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08 May Sad news for "condor country" [Marcelle ] 02 May Condors are the "canaries"! [Marcelle ] 27 Apr Radio contest at Hi Mtn. [] 22 Apr the "help" for Hi Mtn. [Marcelle ] 22 Apr HELP! Hi Mtn. supporters & bird-lovers [Marcelle ] 20 Apr Nice article & reminder to give input [Marcelle ] 25 Mar Tom Seiler [Debi Schmitt ] 25 Mar Nice photos for condor-lovers [Marcelle ] 19 Mar lookout visit [Kevin C Cooper ] 09 Mar Good news - condors [Marcelle ] 4 Mar Join the Friends of the California Condor Friday March 7th, 2008 7:00pm [Michaela Koenig ] 4 Mar Join the Friends of the California Condor Friday March 7th, 2008 7:00pm [Michaela Koenig ] 04 Mar Condor news [Marcelle ] 27 Feb Good condor news from AP [Marcelle ] 18 Feb Lookout fixes [Kevin C Cooper ] 14 Feb From the San Diego Zoo [Marcelle ] 12 Feb good news re: lead [Marcelle ] 1 Feb eagle watch boat tour [] 22 Jan winter bird festival [] 21 Jan Condor status article [Marcelle ] 20 Jan Two things [Marcelle ] 4 Jan Donations [] 2 Jan LA Times newspaper article [] 7 Dec lead ban [] 17 Nov condor talk [] 11 Nov Hi Mountain Condor Lookout Project [] 4 Nov Invitation to anniversary event [] 18 Oct good angle on Condor story [Marcelle ] 14 Oct October Report [Marcelle ] 14 Oct CONGRATULATIONS! [Marcelle ] 13 Oct AB 821 legislation [] 13 Oct Hi Mtn. Lookout open house birding field trip report [] 12 Oct from the Santa Barbara Independent [Marcelle ] 7 Oct Oct. 6th open house [] 7 Oct Donations [] 04 Oct LA Times AD [Marcelle ] 01 Oct Turtles, Tortoises, Reptiles, Bats & CONDORS! [Marcelle ] 28 Sep Hooray Condor "Centennia"! [Marcelle ] 25 Sep Oct, 6th open house schedule [] 25 Sep News from the Lead front [Paul ] 20 Sep condor politics [Marcelle ] 16 Sep Hi Mountain Lookout Display [Marcelle ] 15 Sep slide talk [] 14 Sep Some Interesting Articles regarding current situation ... ["cc95015" ] 12 Sep Call the GOV re condors [Marcelle ] 12 Sep Urgent for Condors [Marcelle ] 07 Sep California Senat Passes Historic Bill Requiring Non-Lead Ammunition for Big Game Hunting in Condor Habitat [] 07 Sep Nestlings & "junk" [Marcelle ] 05 Sep First step passed! [Marcelle ] 4 Sep Condor Nest Monitor Training September 7th, 2007 6pm USFWS Ventura Office [Michaela Koenig ] 4 Sep Condor Nest Monitor Training September 7th, 2007 6pm USFWS Ventura Office [Michaela Koenig ] 4 Sep Condor Nest Monitor Training September 7th, 2007 6pm USFWS Ventura Office [Michaela Koenig ] Subject: Sad news for "condor country" From: Marcelle <marcelle AT bags4you.com> Date: Thu, 08 May 2008 13:05:42 -0700 *Tejon Ranch Deal Destroys Critical Habitat for California Condor, Paves Way for Largest Development Ever Proposed in California * LOS ANGELES--- Tejon Ranch Corporation and several environmental organizations announced a deal today that may pave the way for massive development in the Tehachapi Mountains north of Los Angeles. The deal allows for unprecedented destruction of federally designated critical habitat for the endangered California condor to make way for thousands of luxury vacation estates. It also greenlights a behemoth city on the last wild edge of Los Angeles County. "While there are a few aspects of today's accord we can celebrate, including the potential acquisition of 49,000 acres for a state park, this deal contains numerous 'poison pill' provisions, including the development of Tejon Mountain Village in the heart of condor critical habitat and Centennial, the largest single development ever to be proposed in California," said Peter Galvin, conservation director at the Center for Biological Diversity. "We know that the environmental groups who have negotiated the accord did so with the best of intentions, but the Center for Biological Diversity could not sign off on this highly flawed agreement. Virtually all of the areas to be acquired or managed under the conservation easement are undevelopable anyway. On paper the deal sounds good, but a close examination shows that very little is gained biologically and far too much is sacrificed." "While Tejon claims to have pulled development off the important northern ridges, this pullback is illusory. The fact remains that development will still occur in active, occupied condor critical habitat. The heart of condor country is designated as critical habitat for a reason: the science clearly shows that it is essential to the survival and recovery of the species," said Adam Keats, urban wildlands program director at the Center. "It cannot and should not be sacrificed." The deal would allow the building of Tejon Mountain Village, a luxury vacation resort in the wild and rugged highlands of the Tehachapi mountains, designated as critical habitat by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to protect condors. The designation imposes strong protections on the land, and its habitat qualities cannot be harmed or "adversely modified." Housing developments are completely incompatible with this designation. The agreement also allows the leapfrog sprawl development known as Centennial. Located in rolling native grasslands and wildflower fields on the northern border of Los Angeles County off Interstate 5, this development would add extreme pressures to the region, already gridlocked in development-related traffic and choking in pollution and congestion. The 11,600-acre city would house 70,000 or more automobile commuters, expose residents to severe wildfire threats, and destroy irreplaceable native habitat and wildlife linkages. The Center has a different vision for Tejon Ranch: Tejon-Tehachapi Park . "Tejon Ranch is a true gem of California and can never be replaced," said Ileene Anderson, staff biologist at the Center. "Once these sprawl cities are built, they will further fragment Southern California from the rest of the state. Coupled with the hit that condor will take, this agreement deals away one of the greatest environmental opportunities that California has ever seen. And it will be lost forever." Tejon Ranch covers over 270,000 acres of wilderness at the crossroads of Northern and Southern California. The Mojave Desert, the southern Sierra Nevada Mountains, the great central valley and the southern forests all converge on Tejon Ranch --- the only place in California where four ecoregions come together. "This deal does a disservice to the wildlands and wildlife of Tejon, to the people of Southern California who will suffer the consequences of overdevelopment, and to all Californians, who will pay the price," said Keats. "We can and must demand better. We live in a world too fragile to allow this kind of sacrifice. Now is the time to say enough is enough." Preserving Tejon Ranch as a new national or state park would protect a bounty of native plant and animal communities, cultural and historic features, and scenic vistas. See http://www.savetejonranch.org . -- Marcelle SteppingStones *EcoSac* Shopping Bag System *(800) 926-1017* www.bags4you.com e-mail: service AT bags4you.com /Saving on paper & plastic since 1989! Providing the highest quality bags & the BEST customer service!/ [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: Condors are the "canaries"! From: Marcelle <marcelle AT bags4you.com> Date: Fri, 02 May 2008 07:30:43 -0700 From United Press International (on-line) Science: Bird study finds bullet residues worrisome Published: May 1, 2008 at 1:26 PM Font size: WASHINGTON, May 1 (UPI) -- U.S. studies of several bird species suggest birds that eat lead ammunition residues contained in the remains of gun-killed animals pose a health hazard. The Peregrine Fund, which conducted one of the studies involving the endangered *California Condor*, said the evidence suggests humans who eat game shot with lead ammunition might also be at risk. Recently published research suggests even very low levels of lead exposure in children can cause learning disabilities and in adults may increase risk of Alzheimer's disease, stroke and heart attack, said Michael Fry, director of conservation advocacy at the American Bird Conservancy. "The lead studies have once again shown us that we ignore the plight of birds at our own peril," said Fry. "Condors, eagles, ravens and other wildlife have given us advanced warning of a problem that we are now learning may also have human health consequences." The Peregrine Fund will sponsor a conference -- "Ingestion of Spent Lead Ammunition: Implications for Wildlife and Humans" -- May 12-15 at Boise State University in Idaho to explore the problem. -- Marcelle SteppingStones *EcoSac* Shopping Bag System *(800) 926-1017* www.bags4you.com e-mail: service AT bags4you.com /Saving on paper & plastic since 1989! Providing the highest quality bags & the BEST customer service!/ [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: Radio contest at Hi Mtn. From: s_schub AT webtv.net Date: Sun, 27 Apr 2008 10:11:38 -0700 Hello all, During the month of June each year Paul and Charles Jenzen campout for several days at Hi Mountain for the annual AARF VHF radio contest. Following is Paul's message about the upcoming event: Radio Contest Each year the American Radio Relay League (ARRL), which is a national radio club, sponsors a number of amateur radio contests that cover all available frequencies from AM Broadcast to Microwave. In June, the ARRL has a contest that includes only the VHF and up frequencies. This contest is considered one of the most difficult because the VHF and up frequencies do not propagate well beyond the horizon and require specialized sites and equipment. My brother Charles (WB6PZJ) and I (WB6AAG) choose to operate during the June VHF and up contest. We have been competing in this friendly competition for over 35 years now and have operated from Hi Mountain for most of the last 21 years. We use the Hi Mountain Lookout site for many reasons. The site has a 360 degree view of the surrounding areas and is not blocked by nearby mountains. Also it is electronically quiet which is important because our radio receivers are very sensitive and would suffer from interference if there was a nearby transmitter even at a different frequency. But both my brother and I both agree that the most important reason we utilize this site is because of the unspoiled natural beauty that surrounds the site. Hopefully we will continue to utilize this wonderful site in the upcoming years. Paul Jenzen . Subject: the "help" for Hi Mtn. From: Marcelle <marcelle AT bags4you.com> Date: Tue, 22 Apr 2008 19:15:39 -0700 Just learned that the attachment can't go to you (Steve says it gets "stripped"... So here is the info without the Lookout & Condor artwork in the space below *Hi Mountain Lookout * needs YOUR help for summer '08! /We are soliciting MATCHING FUNDS / /(_needed by end of April_)!/ Cal Poly's Biological Science Department has funding for ONE summer intern to staff Hi Mountain for summer 2008 (tracking Calif. Condors, opening the Hi Mountain Interpretive Center, educating the public about condors & the recovery program and providing a presence at the Lookout). We _need_ to fund a 2nd intern. We need to raise $2500.00 THE GOOD NEWS: we already have $1500.00! IF you can help, please send a check, in any amount you can afford, to: Morro Coast Audubon Society (check made out to "*MCAS/Hi Mtn Lookout S'08*") P.O. Box 1507, Morro Bay, CA 93443-1507 THANKING YOU in advance of any help you can give! Questions? Phone Marcelle Bakula, fundraising volunteer, day: (805) 927-1017 eve: (805) 927-3359 or email: marcelle AT digitalputty.com (put Hi Mtn. in subject line) /and let her know when you have mailed a check!/ -- Marcelle [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: HELP! Hi Mtn. supporters & bird-lovers From: Marcelle <marcelle AT bags4you.com> Date: Tue, 22 Apr 2008 10:42:17 -0700 Please open the attached flyer to learn how you can help the summer intern program at Hi Mountain Lookout and the Condor Recovery Program...*Hurry! */We only have one week to raise the funds!/ Thanks, Marcelle, volunteer Hi Mountain Lookout PS /feel free to pass along to any condor or bird supporters you might know! / Sharing with you all the hope that, one day, California Condors will once again nest in the cliffs below the Lookout here in San Luis Obispo County! PSS mark your calendars for the *Annual Hi Mountain OPEN HOUSE Sat. Oct. 11th*...The day's schedule will be sent out to you in Sept. if you are a member of the yahoo group Listserv. If not, JOIN! -- [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: Nice article & reminder to give input From: Marcelle <marcelle AT bags4you.com> Date: Sun, 20 Apr 2008 13:02:15 -0700 *Printed From The Mountain Enterprise* 2008-04-18 *Fate of California Condor in The Balance* // /The clock is ticking down to April 25, the deadline set by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for comments from the public regarding what should be included in the analysis of Tejon Ranch Company's request for an "incidental take permit" to kill or harass the California condor and 33 other endangered and threatened species./ By Lynn Stafford David Clendenen spoke in a dynamic and sobering program this month, telling about his fifteen years with the Condor Recovery Program as a biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Clendenen is resource specialist at The Wildlands Conservancy's nearby Wind Wolves Preserve, but he spoke for himself at the event hosted April 5 by the Condor Group of the Sierra Club. Eloquently and precisely, he discussed the history of the California Condor, its current status and future challenges. His exceptional photographs helped provide an overview exploring the uncertain future for this great but imperiled creature, the largest flying land birds in North America. Condors are huge scavengers with nine and a half foot wingspans, roaming great distances in search of food. They live long lives, up to 75 years, have traditional ways and complex social structures passed from generation to generation. They breed slowly, an average of one chick every two years. They are intelligent, curious, able to learn quickly, and are more flexible in behavior than hawks and other raptors. Yet by 1982, there were only twenty-two of these magnificent birds left on earth. The factors that have brought them to the brink of extinction are all directly related to the activities of people. First was the development of ranch