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Audubon's Agenda 2000 |
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Building a Foundation for Conservation in the New Millennium
1. Protecting America's Birds
In 1999, Audubon expanded our Important Bird Areas program into five new states — increasing the total number of states with IBA programs to twenty-five, held the second annual Great Backyard Bird Count, and engaged tens of thousands of citizen scientists in bird conservation projects through “BirdSource,” our internet partnership with the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology.Agenda 2000: Launch the National Eagle Center to continue protecting the Bald Eagle, undertake a campaign to prevent wind turbines from being constructed adjacent to the habitat of the last forty-nine remaining California Condors still in the wild, protect key “stopover” habitats along migratory bird flyways by expanding the network of high profile Important Bird Area initiatives, safeguard vulnerable “WatchList” species before they become critically endangered, and continue to enforce the laws that protect migratory birds.
2. Saving Wetlands
In 1999, Audubon mobilized thousands of wetlands advocates around the country to push for strong wetlands protection, continued to press the Army Corps of Engineers to close up loopholes in Nationwide Wetlands Permits, educated legislators on the extraordinary flood control and water purification value of America's remaining wetlands, and successfully defended current pro-wetland policies from attack by special interests.Agenda 2000: Advance Audubon’s National Wetlands Campaign, urge the Army Corps of Engineers to improve its Nationwide Wetlands Permits, fight proposed policy exceptions that would allow vital prairie pothole wetlands to be developed without cause or review, train citizens to undertake community-based restoration of wetlands, and proceed toward our goal of protecting and restoring one million acres of wetlands.
3. Preserving Wildlife Refuges
In 1999, Audubon launched a major effort to help the ten most endangered refuges in the National Wildlife Refuge System, saved Alaska’s Izembek Wildlife Refuge from a destructive logging road, and spearheaded a push for increased refuge funding, while our citizen-based Audubon Refuge Keepers (ARK) program brought the support of Audubon chapters to dozens of wildlife refuges.Agenda 2000: Improve conditions at our most endangered wildlife refuges, magnify the size and impact of our ARK and Earth Stewards citizen training and education programs nationwide, press for elevated status within the Department of the Interior for the National Wildlife Refuge System, and defend the magnificent Arctic National Wildlife Refuge from destructive oil drilling.
4. Restoring and Protecting the Everglades
In 1999, Audubon helped to galvanize widespread public approval and devise Congressional support of the historic $8 billion Everglades Recovery Plan — the largest and most comprehensive habitat restoration project ever proposed — in order to undo a half-century of critical damage to this crown jewel American ecosystem.Agenda 2000: Win Florida’s commitment to undertake its share of the state and federal recovery plan to fully restore the unique and magnificent Everglades, protect its vast spectrum of wildlife including the nearly-extinct Florida Panther, and stop the wasteful and destructive dumping of one trillion gallons of freshwater into the ocean every year.
5. Conserving Forests and Wildlands
In 1999, Audubon helped advocate for an important moratorium on the construction of logging roads through our national forests and helped focus unprecedented national attention on the destructive practices of “chip mills” — which are leveling and grinding up huge tracts of Southeastern forests into wood chips for paper products, glue-based furniture, and export overseas.Agenda 2000: Win a permanent ban on roads, logging, mining, and other destructive activities in our remaining unprotected wildlands, end the subsidization of logging roads, and mobilize forest activists toward policies that protect our irreplaceable ancient forests and promote improved forest management nationwide.
6. Educating the Public on Birds and Wildlife
In 1999, Audubon enrolled 440,000 school children in our new Audubon Adventures classroom hands-on curriculum, created three new editions of Audubon Adventures for state offices which were distributed to 50,000 students, and galvanized millions of American households in support of key conservation policies through the Internet and mass media.Agenda 2000: Widen the scope of Audubon Centers to be available as a resource for children in every community, expand the use of the Internet in educating the public and mobilizing conservation advocates, and recruit tens of thousands of bird enthusiasts in our millennium Great Backyard Bird Count.
7. Rescuing Endangered Wildlife
In 1999, Audubon continued to champion the Endangered Species Act, credited with fostering the remarkable recoveries of the Bald Eagle and the Peregrine Falcon, while garnering a record number of citizen contacts at our WatchList website designed to identify and track bird species in decline.Agenda 2000: Work toward passage of an Endangered Species Act that is strengthened with science-based recovery policies and incentives for landowner cooperation, encourage innovative and judicious approaches to wildlife conservation, and promote the health of the Peregrine Falcon, the Bald Eagle, the California Condor, the Florida Panther, and other endangered, threatened or recovering species.
We can do all this and more in the year 2000, and lay the foundation for a new era of conservation … with YOUR support.
As we stand together on the threshold of a new millennium, please help Audubon safeguard and preserve American birds, other wildlife, and habitat … by making a generous gift today!National Audubon Society
700 Broadway
New York, NY 10003
| contact: sgray@audubon.org |
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