December 19, 2022
PENNSYLVANIA AUDUBON COUNCIL MEETING
7:00 PM, TUESDAY, JANUARY 3, 2023
A Review of Our Draft Pennsylvania Audubon Council
Education and Outreach Statements of Our Priority Conservation Issues
 
As we look ahead to the New Year, January 2023 marks the start of the two-year legislative sessions in both Congress in Washington, D.C. and the General Assembly in Harrisburg. The 118th Congress will convene on January 3rd. The General Assembly will also begin on January 3rd. The Pennsylvania Audubon Council has worked through 2022 to with the Conservation Issues of Highest Priority as identified by our Chapter network. The goal of the Pennsylvania Audubon Council Executive Committee is to develop these “Education and Outreach Statements” for each priority conservation issue. These priorities have resulted in the drafting of multiple “Education and Outreach Statements” for many of the high priority conservation issues identified by our chapters. These will be presented for the initial review of participants at the next meeting of the Council scheduled for 7:00 PM on Tuesday, January 3, 2023. The program will provide broad opportunity for participants to provide comment and input. The Education and Outreach Statements will be revised based on the input received at the January Council Meeting with the revised statements then circulated to chapters for full consideration and as a guideline for our work on these conservation issues over the next two years.
 
The presentation at the January 3rd Council Meeting will include a quick recap of the process we used last year to identify our Conservation Issues of the Highest Priority. The general structure and format of the Education and Outreach Statements will follow. There will then be an introduction to the series of draft Education and Outreach Statements that have been developed for many of our priority issues. Among these are Education and Outreach Statements that address mitigation of bird collisions with glass, “Lights Out” initiatives, native plants for birds, the siting of utility-scale solar, environmental education, single use plastics, and other issues. There will be time provided for initial reaction, questions and discussion. Provisions will be made for distribution of the draft statements to each chapter to invite additional suggestions.
 
The intent of this work is to provide a guide for opportunities for our chapters, the Council, and our conservation partners to become engaged in these issues at the individual, municipal, and state and Federal levels. The goal of our education and outreach is to make positive changes for the conservation of birds and the places they need!
 
We invite chapter leaders to register and welcome any members of your respective chapter board and committee members to participate as well!

Please share the link below with each of your chapter Board members and committee chairs as you and they are invited to participate in this important Council Meeting. 
SUMMARY OF PENNSYLVANIA AUDUBON COUNCIL
DECEMBER 6, 2022 WEBINAR!
“Guidelines for Municipalities: Developing Bird-Friendly and Environmentally Responsible Utility-Scale Solar”
 
The Pennsylvania Audubon Council Renewable Energy Committee presented its webinar, via a ZOOM, on the evening of December 6, 2022. The webinar featured a PowerPoint presented by the members of the Renewable Energy Committee: Tom Kuehl, Allegheny Plateau Audubon Society; Laura Jackson, Juniata Valley Audubon Society; Susan Murawski, Presque Isle Audubon Society; and Judy Stepenaskie, Wyncote Audubon Society. These members of the Renewable Energy Committee have been at work for over two years, focusing on the guidelines for responsibly sited solar and wind projects. 
 
This webinar was targeted to chapter leaders to solicit their review and comment on the Committee’s draft white paper: “Guidelines for Municipalities: Developing Bird Friendly and Environmentally Responsible Utility Scale Solar.” The webinar enjoyed good participation, discussion and feedback that has been used to improve the document. Comments during the webinar made note that the more rural areas of the Commonwealth will likely receive more applications for the construction of utility scale solar projects. Many Pennsylvania Counties including Adams, Bedford, Lebanon, Lancaster, Lycoming and York Counties were among those raised as areas for proposed projects. Also mentioned was the fact that urban municipalities, like Philadelphia, may work to have projects sited in more rural parts of the state. This topic is very timely, as there will be important initiatives and funding to support the development of solar installations across the Commonwealth and the nation. There will be a critical need for fossil free energy production that is responsibly sited and operated! Our Pennsylvania Audubon Chapters network will be important in monitoring proposed projects because Pennsylvania is a “Home Rule” Commonwealth.
 
We encourage any interested chapter leader to access the Zoom recording of the webinar and we welcome any questions, additional suggestions, and comment. The next step for the Pennsylvania Audubon Council Renewable Energy Committee is to share the white paper with our conservation partners in the Commonwealth and to offer our webinar to a wider audience. The link to the recording of the webinar can be found on the Pennsylvania Audubon Council website as well as the revised and updated white paper.

The Pennsylvania Audubon Council Renewable Energy Committee aims to provide information to Pennsylvania Audubon Chapters and others on: a) proper siting criteria for renewable energy projects to ensure that critical bird areas, migration routes and important wildlife habitats are protected, and b) methods to minimize and mitigate the impact of renewable energy projects on birds and other wildlife. The white paper: “Guidelines for Municipalities: Developing Bird Friendly and Environmentally Responsible Utility Scale Solar,” represents the position of the Pennsylvania Audubon Council Renewable Energy committee which is solely responsible for its content! The white paper can be found and accessed on the website of the Pennsylvania Audubon Council Website: paauduboncouncil.org.
PLEASE SHARE YOUR CHAPTER ANNUAL REPORTS
AND UPDATED CHAPTER LEADERS LISTS!
 
The Pennsylvania Audubon Council requests a copy of your chapter’s Annual Report. Most chapters are currently working on these reports for the National Audubon Society, as they are due by January 31, 2023. The Executive Committee of the Council would like to use the copies of these reports that you share with us to produce a profile of the collective work our Pennsylvania Audubon Chapters. Each of our chapters has a conservation impact, especially at the local and regional levels. Our investment of time, talent, and financial support for the protection of birds needs to be shared to demonstrate the importance and value of our collective efforts.
 
These reports also include your most recent and updated contacts of chapter leaders that we would like to add to our DRUMMER recipient list. PLEASE SEND A COPY OF THE LIST OF CHAPTER LEADERS YOU FILE WITH YOUR REPORT. Many chapters have their elections for officers and directors on a calendar year schedule. Please share your updated list. We welcome requests for any names and contacts from your chapter to be added to the mailing list. Send any requests to paauduboncouncil@gmail.com
 
Special thanks to those chapters that have already shared their Annual Reports and/or their updated leaders lists!