lands in the West. The large carcass-producing hoofed animals like deer and elk that roamed through California were replaced by domesticated cattle. Predators, such as grizzly bears, coyotes and mountain lions were killed using poisoned bait, which also poisoned condors and other scavengers during the late 1800s and early 1900s. The practice was made illegal in the mid-1900s. But loss of habitat, direct shooting and lead poisoning combined with the condors' slow reproductive cycle, starting the downward spiral. During the 1980s lead poisoning from hunters' bullets was documented as a source of mortality in condors. It had undoubtedly been a serious cause of mortality ever since Europeans arrived with guns and began hunting large animals. Fragments of bullets are ingested as condors feed on the carcass of an animal that has been shot. Lead is a powerful toxin that causes neurological damage and often death. It only takes a piece the size of a fingernail clipping to kill a condor. Less than that can cause neurologic damage that affects the big birds' ability to navigate in the air. In the 1980s, the wild population was dwindling dangerously low. Zoos had learned how to raise young at an accelerated rate. So the last few wild birds were captured and brought into zoo programs to build their populations up. Slowly, captive-reared birds began to be reintroduced during the 1990s into Southern California and northwestern Arizona. They are tagged, monitored and partially fed with lead-free carcasses of still-born dairy calves. At first, the condors' intelligence and natural curiosity was a problem. They learned to identify with people, and appeared to be attracted to them and their settlements as a potential source of food, as residents of Pine Mountain remember from a few years ago. Since then, rearing and release techniques have improved. Released birds are acting more like wild animals. A new problem, dubbed "microtrash," has emerged since the reintroduction of captive- reared condors began in the 1990s. Condors are curious. They are attracted to small bits of trash such as pop tops, bottle caps and various broken bits of glass and plastic. Historically, parent condors feed small pieces of bone to their chicks. The minerals are useful to the chicks' growth. It is thought that microtrash is given mistakenly as bone. Scientists have confirmed that this has led to the deaths of several chicks while still in the nest. The wild population of this ancient creature is now just 155 birds in three different populations in California, Arizona and the northern peninsula of Baja, Mexico. Progress is being made to bring the species back from the edge of extinction. Chicks are being successfully hatched and raised in the wild. The species is not yet fully-independent with self-sustaining populations in the wild, but the threat of extinction is no longer an eminent danger. Great strides have been made to treat this species as a national treasure. Continuing problems with diminishing habitat, reduced food supplies, the presence of lead, other toxins and microtrash persist. An excellent example of the future uncertainty for the condor is right here in our own region's Tejon Ranch. Tejon Ranch Company (TRC) is a real estate development and management company that controls 272,000 acres. The land's developers often identify it as "the largest contiguous holding of private property in California." The area also contains some of the best traditional foraging habitat for the California condor. It is good news that TRC recently banned lead bullets from its hunting programs. Bravo! However, TRC is currently firming up plans for at least three large-scale housing and commercial developments, including a sprawling upscale ranchette-type community to be called Tejon Mountain Village. This plan will greatly impact the condor, which for thousands of years has used the warm updrafts from the slopes which are part of the proposed development to launch its long glides across the valleys, watching for food. At the present, a Multi- Species Habitat Conservation Plan for the Tehachapi Uplands is being developed by Tejon Ranch Company. Though the title speaks of conservation, the document is a required preliminary in TRC's petition for the grant of an Incidental Take permit for the condor. This kind of permit to incidentally kill a condor in the course of TRC's future developments has never been granted. Such a permit would be a very dangerous precedent for endangered species in the United States. At least one condor, a matriarch mother dubbed "AC8" by the scientists in the recovery program, has already been shot by a hunter on a Tejon commercial hunt. This bird, about 40 years old, was one of the last of those wild survivors brought into the recovery program during the 1980s. She hatched several chicks, then was released back into the wild. Her deep knowledge of the roosting and foraging areas of this region was especially important to be transferred to the juvenile condors for their survival in the wild. Her death was a profound loss to the California condor recovery program. /Read more about the call for public comments about what factors should be considered in the study regarding the "take" permit on page 25 in the print issue of /The Mountain Enterprise/ for April 18, 2008. To read the online version, please click here . It may also be viewed at any time in the Community FYI section of our website (left column on any page). / -- Marcelle SteppingStones *EcoSac* Shopping Bag System *(800) 926-1017* www.bags4you.com e-mail: service AT bags4you.com /Saving on paper & plastic since 1989! Providing the highest quality bags & the BEST customer service!/ [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: Tom Seiler From: Debi Schmitt <otisbird AT sbcglobal.net> Date: Tue, 25 Mar 2008 12:30:02 -0700 All of his pictures are breath taking. How wonderful of him to share them!!!! .---.__ / /6|__\ \ \/--` / \\ debi / )\ / _.' / //~`\\-' =====//===(=))========= jgs /` Subject: Nice photos for condor-lovers From: Marcelle <marcelle AT bags4you.com> Date: Tue, 25 Mar 2008 08:14:12 -0700 At the Morro Bay Winter Bird Festival, Konrad & Lynn from AZ had a nice AZ Condor Recovery program display & Steve bought some nice books from them for the Hi Mountain Lookout. I requested from them, a copy of a photo comparing the heads of condors at 1 yr, 3 years, 5 years & 7 years. They sent it to me but suggested contacting the photographer (Tom Seiler) for permission (which I did & he granted). Then, he suggested I see all his AZ condor photos & I enjoyed them, and thought YOU would too! visit: http://picasaweb.google.com/seilerbird Happy spring - wonderful wildflowers are out these days! Marcelle SteppingStones *EcoSac* Shopping Bag System *(800) 926-1017* www.bags4you.com e-mail: service AT bags4you.com /Saving on paper & plastic since 1989! Providing the highest quality bags & the BEST customer service!/ [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: lookout visit From: Kevin C Cooper <kccooper AT fs.fed.us> Date: Wed, 19 Mar 2008 14:35:38 -0700 Tom Murphey and I hiked to Huff's Hole with two firefighters from the Pozo fire station, Embry Mayer and Curt Schwarm, to clear the trail down to the meadow for condor/falcon viewing. It was a good thing we had such hardy workers with us since the trail was in terrible shape from two year of snow-down ceonothus over the trail. Imagine cutting through the tangled tops of several large, very dry, hard and twisted branches every 20 yards or so with small hand saws and loppers (no chainsaws in the wilderness). As you heave to pull out each branch a long poison oak vine whips across your face, then you have to find a hole in the canopy to stuff the branch out of the way. Each spot like this takes several hundred cuts, so the moving is slow, but we made it about 1/4 mile. The day was clear and cool, with a great view of the rocks from occaisional open spots on the trail. About 3 pm I heard a falcon calling but was not able to spot it in the lower set of cliffs, so I don't know if it was a Prarie or Peregrine falcon. We will need one or two more days this spring to open up the trail, so if there are hardy souls out there willing to help out, let me know and I'll set up a date. It would be great to have someone go down there are look for falcons also. Kevin Cooper Forest Biologist/BAER Team Leader Los Padres National Forest 1616 Carlotti Dr. Santa Maria, CA 93454 (805) 925-9538 x 216 (805 570-7455 (cell) (805) 961-5781 (fax) kccooper AT fs.fed.us Subject: Good news - condors From: Marcelle <marcelle AT bags4you.com> Date: Sun, 09 Mar 2008 08:18:56 -0700 /Associated Press - March 8, 2008 11:55 PM ET / PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - It's a soaring success for the Oregon Zoo's condor program. Four condors hatched at the Oregon Zoo in 2005 and 2006 were sent to the Peregrine Fund's World Center for Birds of Prey in Boise, Idaho, in preparation for release into the wild in Arizona. In about a week, 3 of those four will be released. Condors named Tatoosh, Ursa and Wiley will be released at the Vermilion Cliffs National Monument in northern Arizona. The condor named Meriwether will be released at a later date. In 2001, the Oregon Zoo became the third zoo in the nation to join the California Condor Recovery Program. California condor captive-breeding programs are also operated at San Diego Zoo's Wild Animal Park, the Los Angeles Zoo and the Peregrine Fund's World Center for Birds of Prey. Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. -- Marcelle SteppingStones *EcoSac* Shopping Bag System *(800) 926-1017* www.bags4you.com e-mail: service AT bags4you.com /Saving on paper & plastic since 1989! Providing the highest quality bags & the BEST customer service!/ [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: Join the Friends of the California Condor Friday March 7th, 2008 7:00pm From: Michaela Koenig <michaelamkoenig AT yahoo.com> Date: Tue, 4 Mar 2008 12:05:54 -0800 (PST) Coming in March… Join the Nationwide there are over 250 “Friends Groups” whose mission is to support the goals and purpose of the associated National Wildlife Refuge. Hopper Mountain National Wildlife Refuge Complex is hosting an informational meeting for volunteers who are interested in establishing a friends group for the California condor. When: Friday March 7 th , 2008 at 7:00pm Where: Hopper Mountain National Wildlife Refuge Complex 2493A Portola Road Ventura Ca 93003 If you would like to attend please email Ivett Plascencia at hoppermountain AT fws.gov or call (805) 6445185. For more information on Friends Groups you can visit National Wildlife Refuge Association at www.refugenet.org Ivett Plascencia Office Automation Clerk U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Hopper Mountain National Wildlife Refuge Complex California Condor Recovery Program PO BOX 5839 Ventura, California 93005 (805) 644-5185 (805) 644-1732 FAX ____________________________________________________________________________________ Never miss a thing. Make Yahoo your home page. http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] To Post a message, send it to: slocobirding AT yahoogroups.com To Unsubscribe, send a blank message to: slocobirding-unsubscribe AT yahoogroups.com Message archives and group home page can be found at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/slocobirding Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/slocobirding/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/slocobirding/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:slocobirding-digest AT yahoogroups.com mailto:slocobirding-fullfeatured AT yahoogroups.com <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: slocobirding-unsubscribe AT yahoogroups.com <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ Subject: Join the Friends of the California Condor Friday March 7th, 2008 7:00pm From: Michaela Koenig <michaelamkoenig AT yahoo.com> Date: Tue, 4 Mar 2008 12:05:54 -0800 (PST) Coming in March… Join the Nationwide there are over 250 “Friends Groups” whose mission is to support the goals and purpose of the associated National Wildlife Refuge. Hopper Mountain National Wildlife Refuge Complex is hosting an informational meeting for volunteers who are interested in establishing a friends group for the California condor. When: Friday March 7 th , 2008 at 7:00pm Where: Hopper Mountain National Wildlife Refuge Complex 2493A Portola Road Ventura Ca 93003 If you would like to attend please email Ivett Plascencia at hoppermountain AT fws.gov or call (805) 6445185. For more information on Friends Groups you can visit National Wildlife Refuge Association at www.refugenet.org Ivett Plascencia Office Automation Clerk U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Hopper Mountain National Wildlife Refuge Complex California Condor Recovery Program PO BOX 5839 Ventura, California 93005 (805) 644-5185 (805) 644-1732 FAX ____________________________________________________________________________________ Never miss a thing. Make Yahoo your home page. http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] To Post a message, send it to:Hi_MountainCondor AT yahoogroups.com To Unsubscribe, send a blank message to:Hi_MountainCondor-unsubscribe AT yahoogroups.com Message archives and group home page can be found at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Hi_MountainCondor Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Hi_MountainCondor/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Hi_MountainCondor/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:Hi_MountainCondor-digest AT yahoogroups.com mailto:Hi_MountainCondor-fullfeatured AT yahoogroups.com <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: Hi_MountainCondor-unsubscribe AT yahoogroups.com <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ Subject: Condor news From: Marcelle <marcelle AT bags4you.com> Date: Tue, 04 Mar 2008 09:11:16 -0800 Captive condors could fly wild, free *Rebuilding - Three birds from the Oregon Zoo's program could join a flock near the Grand Canyon * Tuesday, March 04, 2008 KATY MULDOON *The Oregonian Staff* Three California condors hatched at the Oregon Zoo could fly free for the first time this month in a spot that seems made for the massive, magnificent birds -- near the Grand Canyon. If the birds are