes. Our solution was to provide beautiful, large, attractive, red recycling bins with locks.

Word about the recycling program spread, and I was contacted by the Environmental Department of Palos Verdes Estates. The city was very enthusiastic and supported the program by donating two more red lockable bins. For special occasions on campus such as the Peninsula Music Fair, Drama and music productions, and other activities, we have 20 recycle bins creatively shaped in the form of Coca Cola bottles. These bins were generously donated by the Coca Cola Company in May 2004.

Now, the E-Club members can concentrate on the challenge of motivating students to drop their bottles and cans in the recycle bins. To do so, we make use of the school's video bulletin, hang numerous posters, and organize fun competitions. Since September 2004, we have collected approximately $500 for the school.

Setting up this recycle program at school has been a great learning experience for me. It is my goal that all the students will understand the importance of recycling and that they will adopt recycling as a life-long habit.

(Editor's Note: As reported in the most recent issue of Hummin', the Rancho Palos Verdes City Council approved the final Natural Communities Conservation Plan establishing the Portuguese Bend Nature Preserve. Audubon's policy on appropriate activities in the Preserve follows.)

The function of the nature reserves created under the Natural Communities Conservation Plan (NCCP) is to preserve and enhance habitat for the biological diversity within them. The NCCP was created because of the decline of many native species, with the understanding that preserving existing biodiversity is beneficial not only to the species directly affected, but to humanity itself. The best tool for this preservation is deemed to be the creation of nature reserves in which detrimental human impacts are minimized.

The only Los Angeles County NCCP reserve is being established in a part of the remaining open space on the Palos Verdes Peninsula. The core of the reserve will be on the south side of the peninsula, stretching from the old Forrestal quarries westward through Portuguese Bend. Important outlying portions of the reserve range from Friendship Park, Ocean Trails and along the coastal bluffs to RPV City Hall, Agua Amarga Canyon and, eventually, we sincerely hope, to Malaga Cove.

Limiting detrimental human effects on habitat in our suburban environment will be difficult. Access needs for fire control and landslide abatement activities, extensive existing habitat degradation due to previous land uses and the many edge effects from abutting housing all place tough challenges on those charged with preserving and enhancing habitat quality within the reserve. Yet these challenges must be met successfully or the state and federal funding necessary to complete reserve land acquisitions will not be forthcoming.

With the foregoing in mind, then, it is clear that caution should be a primary consideration in setting policies for human use within the nature reserve that go beyond the unavoidable. This is certainly the case with trail use. Although the trail system on the peninsula has been in use for decades, those that lie in the NCCP reserve will affect its future functionality. Thus Audubon recommends the following for reserve trails.

1. Uses that have heavy impacts on habitat, principally by fire control and landslide abatement equipment, should be held to existing access roads. Conditions on these uses are already well spelled out in the NCCP documents so far released.

2. Active uses which have potentially large immediate or long-term detrimental effects on habitat need to be limited and monitored. These include trail bike use and horseback riding. The latter has a long history on the peninsula, and where traditional trails are concerned, the most detrimental effects on habitat have already occurred. However, horse back riding should be limited to trails where the introduction of non-native seed via droppings and mechanical damage to the trail are not issues.

   The more recent and increasing  use of mountain bikes in the reserve needs to be regulated. New trails have been cut into habitat in many places, seriously degrading its value, and the erosion potential from steeper trails is severe. As with horses, bikes should be restricted to existing trails where erosion will not be an issue.

   Although not normally a matter concerning habitat integrity or Audubon trail-use policy, these active uses have human safety issues that commend them to the wider existing trails, rather than all existing trails.

3. Passive uses, such as hiking, birding, photography and nature walks will affect habitat quality in the reserve. These activities should be confined to existing trails. Groups must be especially careful that their activities cause neither trail degradation nor undue disturbance of wildlife. The benefits of these passive uses, however, can far offset any negative effects by implanting a sense of environmental stewardship in trail users that will carry into their daily activities in the outside world.

Audubon seeks volunteers at all levels of involvement. The time commitments are small for the jobs described below, but your involvement will significantly help the PV-SB Chapter. Please consider joining us as a volunteer.

Membership Table Staffer

Description: Staffing a table with Audubon membership forms and other materials at Audubon activities

Time commitment: 1 hour per month

Contact: Liz Kennedy 310/547-1320

Mailing Label Assistant for "Hummin'" Newsletter

Description: Applying mailing labels to newsletter

Time commitment: 2 hours per month

Contact: Bob Shanman: 310/326-2473

Flier Distributer

Description: Delivering newsletters and fliers to promote Audubon and its activities to new groups.

Time commitment: 2-3 hours per month

Contact: Liz Kennedy: 310/547-1320

Audubon YES!: Contacts with South Bay schools and teen youth groups are wanted. If you are a teacher looking for extra-credit opportunities for your students, or if you are an adult advisor to a teen group looking for volunteer activities, become an active part of Audubon YES!, our Youth Enviornmental Service program. Audubon wants to work with you and your kids! For more information, call Jess Morton at 310 832-5601 or visit us online at www.Audubon YES.org

The Chapter also would welcome a volunteer to assist in talking with participants in our various outings regarding membership in the local Audubon Chapter. If this opportunity seems attractive to you, please see page 10 for details.

Pick up postage-paid envelopes at Wild Birds Unlimited at PCH and Crenshaw to recycle your HP or Lexmark Inkjet cartridges. For each cartridge sent in these envelopes, $2.50 is donated to our Chapter or to South Bay Wildlife Rehab. This is a great way to reduce waste and to support your favorite organizations.

This page is part of the Palos Verdes/South Bay Audubon Society website.