Have You Been To Alaska?
From Kenn Kaufman:
"This past weekend, a delegation from the US Congress made a brief trip to Alaska, including the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The team was led by Ohio's Rep. John Boehner and includes ten other members of the US House of Representatives from a total of nine states.
Birders who hear about this trip are likely to respond with envy when we think about all the amazing species that the lawmakers will see, the abundance of nesting sandpipers, plovers, phalaropes, jaegers, Arctic Terns, Snowy Owls, Long-tailed Ducks, Steller's Eiders, Spectacled Eiders, and so many other beautiful birds. We might quibble about the timing of the trip -- after all, many of the Arctic-breeding shorebirds have already started to migrate south, with Pectoral Sandpipers and others already appearing in my area of Ohio on their way to South America. But still, most of us would jump at the chance to go along. I've been to the North Slope about a dozen times as a leader of birding tours, and it was always an amazing experience.
Unfortunately, the congresspersons may not get the full benefit of the birding experience, because they seem to be going with a negative mindset. In a July 15 press conference, Rep. Boehner said, "We're going to look at this barren, Arctic desert where I'm hoping to see some wildlife. But I understand there's none there. But I'm still going to look for it. If I find any, I'll let you know." Another member of the group, Ohio Rep. Bob Latta, was quoted by the Toledo Blade as saying that he believes the refuge is not as "picturesque" as some may envision -- that it's "not what they see on the news. We're talking about tundra." Of course, picturesque or not, coastal tundra is among the richest wildlife habitats imaginable during the brief Arctic summer. But at least some members of the congressional delegation seem to be going with the intention of proving that the wildlife refuge is not worth protecting."
After seeing Kenn's email, I got a note that Minnesota's own Michelle Bachmann was part of this trip and her report shows that she must not have had a pair of binoculars with her or even had her eyes open because she said, "It was flat arctic tundra with absolutely no trees in view. And, caribou and wildlife were nowhere near the possible drilling sites."
Um, hello? There were absolutely no birds there? Really, Michell, you didn't see any? Not a single thing? Okay, so maybe the tour was timed to be after the shorebird breeding, but still, there should have been birds. A lot of companies book tours to Alaska...have they been wasting birders' time up there?
So, any blog readers been to this area of Alaska? Would you care to let Ms. Bachmann know about the wildlife you have seen (202-225-2331)? I don't see this as a republican vs democrat issue. I don't even see this as a do we drill there or do we not drill there issue. I see this as an issue of--Did you actually have your eyes open while you were there issue. Don't tell the country that there's no wildlife just because it's flat and there's no caribou. That's like calling the prairie boring. There's more to wildlife than what is big and obvious and easy to see.
It's almost tempting to start a campaign of birders mailing her a copy of Sibley with Alaska birds highlighted.
Here's a list of all who went in case you want to check on your state's rep and their report.
John Boehner (R-OH)
Michelle Bachmann (R-MN)
Gus Bilirakis (R-FL)
Mary Fallin (R-OK)
Dean Heller (R-NV)
Jim Jordan (R-OH)
Doug Lamborn (R-CO)
Robert Latta (R-OH)
Kevin McCarthy (R-CA)
Steve Scalise (R-LA)
Adrian Smith (R-NE)
UPDATE: Born Again Bird Watcher hit this before I did here and here.
UPDATE #2: Ken from Rosyfinch Ramblings would like the world to know that he and FOX talked about this first. Here is his message:
"Not to steal any credit from Born Again BW, the scoop belongs to Fox News, which seemed to have been the first to report the story (from a more friendly perch), on July 16, and my Blog ("FLASH: Wildlife Have Disappeared from ANWR") provided commentary and a link to the article that same day, as did my July 16 post on BIRDCHAT."
Ken
Not to be confused with Kenn.
"This past weekend, a delegation from the US Congress made a brief trip to Alaska, including the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The team was led by Ohio's Rep. John Boehner and includes ten other members of the US House of Representatives from a total of nine states.
Birders who hear about this trip are likely to respond with envy when we think about all the amazing species that the lawmakers will see, the abundance of nesting sandpipers, plovers, phalaropes, jaegers, Arctic Terns, Snowy Owls, Long-tailed Ducks, Steller's Eiders, Spectacled Eiders, and so many other beautiful birds. We might quibble about the timing of the trip -- after all, many of the Arctic-breeding shorebirds have already started to migrate south, with Pectoral Sandpipers and others already appearing in my area of Ohio on their way to South America. But still, most of us would jump at the chance to go along. I've been to the North Slope about a dozen times as a leader of birding tours, and it was always an amazing experience.
Unfortunately, the congresspersons may not get the full benefit of the birding experience, because they seem to be going with a negative mindset. In a July 15 press conference, Rep. Boehner said, "We're going to look at this barren, Arctic desert where I'm hoping to see some wildlife. But I understand there's none there. But I'm still going to look for it. If I find any, I'll let you know." Another member of the group, Ohio Rep. Bob Latta, was quoted by the Toledo Blade as saying that he believes the refuge is not as "picturesque" as some may envision -- that it's "not what they see on the news. We're talking about tundra." Of course, picturesque or not, coastal tundra is among the richest wildlife habitats imaginable during the brief Arctic summer. But at least some members of the congressional delegation seem to be going with the intention of proving that the wildlife refuge is not worth protecting."
After seeing Kenn's email, I got a note that Minnesota's own Michelle Bachmann was part of this trip and her report shows that she must not have had a pair of binoculars with her or even had her eyes open because she said, "It was flat arctic tundra with absolutely no trees in view. And, caribou and wildlife were nowhere near the possible drilling sites."