released as planned March 15 at northern Arizona's Vermilion Cliffs National Monument, near the canyon's north rim, they will join a flock of 65. The zoo considers the release a landmark in its 7-year-old California condor breeding effort, said Shawn St. Michael, assistant curator of birds. "We really are rebuilding a population that was on the edge," he said. n the 1980s, California condors took a nose-dive toward extinction: A scant 22 remained. Captive breeding has rebuilt the population to 298 birds as of February; 144 fly free. In 2001, Oregon's zoo became the nation's third to join the California Condor Recovery Program, a collaboration of federal, state and local agencies, and private nonprofits, all racing to breed condors in captivity before it was too late. Since, the zoo has hatched 10 chicks at the Jonsson Center for Wildlife Conservation, a remote breeding facility in Clackamas County. The operation is off-limits to the public. Early last year, the zoo transferred four condors to the private Peregrine Fund's World Center for Birds of Prey in Boise; they later moved to a pen in northern Arizona to prepare for release. The three due to fly are No. 367, hatched in spring 2005, named Tatoosh by the zoo, and two hatched in spring 2006, No. 404, known as Ursa, and No. 420, dubbed Wiley. They will add to the Southwest population that has established territories in Vermilion Cliffs, the Grand Canyon and portions of southern Utah. Only one other Oregon-hatched condor flies free. No. 340, hatched in 2004, took off into the skies over central California's Pinnacles National Monument in September 2005. That condor thrives as part of the monument's flock of 13, a spokesman said Monday. Because flocks in Arizona, California and northern Mexico are managed for the greatest possible genetic diversity, in the future most Oregon-hatched birds suitable for release will be freed in or near the Grand Canyon. There, St. Michael said, they should have the best shot at successful breeding. In the past dozen years, six chicks have hatched to wild condors in the region. Life in the arid Southwest isn't always smooth sailing for the birds, whose wingspan can reach 91/2 feet. As scavengers, they sometimes feed on game or gut piles left by hunters using lead ammunition. Lead can kill condors. The Arizona Game & Fish Department and the Peregrine Fund, which also breeds condors, have urged hunters to switch to non-lead bullets. Perhaps as a result, none of the Grand Canyon condors died from lead poisoning last year, compared with four lead-related deaths in 2006. Katy Muldoon: 503-221-8526; katymuldoon AT news.oregonian.com -- Marcelle SteppingStones *EcoSac* Shopping Bag System *(800) 926-1017* www.bags4you.com e-mail: service AT bags4you.com /Saving on paper & plastic since 1989! Providing the highest quality bags & the BEST customer service!/ [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: Good condor news from AP From: Marcelle <marcelle AT bags4you.com> Date: Wed, 27 Feb 2008 11:05:58 -0800 (02-27) 05:06 PST Big Sur, Calif. (AP) -- Another egg has been laid by the pair of condors nesting in the Ventana preserve in Big Sur. They are the same pair that hatched California's first condor chick in the wild last year. That young bird, named /Centennia/, was attacked and presumed killed by a golden eagle while flying free in Big Sur on Dec. 4. Ventana Wildlife Society condor team biologist Joe Burnett says the female condor is now showing "telltale signs that (the mother) was tending to an egg in her cliffside nest cave." /Ventana/, another condor hatched in Big Sur last year, is thriving in the wild. The Ventana Wildlife Society began releasing condors in 1997 and helps monitor 44 wild condors. -- Marcelle SteppingStones *EcoSac* Shopping Bag System *(800) 926-1017* www.bags4you.com e-mail: service AT bags4you.com /Saving on paper & plastic since 1989! Providing the highest quality bags & the BEST customer service!/ [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: Lookout fixes From: Kevin C Cooper <kccooper AT fs.fed.us> Date: Mon, 18 Feb 2008 20:54:56 -0800 Tom Murphey and I headed up to the lookout in early January to take a look at some of the things that needed repair and to check for leaks. It was great to be up there with the view of the Sierras and the coast for a couple of days reprieve from all the craziness of Threatened and Endangered species management on the Los Padres National Forest. On the first trip we repaired the gutter which had been damaged in the first big January storm where winds hit 86 mph, and I also replaced one of the cables on the west window pulley, and tried to repair the large east shutter that had a damaged hinge. We also did some cleanup of the dead ants and mouse droppings, then made a list of other things to repair on the next trip, which we planned a week later knowing that one trip just brings up a whole new list of things to do. We were delayed by several weeks of rain and bad roads, but made it up there last Friday and replaced the water pump, which had burned out, filled the water tank, and did a major job of modifying the venting system for the refrigerator which has never worked properly, leading to overheating and shutdown. Maybe the fridge has had too much overheating, because even with a new thermocouple we could not get it to start, so we may be looking for a new one. This one should run well with the proper venting and drafting in place. We have ordered new locks and screens for the storm doors and are searching down some window handles also. We plan on another trip in a few weeks to clear the trail down to Huff's Hole with help from a couple of firefighters from Pozo. Hope we see some peregrines down there and maybe a condor too. I'm looking forward to a beautiful spring with lot's of wildflowers and a new crop of volunteers at the lookout! Kevin Cooper Forest Biologist/BAER Team Leader Los Padres National Forest 1616 Carlotti Dr. Santa Maria, CA 93454 (805) 925-9538 x 216 (805 570-7455 (cell) (805) 961-5781 (fax) kccooper AT fs.fed.us Subject: From the San Diego Zoo From: Marcelle <marcelle AT bags4you.com> Date: Thu, 14 Feb 2008 08:08:46 -0800 This could be "fun" for all you condor lovers! *New Website Creates Online Condor Community* SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, Feb. 14 -/E-Wire/-- North America's largest flying bird was nearly lost to extinction, but thanks to a collaborative effort the California condor's future is flying high and news abounds. The recently launched Website, "*California Condor Conservation,*" was created with new technology to provide the latest information from all of the organizations involved in this species' recovery. Researchers, field biologists, keepers and many other partners involved in the California Condor Recovery Program will be posting blogs and providing photos and video from the field. Anyone from a student studying conservation to a bystander who witnesses a condor in the wild will have the opportunity to log on to www.cacondorconservation.org to ask the experts questions about the species. Web videos will give viewers an up-close view of the wild condor population or an inside look at zoo breeding centers. This month's news video, in both English and Spanish, discusses the recent outbreak of lead poisoning at the Baja California, Mexico condor release site and what is being done to prevent a recurrence. California Condor Conservation includes classroom tools, a newsletter, news releases from the recovery program partners and even bios of some of the condors. News, resources and blogs will be added and changed offering something new regularly. The California Condor Recovery Program is built upon a foundation of private and public partnerships. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service implements the recovery program in partnership with other U.S. and Mexican government agencies, the Zoological Society of San Diego, Los Angeles Zoo, The Peregrine Fund, Oregon Zoo, Chapultepec Zoo, Ventana Wilderness Society and the National Park Service among others. The 100-acre San Diego Zoo is operated by the not-for-profit Zoological Society of San Diego. The Zoological Society, dedicated to the conservation of endangered species and their habitats, engages in conservation and research work around the globe and is responsible for maintaining accredited horticultural, animal, library, and photo collections. The Zoological Society also manages the 1,800-acre San Diego Zoo's Wild Animal Park (more than half of which has been set aside as protected native species habitat) and the center for Conservation and Research for Endangered Species (CRES). The important conservation and science work of these entities is supported in part by the Foundation for the Zoological Society of San Diego. Contact Info: Christina Simmons Tel : 619-685-3291 E-mail : csimmons AT sandiegozoo.org Website : the San Diego Zoo -- Marcelle SteppingStones *EcoSac* Shopping Bag System *(800) 926-1017* www.bags4you.com e-mail: service AT bags4you.com /Saving on paper & plastic since 1989! Providing the highest quality bags & the BEST customer service!/ [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: good news re: lead From: Marcelle <marcelle AT bags4you.com> Date: Tue, 12 Feb 2008 20:43:00 -0800 From the Cronkite News Service: *Citing increasing participation, state officials have extended a voluntary program that combats lead poisoning among California condors by encouraging hunters to use non-lead ammunition.* Wildlife advocates pressing for a statewide ban on lead ammunition acknowledge the program's successes but say it still isn't enough to protect the endangered condors, which can ingest lead fragments in piles of deer and elk entrails hunters leave in the wilderness. Making its decision Jan. 18, the Arizona Game and Fish Commission pointed to surveys in which more than 80 percent of hunters in the Kaibab National Forest reported taking part in the program. That meant reducing lead available to condors by either using non-lead ammunition or by not leaving so-called gut piles for condors to scavenge. The participation rate rose from 60 percent in 2006, according to the Game and Fish Department. "They should be pretty proud of these accomplishments for a voluntary program to get such a high compliance rate," said Kathy Sullivan, California condor project coordinator for Game and Fish. With money from the Heritage Fund, which comes from lottery revenues, the program educates hunters about the dangers lead poses to condors and provides coupons for free copper ammunition. At least 12 California condors have died of lead poisoning since the species was reintroduced to northern Arizona in 1996. However, there were no lead-related deaths in 2007, down from four in 2006, according to Chris Parish, condor field project supervisor for the Peregrine Fund, which monitors the health of the condors in cooperation with state officials. Last year, the Sierra Club, Center for Biological Diversity, Grand Canyon Wildlands Council and Arizona Zoological Society sent two letters urging the Game and Fish Commission to require hunters to use non-lead ammunition statewide to protect condors. In October, California enacted a law requiring non-lead ammunition for hunting big game and coyotes in the condor's range. Sandy Bahr, outreach coordinator for the Grand Canyon Chapter of the Sierra Club, acknowledged the successes of Game and Fish's voluntary program but said it's irresponsible for the state to continue allowing hunters to use lead bullets. "We've removed lead from gasoline and paint. We ought to get it out of ammunition as well," Bahr said. Kim Crumbo, director of conservation of the Grand Canyon Wildlands Council, said the program doesn't do enough to keep lead out of the condors' range. Crumbo said the organization may sue Game and Fish if it doesn't enact a ban. "If they're not willing or able to require that to assure the recovery of condors, then we're really left with no other recourse," Crumbo said. Game and Fish's Sullivan said a ban would punish hunters because non-lead ammunition costs more and isn't available in all calibers. "It doesn't seem fair to penalize these hunters when they've already proven that they're willing to help us out with this effort," Sullivan said. Crumbo said a ban would force manufacturers to produce more types of non-lead bullets to accommodate hunters. The Peregrine Fund's Parish, a hunter himself, said he favors continuing and expanding the voluntary program, which he said could lead to less lead in the condors' habitat than a ban could accomplish. "To impart a ban on the use of lead ammunition, I think that most people are assuming 100 percent compliance, and I don't think that's realistic," Parish said. -- Marcelle SteppingStones *EcoSac* Shopping Bag System *(800) 926-1017* www.bags4you.com e-mail: service AT bags4you.com /Saving on paper & plastic since 1989! Providing the highest quality bags & the BEST customer service!