CDP: Wildlife Clips: October 24, 2022
How Biden Can Combat Environmental Racism and Conserve Land For Future Generations. According to Accountable US, “At the beginning of Biden’s term, the President issued an executive order, making a historic commitment to the American people, to conserve 30% of the country’s land and water by 2030. Key to achieving this bold conservation goal is utilizing the Antiquities Act to designate national monuments. Earlier this month, President Biden used this executive power to create his first national monument, Camp Hale-Continental Divide. As we celebrate a critical win, it’s important to remember this is one step toward a much larger goal. President Biden campaigned heavily on the environment because the public is continually concerned about the climate crisis; 8 out of 10 voters in western states claimed conservation plays a role in their decisions this midterm season. Conserving public lands preserves unique landscapes, supports local economies, and honors communities tied to the lands’ histories.” [Accountable US, 10/21/22 (=)]
Which Wetlands Receive Protection? Supreme Court Revisits The Question. “The U.S. Supreme Court opened its new session on Oct. 3 with a high-profile case that could fundamentally alter the federal government's ability to address water pollution. Sackett v. EPA turns on a question that courts and regulators have struggled to answer for several decades: Which wetlands and bodies of water can the federal government regulate under the 1972 Clean Water Act?” [My Journal Courier, 10/23/22 (=)]
Departments
Interior, NOAA Ink Right Whale And Offshore Wind Strategy. “NOAA Fisheries and the Interior Department released a draft strategy Friday to protect the endangered right whale amid an imminent boom of offshore wind development. The draft lays out a plan for both agencies to engage with the public and ocean users. It also spells out several primary goals for raising wind turbines while trying to recover the whale's population, such as prioritizing mitigation, new research and monitoring, and improving communication. “BOEM is deeply committed to ensuring responsible offshore wind energy development while protecting and promoting the recovery of the North Atlantic right whale,” said Amanda Lefton, director of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, a subagency of Interior.” [Politico, 10/21/22 (=)]
Tiny Tennessee Fish Protected, But FWS Has Yet To Say Where. According to Politico, “It was a crisp fall day when biologist Bernie Kuhajda drove to a nondescript trickle of water running through a Middle Tennessee cow pasture to try to keep a small, brightly colored fish from becoming extinct. The trickle — little more than a few big mud puddles — was one of the last bodies of water left with a population of Barrens topminnows, and it was drying up. So Kuhajda and his team donned waders and dragged a large sieve through the muddy pools, collecting 64 of the small, iridescent killifish to take back to the Tennessee Aquarium, where they maintain an "ark population" as a hedge against their possible disappearance in the wild.” [Politico, 10/21/22 (=)]
Whaling Meeting Ends With Mixed Results For Our Ocean Giants. According to Mirage News, “The 68th meeting of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) meeting has concluded in Slovenia, with some good progress and some backwards steps for the protection of the world’s whales. The Australian Marine Conservation Society (AMCS) has welcomed the IWC’s agreement of a critical resolution to tackle the threat of ocean plastic pollution and the failure of attempts by pro-whaling nations to undermine the global moratorium on whaling. The IWC’s precarious financial situation has also been addressed for now, but many other commitments were postponed for consideration over the next two years before the next meeting of the IWC in Peru in 2024.” [Mirage News, 10/24/22 (=)]
National Marine Sanctuary System Celebrates 50 Years Of Protecting Marine Ecosystems. According to KSBW, “To say our Monterey Bay is unique is really an understatement. Some have called it the “Serengeti of the sea.” Others refer to the bay as an “underwater crown jewel.” Whatever you want to call it, it is special. In fact, the bay’s cultural, ecological and biological significance, coupled with its historical value, allowed the federal government to declare Monterey Bay a National Marine Sanctuary in 1992. The Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary celebrated its 30th anniversary in September and the National Marine Sanctuary Act is celebrating its 50th anniversary on Sunday, October 23. “National Marine Sanctuaries are areas that are set aside in the ocean. They're special, protected places under the designation of the National Marine Sanctuaries Act,” said Amity Wood, the education and outreach coordinator with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.” [KSBW, 10/21/22 (=)]
Fish populations thrive near marine protected areas—and so do fishers. According to Popular Science, “Fifty years ago today, Congress passed the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), a law that set the global benchmark for conserving marine mammals. It was the first piece of legislation to call specifically for, “an ecosystem-level approach to wildlife protection.” According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), not a single marine mammal species has gone extinct in US waters since the law was passed in 1972, and the protections enacted have helped stop declines among many marine mammal species. The policy has even led to the recovery of many species including gray seals, California sea lions, and humpback whales. In the Pacific Ocean, fish and humans alike are seeing some of the same benefits from strong regulations. At 582,578 square miles, the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument in Hawaii is the world’s largest no-fishing zone and marine protected area (MPA). It was established in 2006 and expanded 10 years later with the goal of, “seamless integrated management to ensure ecological integrity and achieve strong, long-term protection and perpetuation of NWHI ecosystems, Native Hawaiian culture, and heritage resources for current and future generations.” And it appears to be working.” [Popular Science, 10/21/22 (=)]
Responses to this email are not monitored.
Please email any questions or comments to aaron@beehivedc.com