Superb letter! On Sun, Jun 27, 2021 at 2:42 PM Jody Enck <jodye...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Hello birders, > > After receiving lots of input, ideas, and resources from many of you, I put > together the letter below and sent it to the President and one of the Vice > Presidents at Cornell (as noted in the letter). Thanks to all who have > expressed their concern and who provided important input to this very first > step in developing a solution. Special shout out of thanks to Nancy > Cusumano for her initial contact with the President, and to Suan Yong, Josh > Snodgrass, and Ken Rosenberg for comments on an earlier draft of the > letter. > > Martha E. Pollack > > President, Cornell University > > > 26 June 2021 > > > > Dear President Pollack, > > > > I am writing as Chair of the Conservation Action Committee of > the Cayuga Bird Club to communicate and amplify public dismay about recent, > poorly-timed mowing for forage hay crops on Cornell lands during the peak > nesting period for grassland bird species listed as being of special > conservation concern by the New York State Department of Environmental > Conservation and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. I have been contacted > by many local birders, including farmers and members of the Cornell > University community who are saddened and angry about the situation. > Recent research lead by Cornell scientists and published in the journal > *Science* (see Rosenberg, K. V., et al. 2019. Decline of the North > American avifauna. Science 365(6461)) found that nearly 3 billion birds > have been lost from the U.S. and Canada just since 1970. Populations of > grassland bird species like Bobolink, Eastern Meadowlark, Grasshopper > Sparrow, Savannah Sparrow, and others have declined the most, down 53% in > aggregate, accounting for more than 720 million grassland birds. Poorly > timed mowing of hay crops, especially throughout the Northeast, is a major > contributing factor in the decline in grassland bird populations. > > > > Rather than contributing to the problem, Cornell can help > remedy population declines of grassland bird species by developing a plan > for sustainable management of the substantial acreage of hayfields and > other non-woody habitats under the University’s control. The Cayuga Bird > Club stands ready to collaborate with Cornell in developing a plan. We > already have accumulated relevant documents about research and practices > aimed at timing of mowing and other management actions that would be of > great use in developing a Cornell sustainable grassland management plan. > For example, mowing earlier in the season before establishment of nests and > when growing hay is of high forage quality can have nearly as much > conservation benefit as delaying mowing to a time when quality of the hay > forage is lower. We also have established contacts with federal and state > natural resource agencies who are knowledgeable of possible financial > reimbursement opportunities for which the University may qualify. > > > > Cornell University has an opportunity to be a leader among all > Land Grant Universities by developing a model grassland management plan > that could be adopted by other institutions throughout the Northeast and > beyond. Such a management plan also could be consistent with Cornell’s > sustainability initiatives. While the current initiatives are laudable, > the focus on renewable energy, transportation and built environments, and > even economic sustainability miss an important need. All of these actions > are *means* to achieving the *fundamental end* of a full and functioning > ecosystem of which we humans are a part and are on which we are dependent > for our survival. > > > > The modern concept of “sustainability” emerged fairly recently > in the famous 1987 Brundtland report, “Our Common Future”, prepared for the > U.N. In that report, sustainability was described in terms of conserving > the ecosystems and natural capital which are necessary for the basic needs > and well-being of humans. The fundamental end of sustaining ecosystems and > natural capital is noticeably missing from the *Sustainable Cornell *website. > Indeed, it was unclear what individual from *Sustainable Cornell* would > be the most important recipient of this letter. I am copying Vice > President, Rick Burgess, on this letter because he responded to Nancy > Cusumano when she expressed her concern about mowing. Also, I think it is > somewhat ironic that one of four Cornell Chronicle articles headlined on > the website of the Office of the President at Cornell, under the heading > “Academic Distinction”, is this headline about the *Science* article I > referenced earlier: “Nearly 30% of birds in the U.S. and Canada have > vanished since 1970.” Knowledge about the plight of birds exists at > Cornell, but does the administration have the willingness and commitment to > actively address that plight? > > > > Finally, it is worth noting that the Cayuga Bird Club has a > long history of collaborating and engaging with other institutions and > groups, most recently including the Cornell Botanic Gardens. We are > actively working with the Botanic Gardens, the City of Ithaca, and several > other partners to restore native plants to the regionally-rare, seasonally > flooded forests at the south end of Cayuga Lake. This work demonstrates how > much we value engagement and collaboration, just as Cornell University > does. We would like to help Cornell become a regional or national leader > in sustainable management of grassland habitats on university properties. > Members of the Cayuga Bird Club look forward to meeting with the most > appropriate group of administrators to discuss this pressing need. > > > > Sincerely, > > > > Jody Enck > > Chair, Conservation > Action Committee > > Cayuga Bird Club > > -- > *Cayugabirds-L List Info:* > Welcome and Basics <http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME> > Rules and Information <http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES> > Subscribe, Configuration and Leave > <http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm> > *Archives:* > The Mail Archive > <http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html> > Surfbirds <http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds> > BirdingOnThe.Net <http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html> > *Please submit your observations to eBird > <http://ebird.org/content/ebird/>!* > -- > -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