/ [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: eagle watch boat tour From: s_schub AT webtv.net Date: Fri, 1 Feb 2008 17:55:48 -0800 There are a few openings for the following raptor class and field trip: Observing Birds of Prey - Eagle Watch Tour Learn about the biology and field marks useful in identification of local resident and migratory hawks, eagles, falcons, kites, harriers, accipiters, vultures and owls. Search for raptors during a van field trip to local oak woodlands and grasslands. Take an outing on the "Eagle Watch" tour boat at San Antonio Lake and observe golden and bald eagles, as well as other raptors and waterfowl. Bring a sack lunch, water, binoculars, and camera. Dress warm in layers, inclement weather does not cancel. Eagle Watch Tour and van transportation included in class fee. Instructor: Steve Schubert Sat, Feb 9; 8-9:30am - Classroom Meeting/Slide Lecture 9:30am-5pm - Field Trip to San Antonio Lake and north county Course# 301OD.108; Fee: $75 San Luis Obispo Campus - Room 473 To register, call 546-3132 at Cuesta College Community Programs Subject: winter bird festival From: s_schub AT webtv.net Date: Tue, 22 Jan 2008 08:26:58 -0800 Hello all, This past weekend several hundred participants attended the annual Morro Bay Winter Bird Festival. More than 50 registered for the VWS California Condor Recovery and Hi Mountain Lookout Project powerpoint talks presented by Sayre Flannagan and myself. The next day Nick Todd and I led a van trip with 20 participants on a North Coast Wldlife trip, reaching Grime's Point on the Big Sur coast just in time to find a total of 13 condors in flight up close. Bret, a VWS intern was onsite and was helpful demonstrating radiotelemetry and identifying the condors. Also, thank-you to Marcelle Bakula for once again setting up and staffing the Hi Mtn. Project display board at the bird festival! Steve Schubert Subject: Condor status article From: Marcelle <marcelle AT bags4you.com> Date: Mon, 21 Jan 2008 07:57:07 -0800 From the University of Calif., Irvine (on-line newsletter): California Condor's Population Steadily Increasing By Kathryn Hayward Allison Alberts, director of Conservation and Research for the San Diego Zoological Society, discussed the history and current state of the California Condor Recovery Program in a lecture on Wednesday, Jan. 16. In 1987, North America's largest bird, the California condor, had a dwindling population of 27 birds, and the program was begun that year at the request of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. Today, 298 members of this species exist, 144 of them living in the wild, according to the Center for Conservation and Research of Endangered Species. Shortly after the mandate was given, the existing condor population was brought into captivity at the San Diego Wild Animal Park and Los Angeles Zoo. The USFWS program stipulated that the birds be reintroduced to the wild in three distinct populations, 150 birds in each, with release sites in California, Arizona and Mexico; an intensive breeding program ensued and by 1992 the species' population had doubled. By 2003, the first condors released into the wild in California began to breed. A part of the program's success could be attributed to the bird's reproductive habits. "Condor's practice [involves] what is known as double-clutching, meaning that if their first egg goes missing, then within 25 to 30 days they [will] lay another egg," Alberts explained. This practice allowed researchers the benefit of having each bird produce two eggs---one fledgling to be raised by researchers, and the other by its condor parents. With several populations now thriving in the Ojai and Hopper Mountain regions of California, as well as the Grand Canyon in Arizona, the third population was re-introduced to Baja California, Mexico in August of 2002. The chosen release site is located in the Sierra San Pedro National Park, and consists of a 60-by-60-by-30-feet enclosed holding pen, where researchers and field biologists study the behavioral and physical conditions of the condors. Currently, this newest population has yet to successfully reproduce, but data from radio and GPS tracking devices affixed to a wing on each bird confirms that these condors are practicing longer flights; and evidence from a whale carcass proves that they have begun foraging for their own food as well---two factors necessary for a self-sustaining population. In 2005, Annika Hoffman, a worker for the USFWS at the Bittercreek/Hopper Mt. release site, was pleased to hear the news that condors in Mexico and California were locating their own food. However, Hoffman also shared some concerns involving population goals that were raised while working with the USFWS. "One concern with a reestablished population of 150 birds is [if] there [will be] enough food to sustain that number," Hoffman said. Fearing that a scarcity of resources would restrict the population, Alberts believes it will take decades before the program reaches its end goal of 150 birds at each site in California, Arizona and Mexico. According to the Sacramento Bee, Assembly Bill 821, which bans the use of lead bullets within the California condor range, passed the California State Assembly with a 23-to-15 majority in September 2007. "We know that [the condor's] decline was a direct result of lead poisoning, because condors often feed on the carcasses left behind by hunters, causing them to ingest fragments of lead bullets and lead shot," Alberts stated early in her lecture. Researchers at CRES found that lead poisoning has caused 25 percent of the Condor's deaths. Alberts's comment on the recent ban was accompanied by a slide of California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger grinning and standing next to a photo enlargement of the California Quarter imprinted with a soaring California condor. Michal Peri, one of the 162 members attending the lecture, supported the ban to help conservationists' efforts, but believes that there needs to be more focus on the human side of the problem. "How are we going to keep people from breaking Pepsi bottles?" Peri asked, in reference to a slide during the presentation that depicted shards of glass a researcher had pulled from a fledgling's craw. Condor mothers can mistake glass, bottle caps and other small pieces of trash for bone chips, which are fed to chicks as a calcium supplement. If the researchers do not find the mistake in time, the bird dies. So far this has resulted in the death of 10 birds. "Sometimes, it is like taking two steps forward and one step back," Alberts commented on the program's progress. For upcoming lectures in the Distinctive Voices Series, check the Beckman Center web site at: www.beckmancenter.org. -- Marcelle SteppingStones *EcoSac* Shopping Bag System *(800) 926-1017* www.bags4you.com e-mail: service AT bags4you.com /Saving on paper & plastic since 1989! Providing the highest quality bags & the BEST customer service!/ [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: Two things From: Marcelle <marcelle AT bags4you.com> Date: Sun, 20 Jan 2008 21:24:04 -0800 Not necess. good news: (/from the SF Chronicle 1/19/) 1. *Eagle attacks condor:* A golden eagle attacked and probably killed the only known condor that has been hatched in the wild of Monterey County in 100 years, reports the Ventana Wildlife Society. The condor, fully grown at the time of the attack, fought off the eagle but hasn't been seen since. 2. (maybe we could write the governor...Besides keeping Calif. St. Parks open, we need Fish and Game Wardens too. **Game warden cadets training at the Department of Fish and Game Academy would be cut loose if the governor's proposed budget is approved by the legislature. Acting DFG director *John McCamman *confirmed that the budget proposed for the DFG would reduce 38 game warden positions. This would be the bulk of a $2.6 million cut planned for the DFG budget. "If they get close to completing their training, they could be hired as county sheriffs or highway patrol," McCamman told me over dinner recently. If the cuts come while the academy is in session, he said, "The cadets would be let go." /The DFG already has the lowest ratio of game wardens per state residents in America/, roughly one per 185,000 residents. Of 200 game wardens in the field, about 80 of the most experienced officers are projected to retire in the next three years, according to *Nancy Foley*, DFG chief of enforcement. Because of the lack of game wardens, routine patrol to protect fish and wildlife in California has not occurred for years, former DFG director *Ryan Broddrick *said before resigning last year. -- Marcelle SteppingStones *EcoSac* Shopping Bag System *(800) 926-1017* www.bags4you.com e-mail: service AT bags4you.com /Saving on paper & plastic since 1989! Providing the highest quality bags & the BEST customer service!/ [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: Donations From: s_schub AT webtv.net Date: Fri, 4 Jan 2008 12:10:26 -0800 The Hi Mountain Lookout Project has received the following donation. Thank-you! Financial donation- Phyllis and Michael Hischier, San Luis Obispo -- $1,000 Donations can be made by writing a check to: 'MCAS Hi Mountain Project" and mailing to: Morro Coast Audubon Society Po Box 1507 Morro Bay, CA 93443-1507 Contributions are tax deductible under IRS Code 501(c)(3). Subject: LA Times newspaper article From: s_schub AT webtv.net Date: Wed, 2 Jan 2008 22:44:27 -0800 John Schmitt, a peregine falcon nest site attendant at Huff's Hole for several years in the late 1970's, is featured in the following LA Times article. His artwork is on display at Hi Mountain Lookout and he was an inspiration for establishing the lookout project. The complete article can be viewed at: http://www.latimes.com/sports/outdoors/la-sp-outdoors28dec28,1,5174223.column?coll=la-headlines-sports-outdoors Los Angeles Times Outdoors Pete Thomas: It's paradise for bird-watchers The Kern River Valley is among the top sites in the West. December 28, 2007 WOFFORD HEIGHTS, Calif. -- John Schmitt is on peregrine patrol along the northern shore of Lake Isabella, but instead he spots a bald eagle perched on a tall snag in the shallows. Fresh juvenile, the guide announces, while peering through his scope. Not long out of the nest, still dark brown, perhaps four years from attaining the telltale white head and tail feathers. It's early December, and Schmitt makes note because it's his first bald eagle sighting this season. Last season, strangely, he saw none. And so the morning tour of the vast Kern River Valley -- like the winter bird-watching season -- begins with promise. Mountain bluebirds scamper as one over the barren shoreline. White pelicans lounge on a distant sandbar. Mallards paddle leisurely across the lake's glassy surface. Ravens repeatedly rush the eagle in an unsuccessful attempt to spook it from the snag. A pretty picture, sure. But Schmitt has more of his wondrous universe to unveil, so he motions for his guest to climb into the truck and off we go. . . The diverse Kern River Valley is a paradise for bird enthusiasts. At one end is the Southern Sierra Nevada. Opposite is the Mojave Desert. Between are chaparral, oaks, grasslands, shrubs, woodlands, marshes and meadows. Flowing through the valley is the south fork of the Kern River, sustaining the largest remaining riparian forest in California. Nearly 350 species of birds have been identified locally. About 200 species breed here. "If conditions are right you can have huge pushes of birds of many species, in very large numbers," Schmitt says. "You'll be turning every which way to try to see it all." Schmitt, 59, has been fascinated by birds since he was a child. He kept them as pets and studied their behaviors and intricate feather structures. He worked on the California Condor Recovery Program and spent weeks at a time alone in the backcountry. He's also a taxidermist, but these days, as a talented artist working from his hilltop home in Wofford Heights, he specializes in bird illustrations, which have appeared internationally in field guides, journals and magazines. I became acquainted with Schmitt through Bob Barnes, a renowned local naturalist who was traveling during my visit and recommended I tour the region with Schmitt. Both possess intimate knowledge of the region, and both occasionally lead tours. Barnes can be contacted via valleywild.org. Schmitt can be reached directly at (760) 376-6920. "Humans just blunder through the landscape," Schmitt maintains, as I trip over a fallen branch and prove his point. "These animals sense us long before we sense them, and they take the necessary measures to avoid us." We're at Tillie Creek Campground, which is deserted save for its flora and fauna. Schmitt trains his scope on an adult male American kestrel perched atop a willow sapling. "To me this is found art," he says, noting the blue-gray wings and prominent black spots. "It's such a handsome bird. Scrub jays and purple finches abound, and white-crowned sparrows, which signal the arrival of fall, are everywhere. On a distant treetop, a red-tailed hawk puffs its breast feathers as a warning to other raptors that this territory is occupied. Curiously, we see no rabbits or squirrels. Schmitt blames a prolonged drought and predicts this will be a difficult season for some raptors. Moments later we discover a very thin long-eared owl, freshly dead, lying face-up in a macabre position on the pathway. It's almost as if it has fallen from the sky merely to underscore the severity of drought. But in the shade of oaks we discover positive signs. Fresh white droppings and clumps of dove and quail feathers reveal positions of feeding avian predators. Schmitt inspects the skull casing of a gopher regurgitated by a raptor; perhaps a peregrine, a Merlin or Cooper's hawk. Oddly, it's still and quiet in the shade of the grove, while in the sunlight the branches and shrubs are aflutter, and birdsong fills the crisp morning air. Nearby, a colorful acorn woodpecker alights atop a branch. Schmitt scopes it briefly, then calls for a change of habitat. Weldon is an agricultural community across the lake. Its alfalfa fields generally teem with blackbirds, which Schmitt refers to as "falcon fodder." But on this early afternoon, peculiarly, there are no blackbirds and, thus, very little chance of a falcon attack. There is, however, a northern harrier shadowing a mangy coyote ranging across a green meadow, counting on the canine to flush an easy meal. But it's not to be, so the harrier veers off and away. To the west, in the high desert, the bird artist becomes more of a pie-eyed piper, wandering with a cassette player blaring birdsong in an attempt to lure cactus wrens. Yet all that appears is a lone rock wren, out of place, further perplexing the guide. Schmitt will not get his cactus wrens, nor his peregrine. But his tour ends on a high note nonetheless, with the sighting of a beautiful Ferruginous hawk atop a highway-side power pole. Its snowy white underside beams like a beacon, and it watches warily as we climb slowly from the truck. Amazingly, as we take turns looking through the scope, it seems as if this magnificent raptor, with such powerful vision, can see into our eyes through the glass. "To me this is just a beautiful hawk," Schmitt says, as the bird spreads its wings and soars gracefully to another pole. "Found art," I mutter in response. pete.thomas AT latimes.com Subject: lead ban From: s_schub AT webtv.net Date: Fri, 7 Dec 2007 19:58:35 -0800 December 7, 2007 Fish and Game Commission Adopts New Regulations Requiring Nonlead Ammunition The Fish and Game Commission voted 3-1 today to adopt new hunting regulations for big game, nongame