Um, hello? There were absolutely no birds there? Really, Michell, you didn't see any? Not a single thing? Okay, so maybe the tour was timed to be after the shorebird breeding, but still, there should have been birds. A lot of companies book tours to Alaska...have they been wasting birders' time up there?
So, any blog readers been to this area of Alaska? Would you care to let Ms. Bachmann know about the wildlife you have seen (202-225-2331)? I don't see this as a republican vs democrat issue. I don't even see this as a do we drill there or do we not drill there issue. I see this as an issue of--Did you actually have your eyes open while you were there issue. Don't tell the country that there's no wildlife just because it's flat and there's no caribou. That's like calling the prairie boring. There's more to wildlife than what is big and obvious and easy to see.
It's almost tempting to start a campaign of birders mailing her a copy of Sibley with Alaska birds highlighted.
Here's a list of all who went in case you want to check on your state's rep and their report.
John Boehner (R-OH)
Michelle Bachmann (R-MN)
Gus Bilirakis (R-FL)
Mary Fallin (R-OK)
Dean Heller (R-NV)
Jim Jordan (R-OH)
Doug Lamborn (R-CO)
Robert Latta (R-OH)
Kevin McCarthy (R-CA)
Steve Scalise (R-LA)
Adrian Smith (R-NE)
UPDATE: Born Again Bird Watcher hit this before I did here and here.
UPDATE #2: Ken from Rosyfinch Ramblings would like the world to know that he and FOX talked about this first. Here is his message:
"Not to steal any credit from Born Again BW, the scoop belongs to Fox News, which seemed to have been the first to report the story (from a more friendly perch), on July 16, and my Blog ("FLASH: Wildlife Have Disappeared from ANWR") provided commentary and a link to the article that same day, as did my July 16 post on BIRDCHAT."
Ken
Not to be confused with Kenn.
posted by birdchick at 11:09 PM
17 Comments:
Courtesy of Born Again Birder, it's no wonder she and her cronies didn't see any birds or animals. http://tinyurl.com/569wmx From the altitude their plane took over the area, you can barely see buildings, much less ducks or sandpipers. These people are ridiculous...
Sorry, that was Born Again Birdwatcher, not Birder.
They could have declared the rainforest, or New York city, free of life if they'd flown over them at the same altitude and speed.
Drilling in this abandoned moonscape known as "Central Park" won't disturb any life because there isn't any here . . .
Thanks for the heads up about BABW. I added the links.
But yes,that does explain why she didn't see anything.
Dork.
It's probably a good thing that Bachman's website doesn't allow emails from outside her district (although that doesn't mean I won't try to fake it out); I was going to send her a "how can you be so stupid" email. So for now, I've just settled for alerting my rep to the sheer idiocy of his colleagues.
Now I'm depressed.
I have been to Alaska (Unfortunately I never got north of Desperation Creek).
And the reports I have seen suggest that we are dealing with politicians with agenda where objectivity is nowhere (anywhere) to be seen.
But besides my memories (from three trips) of art and history (people past and present), wildlife, and scenery I have understanding that there is an Order to things and sometimes things have to be done that displease folks lower on the food chain.
I wish desperately that there had been a better answer than what happened at Hetch Hetchy, and I think the Owens Valley is an avoidable (and recoverable) disaster.
But after seeing what Aleska did to protect Alaska while claiming the resources we need (and for which we bought Alaska from the Russians) I think the early plans for ANWR sound reasonable.
I think they intended not to find on their visit, so they picked the type of transportation least likely to run into any. From the photographs, the area looked like good shorebird habitat.
I lived in Alaska for seven years, and was fortunate enough to be able to go to the Arctic Refuge twice and Kaktovik three times. I will certainly be writing to all of them, and will include photos I took during my trip. Here's one image I captured at 2am on the night of the summer solstice a few years back as a smallish chunk (only 30,000 individuals) of the Porcupine Caribou Herd migrated past my tent while I was camped on the coastal plain, PRECISELY where drilling is proposed:
Migrating Caribou
It took over eight hours for this herd to completely pass my tent, moving constantly the whole time. And this was only one of approximately eight or nine smaller herds that came through within the next three days.
I wonder if it's a requirement of congress that you have to have an IQ smaller than your shoe size to get elected.
"I wonder if it's a requirement of congress that you have to have an IQ smaller than your shoe size to get elected."
I don't know of such a requirement, but then I've never voted for any of those people.
The people I vote for rarely et elected, and then only because the courts occasionally do the right thing.
I too have received the email. The problem is, that those that are on the hill (be it Capitol, etc.) only see greed and money in their eyes. Solar and wind and other new technologies doesn't guarantee long term money - they can't have control over it like they can with oil.
Here is a song that sums it all up --
(be careful not to be consumed!)
Click here to see it
My mind hurts - time to go birding!
I grew up in Alaska. While I've never been to the Artic Refuge, I still think they must have been half asleep when they were there. It's impossible to miss all of the wildlife that is everywhere in Alaska.
Let me guess: These are all people who think Bush has a great idea in drilling up there. You may not see this as a Republican vs. Democrat thing, but it is political. I can see right through it. These people don't WANT to see wildlife, so they chose a method of transportation that would ensure they didn't see any. Now they can go back like the selfish, disgusting capitalist swine they are and praise the virtues of drilling there. They sicken me. They really do.
Well naturally birds aren't animals. *eyeroll* That must be why people ask me if I eat chicken when I tell them I'm a vegetarian.
Actually, if you read the FOX article, it's not from a "friendlier perch," by any means.
Wow. I figured they would keep their heads in the sand, but these idiots far surpassed my expectations.
sorry, i misread "friendly" to mean environment-friendly.
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