Audubon Advisory~ Priorities Included in Year-End Legislation~

AUDUBON ADVISORY JANUARY 2023

Audubon Priorities Included in Year-End Legislation Passed in the final days of 2022, the Fiscal Year 2023 appropriations bill includes big wins for climate and conservation, although it did not include other important legislation that would greatly benefit wildlife. Audubon is ready to continue pushing for greater investments and protections in priority legislation for birds, people, and the places we need. Read more

Bald Eagle.

Congress Passes Growing Climate Solutions Act Included in the appropriations bill, the Growing Climate Solutions Act—a multi-year, bipartisan effort to recognize the critical role that the agriculture and forestry sectors play in conservation and naturally storing carbon—will not only help to create a cleaner future for both people and wildlife, but will also preserve bird habitats, and help rural economies. Read more Sandhill Cranes.

Audubon-Backed Legislation Will Help Conserve Our Saline Lakes The recently passed Saline Lake Ecosystems in the Great Basin States Program Act will establish a scientific monitoring and assessment program to help protect the Great Salt Lake and other saline lakes in the West. This bill is the U.S. government’s first coordinated regional assessment of Great Basin saline lakes. Read more American White Pelican.

Water Resources Bill Modernized to Meet 21st Century Issues Also passed by Congress last month was the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2022 to help restore ecosystems like the Everglades, Great Lakes, and Mississippi River. This year’s WRDA included key provisions directing the Army Corps to incorporate climate change into project planning and design. Read more American Bittern.

NEWS FROM THE FLYWAYS

Colorado River: Amidst Snow and Rain, Conservation Mindset Still Needed Connecticut: $850,000 Secured to Create Coastal Resilience Hub in West Haven Dakotas: Audubon Dakota Awarded Grant Through ‘America the Beautiful Challenge’ Florida: Audubon’s Science Informs Everglades Restoration & Regional Water Policy Great Lakes: Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Passes in Appropriations Bill Minnesota: Budget Surplus Should Support Natural Solutions to Climate Change (published in The Minnesota Reformer) New York: New Law Establishes a 30x30 Conservation Goal for the State Pennsylvania: Revitalizing Green Spaces to Improve Delaware River Watershed Health Western Water: 2022 Highlights, Facing Drought Challenges Head On

IMPACT UPDATES

Climate Corner As the world contends with dual biodiversity and climate crises, a new assessment of land-based biodiversity in North America has identified areas considered to be climate refugia—those places that are likely to provide viable habitat for their current species—under several warming scenarios. The study looked not only at how refugia for birds were affected, but also refugia for amphibians, fungi, invertebrates, mammals, plants, and reptiles. The findings show that areas most critical for sustaining species lack current protections or conservation management. Read more Royal Tern. Your Actions at Work Huge victory! After decades of work, the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion has been approved. This project, the largest ecosystem  restoration project in U.S. history,  will address Louisiana’s land loss crisis by reconnecting the Mississippi River to its wetlands. The Mississippi River Delta provides habitat for more than 400 species of birds. More than 25,000 Audubon members submitted public comments in support of this critical restoration project, which marks a pivotal moment for the state’s fight against coastal erosion and will help offset decades of land loss. Read more Brown Pelican. #audubonpriorties#fineartmagazine#finartbirdfun