birds, and nongame mammals throughout condor range in California requiring nonlead ammunition. The new regulations are nearly the same as the recently passed bill, AB 821, except for two significant differences which protect condors further. First, the new regulations state that it is unlawful to possess lead ammunition in condor range while taking (shooting) or attempting to take game covered by the new regulations. This offers more protection than what the new law, AB 821, gives because the latter only states that it is unlawful to use lead ammunition while taking game. The enforcement of the new regulations should be more realistic given that it rests with possession and not just in the act of taking game. Second, and this one was truly unexpected, the Commission did not exempt 22 caliber, or smaller, projectiles from the new regulations. The new Fish and Game Code 3004.5 that was enacted due to the passage of AB 821 exempts 22 caliber ammunition because nonlead varieties do not currently exist on the market. The Commission felt that by requiring nonlead ammunition for ALL ammunition, including .22 caliber, that the market will adjust and that this was the most appropriate course of action to protect condors. What a pleasant surprise! We applaud the Fish and Game Commission's decision and believe that they are correct. We also recognize that without Pedra Nava's leadership (author of AB 821) that his efforts likely helped to persuade the Commissioners to adopt these new regulations. "It is indeed a precedent for any state to pass law or hunting regulation in the nation prohibiting centerfire, rifle ammunition made of lead. What is truly remarkable is that California also prohibits .22 caliber in certain areas also." remarked Kelly Sorenson, Executive Director of Ventana Wildlife Society. Lead poisoning accounts for the greatest threat to free-flying condors. Many condor experts testify that without these changes there is no hope for condors to survive on their own. The new law and regulations together not only should protect condors but other species of scavenging birds as well. We are moved by these recent changes and look to a brighter future. .............................................................. Ventana Wildlife Society is the only nonprofit releasing condors in California and has focused on recovering the species for 10 years in Big Sur and collaborates with the US Fish and Wildlife Service, Pinnacles National Monument, San Diego Wild Animal Park, Los Angeles Zoo and many others. Subject: condor talk From: s_schub AT webtv.net Date: Sat, 17 Nov 2007 11:20:18 -0800 Hello all, Yesterday, 11/17, I gave a condor biology/ Hi Mtn. Lookout Project slide talk to about 20 docents and staff at the Coast Discovery Center in San Simeon. The docents are often asked questions about condors by travelers on Hwy. 1 along Big Sur, where the condors are often seen. Hopefully our project will benefit by having recruited new volunteers, one who is interested in fundraising for non-profits. Steve Schubert Subject: Hi Mountain Condor Lookout Project From: s_schub AT webtv.net Date: Sun, 11 Nov 2007 01:02:43 -0800 The following informative essay is from the Audubon California website (www.ca.audubon.org), found by clicking on the link about California Condors. Morro Coast Audubon Society, the Hi Mountain Lookout Project and its partnership are mentioned in the second paragraph under the heading "A New Era in Condor Conservation"... Audubon and the California Condor The magnificent California Condor, among the rarest and most imperiled birds in the world, was famously rescued from the brink of extinction in the late 1900s. Around 200 birds currently survive, roughly half in captivity and half in the wild. Once found throughout the Southwestern U.S. into Mexico (as well as pockets in New York and Florida), by the early 1900s they were largely confined to the rugged mountains and foothills of Central and Southern California, where they remained until 1987. In that year, the last free-flying wild bird was captured and integrated into an existing captive breeding program. At the time of his capture, this male was one of only 27 living California Condors, whose numbers had dipped to as low as 21 in 1981-82. From 1987 to 1992, no California Condors flew free in the California skies. In 1992 captive-bred condors were released into the wild at Hopper Mountain National Wildlife Refuge north of Ventura, with additional captive-reared birds added to the flock each year thereafter. Audubon's relationship with the California Condor has been complex and at times controversial, but has been effective at both the field research level and when focused on pushing for legislation to list the species as Endangered; advocating for land acquisitions around the horseshoe-shaped southern edge of California's Central Valley; and supporting public outreach and education through its magazine and other publications. The Early Years Audubon's official involvement with the condor dates back to 1939, when National Audubon Society helped support the doctoral research of Carl Koford, then a student at the University of California, Berkeley. This research was published 1953 as one of three landmark "National Audubon Research Reports" (the other two being Robert Porter Allen's "Whooping Crane" and James Tanner's monograph of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker), which provided much of the information on the species' life history. During the 1930s and 40s, Audubon pressured federal agencies to set aside large parcels of habitat for the condor, even then known to be extremely rare. Two U.S. Forest Service Sanctuaries were established during that time, The Sespe Condor Sanctuary in Ventura County and the Sisquoc Condor Sanctuary in Santa Barbara County (two USFWS refuges for condors have been established subsequently, the Hopper Mountain NWR adjacent to the Sespe Condor Sanctuary, and the Bittercreek NWR in Kern County, near Maricopa). In 1952, before much was known about captive-rearing of wildlife, the San Diego Zoo was granted permission to establish a captive breeding flock in an attempt to augment the fewer than 100 birds believed left in the wild. These early efforts were a failure, and their permits were revoked after the National Audubon Society (including Carl Koford himself) and other groups protested based on the risk of trying to rescue so rare a bird with so little knowledge of proper captive breeding techniques. Other concerns included the threat of breaking up possible existing pairs and injuring birds during capture and handling. Seeking to affect the behavior and attitudes of ranchers and rural residents within the range of the condor, Audubon hired "Condor Naturalist" John Borneman in 1964, who served as a sort of Condor Ambassador in the southern California backcountry. John gave talks at Audubon chapters throughout California, and served as an Audubon official on many state and federal agency condor advisory boards. He also lobbied heavily for condor protection and for additional research funds. Audubon members and chapters continued to push hard for federal action to reverse the condor's decline during the 1960s, and in 1971, the California Condor was included in the first round of animals protected under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. This early victory helped set the stage for Audubon's future work with endangered species elsewhere in the U.S. The Road to Captivity In 1979, the "California Condor Recovery Program", which still exists today, was launched by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), and in 1980, they and the National Audubon Society jointly founded the "Condor Research Center" in Ventura. This center focused on a number of areas: 1) determining an accurate population estimate; 2) locating and monitoring active nest sites to determine if birds were reproducing; 3) determining feeding areas and sources of food; 4) determining causes of mortality. The program also sought to initiate radio telemetry to accurately monitor condor movements and causes of mortality, and to identify key habitat areas for protection. Finally, it sought to establish a captive breeding program to build the species numbers. During the early 1980s, captive breeding techniques for rare birds had improved considerably. The San Diego Wild Animal Park was leading the condor breeding program (later expanded to other facilities). The captive breeding program proposed by Audubon, the USFWS, and the San Diego zoo was vociferously opposed by Audubon chapters in California and across the country, particularly by Golden Gate Audubon in the Bay Area. The society and its partners, however, continued to press for captive breeding, setting the stage for even more controversy that would soon transpire. Condors continued to decline precipitously during the early 1980s. In 1984-85, roughly half (6 out of 15) of the wild population vanished without a trace, dealing a devastating blow to biologists, conservationists and agency personnel alike. From 1981 to 1986, three out of four condors in the wild population were found either dead or dying from lead poisoning. The fourth bird died from ingestion of a cyanide poison found in a coyote-killing device. By 1986, all efforts were focused on removing the last remaining condors from the wild for the captive breeding program. Opposed to this total elimination of a species from the wild, the National Audubon Society sued the USFWS to prohibit the capture of the last wild birds in 1986, but they were unsuccessful. Audubon hoped that the last wild pair, while being monitored and fed clean (lead-free) food, could serve as a "guide bird" for the proposed release of captive-bred condors. However, when the female of the last pair died from lead poisoning in 1986, it was clear that the only option was to bring the birds in, rather than wait for the last one to die. Eventually, the last wild condor, AC ("Adult Condor")-9 was captured in 1987. Around the same time and continuing into the 1990s, thousands of acres of land were purchased in the southwestern San Joaquin Valley as future condor habitat, despite the lack of condors in the wild. Of note was the 14,000-acre Bittercreek NWR acquired by USFWS with strong support from Audubon. Re-building the Population In 1988, captive condors bred successfully for the first time, and by 1991, an accelerated captive breeding/rearing program had built the population up beyond 50 individuals. The next year, the first birds were returned to the wild - two captive-born juveniles were released at the Sespe Condor Sanctuary in Ventura County. The 1990s saw many more birds released, both within California, in Arizona and (in 2003) Baja California. This recent era also brought increased attention to (and frustration with) trying to keep the birds safe from poachers, lead and other threats within their vast foraging range. Individuals found to be habituated to people were quickly brought in for "behavior modification" and most of these would be successfully re-introduced. Captive breeding programs, located at the Los Angeles Zoo, the San Diego Wild Animal Park, the World Center for Birds of Prey in Idaho (Peregrine Fund) and the Portland Zoo, are now understood to be essential to maintain a large enough pool of release-able birds, with the releases and field monitoring primarily by permitted biologists with the Peregrine Fund in Arizona and by the Ventana Wilderness Society and USFWS Condor Recovery Program in California. In 2001, the first captive-reared birds nested in the wild, in both California and Arizona, though the eggs did not hatch. In 2002 three eggs were laid in California, and though the chicks hatched, all later died of various causes. Still, biologists remain optimistic about the prospect of successfully-breeding wild condors. A New Era of Condor Conservation Despite a major expansion in captive breeding and rearing, as well as continuing refinement of release and monitoring techniques and international cooperation (with Mexico), Audubon's involvement with condor conservation actually declined during the late 1980s and 90s, after the last birds were brought in. Some Audubon members who fought passionately for the condors' survival - and for captive breeding - began to direct their support to other conservation groups. Others may have lost interest in its plight, figuring the battle over when the last wild bird was captured in 1987, and viewing the remaining birds to be somehow "artificial". Still others may have assumed that the agencies and zoos had the situation under control, and that it was just a matter of time before condors were fully recovered. Indeed, most of the advocacy on behalf of the condor is done by the various non-Audubon conservation groups and facilities who are directly involved in its preservation. Interest in condor conservation has remained high at the chapter level. Morro Coast Audubon Society jointly launched (with the USFWS and the U.S. Forest Service) the Hi Mountain Condor Lookout in a renovated fire lookout tower. This site, which acts as a combination staffed visitor's center and research station, opened in 2002 in the hills east of Pismo Beach, between two major release sites at Big Sur and Santa Barbara County. Audubon, assisted by Kern Audubon Society (based in Bakersfield), fought a successful court battle (with Kern County) to halt a proposed "new city" at the northwestern base of the Tehachapi Mountains in the southern San Joaquin Valley. This would not only have affected condors, but many other threatened and endangered species as well. This site, now Wind Wolves Preserve, is being managed and restored by the Wildlands Conservancy. Audubon magazine recently brought the public's attention to the plight of the condor with a widely-read article in the December 2002 issue. "Project Gutpile", by Jane Braxton Little, described the continuing challenges to condor recovery, including the pervasive effects of lead bullet fragments left behind in deer and other animal carcasses by careless hunters and ranch-hands. Sadly, soon after the article appeared, one of the last condors born in the wild, AC-8, was shot and killed on Tejon Ranch, which again brought to light the ongoing need for public awareness of condors. With the goal of the Recovery Program to establish three populations of 150 individuals (with 15 breeding pairs each), the environment into which they are released must be made safe. During the next few years, Audubon will work with experts around California and the U.S. toward a strategy for this new era of condor recovery, where more and more birds are being released widely throughout the Southwest, and their foraging areas increasingly constricted by human settlement and activity. Public education and awareness is needed more than ever before, and Audubon will once again step up to the challenge. Special thanks to Jesse Grantham formerly with National Audubon Society and now with the US Fish & Wildlife Service in Ventura, California and Dr. Lloyd Kiff of The Peregrine Fund for providing useful comments on this essay. Subject: Invitation to anniversary event From: s_schub AT webtv.net Date: Sun, 4 Nov 2007 11:24:44 -0800 Hello all, The Hi Mountain Lookout Project will be represented at the Morro Coast Audubon Society 40th anniversary celebration, Friday, Nov. 9th, at the MCAS office in Morro Bay. Hi Mtn. staff, volunteers and supporters are invited to attend...see the publicity below. Hope to see you there. 40th Anniversary Celebration! MORRO COAST AUDUBON SOCIETY requests your presence as we celebrate 40 years of great conservation and education achievements! View program displays & and an all-member, mixed media art exhibit featuring birds and habitat. Refreshments free and open to the public Friday November 9, 2007 5 - 8 PM MCAS Office & Outreach Center  601 Embarcadero, upstairs in the Marina Square Building, Morro Bay   Subject: good angle on Condor story From: Marcelle <marcelle AT bags4you.com> Date: Thu, 18 Oct 2007 08:34:47 -0700 Gov. ignores gun lobby, and condors get a lift October 18, 2007 SACRAMENTO --- Eons ago, when my brother and I were teens hunting in the mountains behind Ojai, we'd marvel at the giant birds soaring far overhead. They were California condors. Or maybe they were turkey vultures. We really didn't know. But we'd always say they were condors because that made us feel good, like it was a special event. This was prime condor country, after all, in the Los Padres National Forest. The condor was a source of local pride, the largest bird in North America, with a wingspan of up to 9 feet. Never mind that the prehistoric critter, up close, was grossly ugly and survived on animal guts. "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder," notes biologist Jesse Grantham of Ojai, California condor coordinator for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. "You may think my wife is ugly, and I think she's beautiful. "Every species is worth saving. They're part of the big fabric that holds this ecosystem together. I don't think culturally we're ever going to be at the point where we say, 'This species goes, and this one we save.' All have value to humans." Just watching these guys soar for hours, hitting speeds of 55 mph and altitudes of 15,000 feet, provides plenty of human value. Not to mention helping to keep the land clean of smelly guts. Even back in the '50s, we realized that condors were vanishing. They were down to about 60 in number, by some calculations. After they had dwindled to 22 in the mid-'80s, public and private groups began a $40-million restoration effort, including captive breeding and chick releases into the wild. Today, there are 305 condors living in zoos or in the wild, according to Audubon California. Of these, 145 exist in the wild -- 70 of them in California, the rest around the Grand Canyon or in northern Baja. My brother and I didn't have a clue that the jack rabbit and ground squirrel carcasses we were leaving behind -- or the quail we'd merely wounded and had scooted away to perish in view only of carrion eaters -- were poison bait for the disappearing condors we so admired. Last weekend, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger took a huge step toward protecting the prehistoric birds from lead poisoning derived from hunters' bullets. The birds ingest the bullet fragments while gobbling gut piles cut from carcasses by hunters. Schwarzenegger signed a bill aimed at detoxifying the largest, most tempting meals -- the guts of big game, such as deer and wild boar. The bill, by Assemblyman Pedro Nava (D-Santa Barbara), will ban the use of lead center-fire ammunition -- bullets used in big game rifles -- throughout condor country, stretching roughly down the coastal range from Monterey to Santa Paula. The alternative metal presumably will be copper. The gun lobby ranted, but Schwarzenegger ignored it. The governor also snubbed the firearms lobby and signed another milestone gun bill. It will make California the first state to require all new semiautomatic handguns, starting in 2010, to come equipped with "microstamping" aimed at helping police trace the bad guys. When fired, the gun will stamp each shell casing with the make, model and serial number of the weapon. Then the gun can be traced back to the purchaser. Revolvers aren't affected because they don't eject shell casings. But 70% of new handguns sold in California are semiautomatics. The bill's author, Assemblyman Mike Feuer (D-Los Angeles), says there are no arrests in 45% of California homicides because the killers don't leave enough evidence behind. Schwarzenegger would have been hammered -- and justifiably -- if he had vetoed these two bills. He signed both and deserves kudos. The governor got a bum rap recently when he forced a member of the state Fish and Game Commission to resign. The commissioner, R. Judd Hanna, had been an outspoken advocate of banning lead bullets in condor habitat. Schwarzenegger was widely accused of pandering to the gun lobby. Wrong. He was pandering to Republican legislators, offering them an olive branch. It's GOP lawmakers who consistently pander to the gun lobby. When 34 of them sent Schwarzenegger a letter asking that he oust Hanna, he did the next day. Then Republicans didn't reciprocate, showed no gratitude and still blistered his healthcare proposal. Not one Republican voted in either legislative house for the condor or microstamping bills. And in the end, that had zilch influence on the estranged GOP governor. Schwarzenegger realized it's undeniable -- unless you live in denial, like the gun lobby -- that lead poisoning kills condors. There's "a robust chain of evidence" that warrants banning lead bullets in condor country, 44 scientists reported in July. For one thing, they said, "free-flying condors frequently have elevated levels of lead in their blood, and these levels peak during the fall deer-hunting season." For years, waterfowl hunters have been banned from using lead shot. Eagles were dying from nibbling on lead-saturated duck carcasses. The condor bill wouldn't have prevented my brother and me from using .22-caliber lead bullets to shoot jack rabbits, or lead shot to hunt quail. But that should be the next step. Condors feast on these smaller animals too. California Indians used to revere condors, considering them sacred and capable of providing communication with supernatural powers. Sacramento politicians should preserve these birds and tap into the mojo. george.skelton AT latimes.com -- Marcelle SteppingStones *EcoSac* Shopping Bags (800) 926-1017 www.bags4you.com e-mail: service AT bags4you.com [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: October Report From: Marcelle <marcelle AT bags4you.com> Date: Sun, 14 Oct 2007 10:10:06 -0700 It was another beautiful day at the Lookout on Saturday. Fall is my favorite time of the year on the Central Coast....Everything smelled fresh and the river was still passable....It was foggy when John & I arrived in the early AM .... pretty chilly for us "coastal" folks but when it cleared mid morning, you could see storm clouds moving up the Carrizo, the Pacific was steel blue...and it felt nice & warm out of the ever-present wind. I am so glad they invented "hooded sweatshirts"! Filled the bird feeders and had many "takers" (hummingbird feeders were empty, no surprise there) - On the way up we saw a spike buck, a coyote and a large covey of quail. I tracked mainly Pinnacles birds as usual, throughout the day but caught signals from several Ventana condors over in Pinnacles' direction...(7 total birds were out and about despite the weather!) Only one set of visitors this day....and on the way down, Pozo was having a loud "concert" So glad to come home to the good news about lead ammo billl being signed... -- Marcelle SteppingStones *EcoSac* Shopping Bags (800) 926-1017 www.bags4you.com e-mail: service AT bags4you.com [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: CONGRATULATIONS! From: Marcelle <marcelle AT bags4you.com> Date: Sun, 14 Oct 2007 08:09:16 -0700 Hope you are all proud of the letters, phone calls, e-mails that you likely sent that may have made the difference and persuaded the governor to sign "The bill" - My hope now is that it will be "enforceable" and will have a positive impact on "our" condors... -- Marcelle SteppingStones *EcoSac* Shopping Bags (800) 926-1017 www.bags4you.com e-mail: service AT bags4you.com [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: AB 821 legislation From: s_schub AT webtv.net Date: Sat, 13 Oct 2007 21:03:56 -0700 Audubon California applauds signing of legislation to protect California Condor (AB 821) Sacramento, CA - Audubon California today applauded Gov. Schwarzenegger's decision to sign AB 821, which will help the continued recovery of the California Condor by banning the use of lead ammunition from areas inhabited by the endangered species. "This is a great day for the California Condor and the State of California," said Glenn Olson, executive director of Audubon California. "I would like to commend Governor Schwarzenegger for signing the Ridley-Tree Condor Conservation Act and again putting our state at the forefront on wildlife protection." Condors frequently feed on animal carcasses left behind by hunters, and ingest dangerously high levels of lead from ammunition. Audubon California, which has long advocated on behalf of the endangered species, has been pushing for additional protections for the Condor both among hunters and actively at the legislative and policy levels. The new law, authored by Assemblyman Pedro Nava, will require the use of non-lead centerfire ammunition within the Department of Fish and Game's deer hunting zones within current and potential condor range in California. Lead-free ammunition is increasingly available and will have no effect on hunters' enjoyment of their sport. To the extent funding is available, big game hunters in these hunting zones will get coupons for non-lead ammunition at no or reduced charge. "This legislation is clear proof that creative solutions are available to our most vexing environmental issues, and that Californians need not choose between wildlife protection and recreational uses, such as hunting," added Olson. About Audubon California Audubon California is dedicated to protecting birds and other wildlife and the habitat that supports them. With more than 50,000 members in California and an affiliated 48 local Audubon chapters, Audubon California is a field program of Audubon. This relationship links Audubon California to a national network of community-based nature centers and chapters, scientific and educational programs, and advocacy on behalf of areas sustaining important bird populations, engaging millions of people of all ages and backgrounds in conservation. More information is available at www.ca.audubon.org.   Subject: Hi Mtn. Lookout open house birding field trip report From: s_schub AT webtv.net Date: Sat, 13 Oct 2007 09:54:27 -0700 Field trip report by Alan Schmierer, Field Trip Chair, Morro Coast Audubon Society Location: Hi Mountain Lookout to Huff's Hole Observation date: 10/6/07 Number of species: 26 Mountain Quail     2 Sharp-shinned Hawk     1 American Kestrel     1 Band-tailed Pigeon     3 Northern Pygmy-Owl     1 Acorn Woodpecker     3 Nuttall's Woodpecker     1 Northern Flicker     7 Western Scrub-Jay     7 Common Raven     2 Oak Titmouse     7 White-breasted Nuthatch     5 Ruby-crowned Kinglet     2 California Thrasher     3 Yellow-rumped Warbler     2 Spotted Towhee     10 California Towhee     3 Rufous-crowned Sparrow     2 Sage Sparrow     3 Fox Sparrow     50     Conservative number. Most not identified by race. Photo of one appears to be "Slate-colored". White-crowned Sparrow     8 Golden-crowned Sparrow     10 Dark-eyed Junco     12 Western Meadowlark     1 Lesser Goldfinch     2 Lawrence's Goldfinch     7 This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org/california/) Subject: from the Santa Barbara Independent From: Marcelle <marcelle AT bags4you.com> Date: Fri, 12 Oct 2007 08:29:33 -0700 *Condors Welcome:* By late next year, the *Santa Barbara Zoo * will become one of only three in the world to exhibit the endangered California Condor . The others are at the San Diego Wild Animal Park and in Mexico City. Ground was broken Thursday for the site, where young birds awaiting breeding elsewhere will have a home, and where older birds not able to survive in the wild can live. *Blessing the site was Adelina Alva-Padilla*, tribal elder and spiritual leader of the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians . She sang, burned sage from Figueroa Mountain and used a golden eagle wing to waft the smoke skyward, where eagles are to carry the message to the condors. * Condors*, on the brink of extinction only a few years ago, with perhaps 27 birds alive, *now number about 135, with another 145 in captivity awaiting release*. The $6 million "California Trails" exhibit area will also have spaces for the endangered Channel Island Foxes , desert tortoises, Bald Eagles , and endangered reptiles and amphibians of Los Padres National Forest . -- Marcelle SteppingStones *EcoSac* Shopping Bags (800) 926-1017 www.bags4you.com e-mail: service AT bags4you.com [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: Oct. 6th open house From: s_schub AT webtv.net Date: Sun, 7 Oct 2007 17:47:41 -0700 The 6th annual Hi Mountain Lookout Project open house event was attended by 55 people, coming and going throughout the day and into the evening. Thank-you to field trip leaders Alan Schmierer for birding, Dr. David Chipping for geology, and Dr. Dirk Walters for native plant outings, and to Estelle Sandhaus from the Santa Barbara Zoo for speaking in the evening about condor nest monitoring in Southern California. Paul Andreano was ill and sorely missed, so we will have to hear about his Mongolia experiences another time! Birding field trip highlights included 2 black-throated gray warblers foraging in a valley oak near the Salinas River crossing and a pygmy owl calling in Hi Valley. Fresh bear tracks were found on Hi Mountain road near the Salinas River. Marcelle Bakula was in charge of the annual raffle ticket sales and prize awarding. Our project benefitted with $165 raised from the raffle fundraising. Skies were cloudless, temperatures cool with a persistent wind from the NE throughout the day. We took shelter in the lookout upstairs in the evening after another spectacular sunset to partake of Jim Duff's now famous pineapple upside down cake for dessert. Throughout the event folks had a chance to visit and talk with friends and acquaintances, and catch up on happenings. Once again, thanks to all for putting on the event and attending. A good day was had by all. Steve Schubert Subject: Donations From: s_schub AT webtv.net Date: Sun, 7 Oct 2007 17:12:41 -0700 The Hi Mountain Lookout Project has received the following donations. Thank-you! Financial donations- Paul Andreano, San Luis Obispo--- www.condorlookout website domain and hosting fees Joel Weiss, San Luis Obispo--- weather station repair and refurbishing expenses Supplies, materials, and labor- Carole Chapman, Cupertino--- reference book "The California Condor, A Saga of Natural History and Conservation" by Noel and Helen Snyder Rosalie Valvo, Morro Bay--- typed Hi Mtn. project records from 1996 - 2007, a record of past planning meetings, lookout workday projects, and attendees Linda Kincaid and Richard Calhoun, San Jose--- 5 condor reference CD's, 11 8x10 condor photos, lead article Peter Dullea, Lompoc--- wild bird seed and thistle sock for lookout feeders Marcelle Bakula, Cambria and Joel Weiss, San Luis Obispo--- open house raffle donations Brian Hatfield, Cambria--- 1986 Condor Watch and Tequila Bust tee-shirt Donations can be made by writing a check to: 'MCAS Hi Mountain Project" and mailing to: Morro Coast Audubon Society Po Box 1507 Morro Bay, CA 93443-1507 Contributions are tax deductible under IRS Code 501(c)(3).   Subject: LA Times AD From: Marcelle <marcelle AT bags4you.com> Date: Thu, 04 Oct 2007 08:17:25 -0700 Yesterday's LA Times (10/3/) Section I, Pg A15, ran a full page ad "Condors are being LEAD to extinction (w/ a condor soaring in the clouds) sponsored by the Humane Society of the US encouraging readers to call, write or e-mail the governator to sign Nava's bill & protect the condors... Very eye-catching! -- Marcelle SteppingStones *EcoSac* Shopping Bags (800) 926-1017 www.bags4you.com e-mail: service AT bags4you.com [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: Turtles, Tortoises, Reptiles, Bats & CONDORS! From: Marcelle <marcelle AT bags4you.com> Date: Mon, 01 Oct 2007 00:28:41 -0700 Greetings all, Saturday, Sept. 29th, I took the* Hi Mountain Lookout/Condor Recovery Program *display board and information to the 16th Annual Turtle, Tortoise & Reptile Show at the SLO Vet's Hall... (maybe you saw the "report" in the Tribune Sunday) It was mainly a family 'event' with lots of children .... I spoke with many attendees about condors (their "excitement" over sightings in AZ, Big Sur, Ojai), the Lookout, the Recovery Program; a few "hunters" about lead vs. copper ammo; learned a little about my booth neighbor's Salcata Saharan tortoise ("Tank", 14 yrs old, 70 lbs!); and met some "new" old friends (like Cindy Stiles). I handed out about 150 Hi Mountain "cards" w/ our web-address, donation address and "invites" to the Open House to interested folks...Maybe we'll get a new volunteer for the Lookout! (I think I found one from the last "local" event at Family Day at Lopez Lake....) Hoping to see many of you up there this Saturday! (Bring your dollars as I'll be the one selling raffle tickets!) I won't be able to spend the night since I need to head up to the Audubon event in Monterey where I will put up the display board and speak with attendees about "OUR" special Lookout... Marcelle Volunteer -- Marcelle SteppingStones *EcoSac* Shopping Bags (800) 926-1017 www.bags4you.com e-mail: service AT bags4you.com [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: Hooray Condor "Centennia"! From: Marcelle <marcelle AT bags4you.com> Date: Fri, 28 Sep 2007 08:46:58 -0700 *Condor chick makes first flight* Centennia eases concerns of biologists By KEVIN HOWE Herald Staff Writer Article Last Updated: 09/28/2007 01:28:40 AM PDT Centennia has set another record. The first California condor chick successfully hatched in the wild in Monterey County in more than 100 years, Centennia took her first flight from her cave nest in Big Sur on Wednesday, said Joe Burnett, senior wildlife biologist with the Ventana Wildlife Society. It was another landmark this year in the Wildlife Society's condor recovery program, he said, accomplished by the same bird. "She's out on the wing. She is now an official wild-fledged bird. It's a pretty historic day." Burnett, who led the team that placed Centennia's egg in the nest so it could hatch and be raised by foster parents, said the flight was reported Wednesday night by fellow Ventana wildlife biologist Brett Stauffer. Stauffer watched the fledgling's flight with some trepidation, Burnett said. "We worry when they take their first flight. That's the time of highest risk of injury to a chick, but she did OK. She made kind of a controlled crash-landing in some brush. She's sitting at the base of the nest cliff. It's about as natural and normal as you could expect." Up to now, condors have been hatched and raised in captivity and released from a pen in the mountains of Big Sur, Burnett said. The fledglings had been prepared for release by human trainers. This time, he said, wildlife biologists will be able to watch and see how the young condor learns from her parents how to forage and survive in the wild. "Mom and dad are attending it at a new ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ location outside the nest," Burnett said. "With each flight, it gets more and more experience. In a week it should be getting around pretty well. There's a pretty fast learning curve once they get out there." Scientists will observe the nurturing pair and their foster chick's interactions and training, he said, to learn more about the condors' natural behavior. Centennia was hatched from an egg brought from the Los Angeles Zoo. The nesting pair had laid their own egg that was discovered Feb. 23, but it was taken from the nest because another nesting pair failed to hatch an egg last year, said Kelly Sorenson, Ventana Wildlife Society executive director. When their egg was taken to the zoo for incubation, it was replaced by a wooden surrogate egg, which in turn was switched for a different real egg a few days before it was due to hatch. Burnett said the egg taken from the nest to the zoo has hatched and that chick is being raised by its grandparents in captivity, and will be released from the Wildlife Society pen next spring. Another chick is being raised in a condor nest in a redwood tree in Big Sur, Burnett said. That bird is about a month younger than Centennia. The California condor hovered on the brink of extinction when its numbers dwindled to 22 birds in 1982. In 1987, the remaining seven wild condors were captured for captive breeding programs at the Los Angeles and San Diego zoos. The birds raised in captivity have gradually been released back into the wild in Arizona, Southern California, the Big Sur coast and Pinnacles National Monument. There are nearly 300 condors, including 28 at Big Sur and 13 at Pinnacles. Scientists have been able to follow the flight paths of condors through the radio transponders attached to them before they are released. Condors are a fully protected species under state law and the state and federal governments list it as an endangered species. Kevin Howe can be reached at 646-4416 or khowe AT montereyherald.com . -- Marcelle SteppingStones *EcoSac* Shopping Bags (800) 926-1017 www.bags4you.com e-mail: service AT bags4you.com [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: Oct, 6th open house schedule From: s_schub AT webtv.net Date: Tue, 25 Sep 2007 20:44:33 -0700 Hi Mountain Condor Lookout Project 6th Annual Open House/ Campout Saturday, October 6th, 2007 Schedule of Activities: Birding Field Trip 7:30am-11:30am Hi Mountain to Hi Valley, Santa Lucia Wilderness Area, Los Padres National Forest Meet at Hi Mountain Lookout. Habitats: chaparral, blue oak woodland, riparian woodland, rocky outcrops Strenuous hiking conditions and steep slopes in the Santa Lucia Mountains. Bring water and snacks. Some poison oak along the trail. Advanced registration requested: contact Steve at s_schub AT webtv.net or #805 528-6138 Leader: Alan Schmierer, Morro Coast Audubon Society field trip chairperson (for more details and information, contact field trip leader at aaschmierer AT yahoo.com)   Bird Watching Field Trip 9:00am - 11:30am Pozo Valley to Hi Mountain, 3,199 ft. elev. Meet at Pozo Ranger Station. Habitats: grassland, riparian woodland at Salinas River crossing, valley oak, blue oak and coast-live oak woodlands, chaparral Easy hiking conditions and car pooling. Advanced registration requested: contact Steve at s_schub AT webtv.net or #805 528-6138 Picnic lunch 11:30am - 12 noon -Hi Mountain Lookout Interpretive Center open - please sign guest register -Raffle tickets for sale Welcoming comments and introductions 12 noon -Morning birding field trip reports by trip leaders -Hi Mountain Lookout Project year in review and recognition of staff and volunteers Steve Schubert, Volunteer Coordinator, Morro Coast Audubon Society -Updates on the California Condor Recovery Program Condor staff -Raffle drawing for donated prizes- annual fundraiser Afternoon activities and field trips -Geographical landmarks- a 360 degree view from the Pacific coast to the Sierra Nevada Kevin Cooper, USFS Wildlife Biologist -Condor radio tracking demonstrations by condor staff and volunteers -New volunteers training session - practicing with radio telemetry, facilities use, and scheduling Meet with Hi Mountain Lookout staff -Native plant identification walk Leader: Dr. Dirk Walters, San Luis Obispo Chapter, California Native Plant Society -Geology overview and walk Leader: Dr. David Chipping, Geology Professor, Cal Poly, SLO -Animal vocalizations workshop Speaker: Kevin Cooper, USFS, Los Padres National Forest Wildlife Biologist -Late afternoon sit down chat with condor biologists and staff, reminiscing about experiences in 'Condor Country' Sunset watch and dinner A gas stove and oven in the lookout staffing facilities are available for cooking and heating food. Participants are encouraged to bring a potluck dish to share with their friends and guests. Note: no campfires are permitted for cooking or during the overnight campout. Evening guest speakers 7pm California Condor and Raptor Research powerpoint slide talks: Estelle Sandhaus, Conservation and Research Coordinator, Santa Barbara Zoo "Condor nest guarding and monitoring efforts in Southern California" Paul Andreano, Santa Cruz Predatory Predatory Bird Research Group and past Hi Mtn. Lookout Intern "Trapping and banding birds of prey and life among the nomads in Mongolia, Summer 2007" Astronomy -Telescopic observations of the evening skies Optional Hi Mountain Campout Camping sites are available for Friday and/or Saturday nights for staff and volunteers at 'Cypress Hill' near the lookout. Other vehicle camping sites are located on the ridgeline near the entrance gate - with a view overlooking the mountains and coast - and at the USFS Hi Mountain Campground, located one mile down the road from the lookout. There are picnic tables and outhouses at the campground- bring your own potable water. For additional information about the open house event and driving directions to Hi Mountain Lookout, see our website at www.condorlookout.org Please contact Steve Schubert at s_schub AT webtv.net or at # (805) 528-6138 to RSVP if you are planning to attend the open house event and the number of people in your group. Thank-you.                               Subject: News from the Lead front From: Paul <himountainpaul AT gmail.com> Date: Tue, 25 Sep 2007 08:30:31 -0700 Hi all Here's two recent articles you might be interested from the Condor/Lead front Wildlife commissioner blames NRA for his ouster, LA TIMES 25 Sept http://projectgutpile.blogspot.com/2007/09/wildlife-commissioner-blames-nra-for.html Simple solution to saving the condors: Get the lead out, SJMN 19 Sept (by Kelly Sorenson) http://projectgutpile.blogspot.com/2007/09/simple-solution-to-saving-condors-get.html -- Paul Andreano 1620 Morro Street, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 USA cell: 1.805.235.6227 fax: 1.805.782.9142 skype: himountainpaul [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: condor politics From: Marcelle <marcelle AT bags4you.com> Date: Thu, 20 Sep 2007 14:18:47 -0700 * o NewsFlas From the Santa Barbara Independent... Last Train to Dogville ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Thursday, September 20, 2007 By Nick Welsh *GUT PILE BLUES: * About two weeks ago, nearly 900,000 *Barbie dolls* were recalled by the manufacturer because *lead-based paint* had been used to achieve the dolls' perfectly uniform tan pigmentation. Lead, when sucked, renders the suckee permanently stupid. It's a known fact. And to own a Barbie is to suck a Barbie. That, too, is a known fact. Naturally, the Barbies in question were manufactured in China. Because of this, there was considerable suspicion that America's ultimate feminine icon had been enlisted in a subversive conspiracy to render us all imbeciles, thus paving the way for China's worldwide domination. Or something like that. In this case, such fears no doubt helped American decision makers to do the right thing. Had it been left to the people calling the shots up in Sacramento, however, I'm betting the children of America---and perhaps a few adults---would still be sucking Barbie's lead-lacquered toes. The case in point involves what by all outward appearances should have been another warm and fuzzy feel-good bill, in this case, introduced by our own Assemblymember *Pedro Nava*. Early this year, Nava introduced something called *AB 821*, which would require big-game hunters to use non-lead-based bullets when shooting deer and coyotes in California's sprawling condor country. It's kind of a *no-brainer*. *Condors*, which have been on the federal endangered species list since before the list was first assembled, eat only the carcasses of dead critters. They are nature's undertakers. But if such carcasses---or the piles of guts that many hunters leave behind after dressing and cleaning their kill---contain lead fragments, then the condors stand a good chance of getting a bad case of *lead poisoning*. At certain concentrations, the lead paralyzes the condors' digestive tract. Food goes in, but does not go out. When enough undigested matter gets bunched up in the condor's middle, the undertakers become the undertaken. It's not a pretty picture. Once upon a time, Santa Barbara's skies were practically lousy with condors flying overhead at altitudes of 12,000 feet and soaring at speeds reaching 65 miles per hour. Prehistoric creatures that shared the planet with saber-toothed tigers and wooly mammoths, condors boast the longest wingspan---nine-and-a-half feet---of any bird on the continent. They're just freaky-cool. But when it comes to mating and propagating the species, condors have proven a little too deliberate for their own good. It takes the male months to decide whether he wants to mate with a given female, but given that *condors mate for life*, that's understandable. In the wild, condor couples produce about one egg every two years. That's because being a condor ain't as easy as it seems, and it takes the parents about 18 months to instill all the necessary survival skills and social finesse in their young. Condor populations began plummeting about 100 years ago. As power lines went up, condors went down. As armed settlers moved in, condors moved out. By the mid '80s, there were only 22 left in North America. Since then, their numbers have increased, but only due to a captive breeding program coupled with practically 'round-the-clock care and attention. Since 1992, 137 condors have been released in California. Of those, only 72 are left. The number of chicks bred and hatched in the wild can still be counted on one hand. Many of the condors trying to make it lack the sort of parental preparation; as a result, they eat bottle tops and metal scraps, with lethal effects. For a while, they were fond of the antifreeze found in abandoned car radiators, also lethal. And then there are the lead fragments from bullets found in gut piles and animal carcasses. They are responsible for at least 12 condor deaths since 1997. This year was the third time Nava has tried to get such a lead-ammo ban passed. The first time, he got beaten up so badly he withdrew it almost immediately. The second time, it got killed in committee. But this year, Nava's got some serious juice. Not only is he buddies with Assembly Speaker *Fabian Núñez*, but he also chairs the committee that doles out millions and billions in road repair funds and transportation dollars. This time around, Nava's measure passed both the Assembly and the Senate with comfortable majorities. It now awaits the governor's signature to become law. My advice is that neither Pedro nor the condors hold their breath for very long. That's because *Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger* and at least *34 Sacramento Republicans* have caved into the Chicken Little hysterics of the gun lobby and the ammo industry. In other words, the *National Rifle Association* (NRA). Say what you want, the NRA remains very much an *800-pound gorilla*. Its lobbyists know how to reward friends and punish enemies, and when it comes to knowing what side you're on, they draw an exceedingly clear line in the sand. The NRA put AB 821 on the hit list early on, arguing the link between condor lead poisoning and ammo had never been scientifically established, that non-lead ammo was either nonexistent or too expensive, and that the whole thing was part of a backdoor plot to ban big-game hunting. When a recently appointed member of the *California Fish and Game Commission*---which exerts regulatory oversight of everything that swims, crawls, walks, or flies---came out strongly in favor of a lead-ammo ban, the NRA swooped in for the kill. That the commissioner in question, *Judd Hanna*, happens to be a certified red-blooded Republican, a rice farmer, and a former Vietnam War test pilot who rides a Harley made no difference. Hanna amassed about 200 pages of research showing that an incontrovertible link between the lead poisoning in condors and lead-based ammo had been scientifically established. He shared his findings with his fellow commissioners, along with some passionately pointed remarks he'd written in the margins. NRA lobbyists seized upon Hanna's editorial comments to argue he was too biased to render a fair and impartial decision. They persuaded 34 Republicans to write a letter to Schwarzenegger demanding he be removed. The governor obliged and Hanna was terminated before he completed the first year of his six-year term. Nava commented, "They just took him out and shot him. I hope they used a non-lead bullet." Fish and Game Commission President *Richard Rogers*, who also happens to be a Carpinteria resident, said variously that he "shocked and appalled," "incensed," and "saddened" by what happened to Hanna. It should be noted that neither Hanna, nor Rogers, nor any members of the Fish and Game Commission support Nava's bill. They oppose it partly on jurisdictional grounds, contending that they, not the legislature, should have the first and last word when it comes to regulating what kind of ammo gets used. They also contend the bill is technically flawed. All non-lead ammo, they say, contains trace elements of lead; Nava's bill, they claim, doesn't allow even that much. Rogers said the commission will do a better job than Nava this November when it passes a lead-ammo ban of its own. Naturally, Nava disputes all this. He said the commission has dragged its feet for three years while his legislative efforts were getting jammed by the NRA. Whatever problems that may be sufficiently minor in his bill, he said, can be fixed easily. And he argued the high-profile political assassination of Hanna puts any member of the commission on clear notice that if they cross the NRA, their days are numbered. In taking out Hanna, the NRA proved it still carries a big bat. But it also shot itself in both feet. Had it gotten Arnold to quietly kill AB 821---citing the commission's own opposition to the bill---no one but a few *Audubon Society* members and Nava would have raised a stink. But now, the story's become front-page news. Even the *Humane Society* has jumped into the fray. Maybe as Kabuki theater it works, allowing Arnold to appear to kiss and make up with the Bloody Meat Camp of the Republican Party---with which he's been at such odds---knowing that in two months, the commission will pass a lead-ammo ban anyway. In the meantime, never forget: Guns don't kill people, Barbie dolls do. -- Marcelle SteppingStones *EcoSac* Shopping Bags (800) 926-1017 www.bags4you.com e-mail: service AT bags4you.com [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: Hi Mountain Lookout Display From: Marcelle <marcelle AT bags4you.com> Date: Sun, 16 Sep 2007 21:45:11 -0700 Today was Friends of Lopez Lake "Family Day" (11-4 at the Lake) and I took the Hi Mountain Lookout Display Board along w/ educational materials and some Lookout Open House "Invites" It was a nice day under the oaks & we got to see friends like "hooter" (PWC) & Too SLO turtle/tortoise Club as well as Smokey the Bear & CDF, horses, African gray/Amazon (a talker!) and other activities. We've been invited to set up the Hi Mtn display at the 16th Annual Turtle, Tortoise & Reptile Show on Sat. Sept. 29th... Let Steve know if you are available (10 AM - 4 PM, could be done in two shifts 10-1 & 1-4) as I have a prior commitment to the County of SLO for Creek Day that day... Hope to see ALL of you at the Lookout's Open House! -- Marcelle SteppingStones *EcoSac* Shopping Bags (800) 926-1017 www.bags4you.com e-mail: service AT bags4you.com [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: slide talk From: s_schub AT webtv.net Date: Sat, 15 Sep 2007 11:30:22 -0700 Hello all, On Sept.14th I gave a slide talk about the condor recovery program and the Hi Mountain Lookout Project. Attending were a group of about 20 senior citizens living at the Village at the Palms and Oaks, an assisted living community, located on Broad St. in SLO. There was considerable interest and questions - besides appreciating the talk about condors - regarding the turkey vultures often seen gliding over the apartment complex and roosting overnight nearby in trees, noticed by many of the elderly residents living there. Steve Schubert Subject: Some Interesting Articles regarding current situation ... From: "cc95015" <birdingcarole AT comcast.net> Date: Fri, 14 Sep 2007 23:57:59 -0000 Hi all: Here are some interesting links that I got from another list. I thought you might be interested in reading the articles, I apologize if any of the links are broken ... Carole Chapman Cupertino, California ***** Sacramento Bee 9-12-07 Lead-ammo debate escalates with call for ouster of Fish and Game Commission appointee http://www.sacbee.com/111/v-print/story/376294.html San Francisco Chronicle (Associated Press story) 9-13-07 Commissioner resigns over condor dispute http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi? f=/n/a/2007/09/13/state/n190610D69.DTL&type=politics L. A. Times 9-14-07 Fish and Game official, criticized for stance on bullets, resigns http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-me- resign14sep14,1,1540976.story?coll=la-headlines-nation Sacramento Bee 9-14-07 Another shot in ammo battle http://www.sacbee.com/111/story/378564.html Ventura County Star Advocate of lead ban resigns from panel http://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2007/sep/14/advocate-of-lead- ban-resigns-from-panel/ Sierra Club Blog 9-13-07 Governor Schwarzenegger Sacks His Own Fish and Game Commission Appointee http://sierraclubca.blogspot.com/2007/09/governor-schwarzenegger-dont- be-bullied.html ***** Subject: Call the GOV re condors From: Marcelle <marcelle AT bags4you.com> Date: Wed, 12 Sep 2007 22:00:18 -0700 If you don't want to *write* to urge him to sign AB 821 (Nava's bill to require non-lead ammo in Condor ranges) YOU CAN CALL! Jan Hamber said when she called, they didn't even take her name, so call multiple times! and urge him to SIGN IT! Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger State Capitol Building Sacramento, CA 95814 * Phone: 916-445-2841 * Fax: 916-445-4633 -- Marcelle SteppingStones *EcoSac* Shopping Bags (800) 926-1017 www.bags4you.com e-mail: service AT bags4you.com [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: Urgent for Condors From: Marcelle <marcelle AT bags4you.com> Date: Wed, 12 Sep 2007 09:25:29 -0700 The governor has AB821 on his desk (/important legislation that could save the California condor from further harm) /& is thinking about vetoing it... *Governor Schwarzenegger Can Make Condors Lead-Free! * Lead poisoning is the greatest single threat to the extremely endangered California condor's recovery. Fortunately, there's legislation on the Governor's desk right now that would eliminate it. *Take action now to save our condors and secure their future in our state. These beleaguered birds can't afford to play the waiting game. * /*GO TO: Defenders of Wildlife OR select & paste this action site ...* https://secure2.convio.net/dow/site/Advocacy?pagename=homepage&page=UserAction&id=832&autologin=true&s_einterest=C3C4&s_Affiliate=act_&JServSessionIdr007=17jvp4s1q1.app20a // / /// / -- Marcelle SteppingStones *EcoSac* Shopping Bags (800) 926-1017 www.bags4you.com e-mail: service AT bags4you.com [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: California Senat Passes Historic Bill Requiring Non-Lead Ammunition for Big Game Hunting in Condor Habitat From: birdingcarole AT comcast.net Date: Fri, 07 Sep 2007 14:52:22 +0000 This one came through to me via another list, I have just copied and pasted the article -- sorry, don't know the source (my librarian's bones are aching at the thought of no citation!!) As such, I can't vouch for its accuracy or slant ... Carole Chapman Cupertino, California ****************************************************************************************** California Senate Passes Historic Bill Requiring Non-Lead Ammunition for Big Game Hunting in Condor Habitat SACRAMENTO, CA– The California Senate yesterday approved a historic and significant protection measure for endangered California condors, passing Assembly Bill 821 (Nava, D-Santa Barbara), the Ridley-Tree Condor Preservation Act, by a vote of 23-15. The legislation will require hunters to use non-lead ammunition for hunting big game and coyotes within the California condor range in central and southern California, beginning July 1, 2008. The bill passed the Assembly on May 14 by a vote of 42-32, and will now go back to the Assembly for concurrence in amendments. “The Condor Preservation Act will significantly reduce lead poisoning of condors in California and is an important first step in getting lead out of the food chain,” said Jeff Miller with the Center for Biological Diversity. "Lead is an extremely toxic substance that we have sensibly removed from most of our environment, including water pipes, gasoline, paint, and cooking utensils. It only makes sense to protect our most imperiled wildlife from harmful lead exposure and also reduce the human health risk." The Nava bill was introduced after a coalition of health and conservation organizations, hunters and American Indians launched a “Get the Lead Out” campaign to eliminate lead bullets from condor habitat. In 2004 the Center for Biological Diversity and other coalition partners petitioned the California Fish and Game Commission to end the use of lead ammunition for hunting statewide, and in 2006 filed a lawsuit against the state for continuing to allow hunting with toxic lead ammunition that harms condors. The Fish and Game Commission is currently consi