Saturday, January 13: Talking gun violence prevention

One way the Endangered Species Act has changed "life on the Mississippi" for communities like Dubuque is the re-emergence of the bald eagle, our national symbol.

According to The American Eagle Foundation, bald eagles once teetered on the brink of extinction, reaching an all-time low of 417 known nesting pairs in 1963 in the lower 48 states. Bald eagles were listed as endangered in 43 states from 1967 until 1995. They were listed as threatened in all lower 48 states from 1995 until 2007. As of 2020, 71,400 nesting pairs and 316,700 individual eagles were documented.

"For a long time, eagles were shot on a regular basis because they were a perceived threat to livestock and the salmon population. Bounties were given for eagle carcasses. By 1940, the decline of Bald Eagles compelled Congress to pass the Bald Eagle Protection Act, which outlawed the killing and disturbing of eagles, as well as the possession of eagle parts, including feathers, eggs, and nests.

"After the insecticide DDT was used extensively after the mid-1940s, Bald Eagle populations declined catastrophically. DDT caused the eggshells to become so thin that they would easily break. DDT was banned from use in the United States in 1972 and in Canada in 1973, making it possible for recovery programs to be successful."

Closer to home, groups like the Dubuque County Conservation Society and Dubuque Audubon Society work to protect habitats important to the survival of all species, not just birds and mammals, but also flowers and other plants, pollinators and other insects, as well as the microbiome on which they all depend. These habitats include waters, wetlands, woodlands, grasslands, savannas, prairies and other landscapes. The Driftless region of northeast Iowa, southeast Minnesota and southwest Wisconsin contains some each of these habitats. Some time later this year, observing the 50th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act, I will co-sponsor an event to raise funds for habitat conservation in Dubuque County. Look forward to a performance by the Driftless' own Big Blue Sky.

In the meantime, people interested in biodiversity and endangered species can go to the E.B. Lyons Center at the Mines of Spain, 6 p.m. on Thursday, February 8. The Audubon Society will be offering a public presentation by Katy Fullin of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources on the state's Wildlife Action Plan.

The role that cities can play

People don't often think of cities as being wildlife habitats. How can Iowa communities also protect threatened and protected species, including migratory birds?

To the left is a picture of a great egret in the urban habitat of the Colorado River, which has been protected by the City of Austin, Texas, where I visited in December.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is responsible for implementing and enforcing the Endangered Species Act and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. This fact in the news in 2023 when a developer mowed down a grassland inside the city limits while migratory birds such as bobolinks and grasshopper sparrows were nesting there. The Fish and Wildlife Service had no one nearby to investigate.

Later, residents discovered that grassland birds were also nesting at Technology Park, which is owned by the City of Dubuque, and the Audubon Society petitioned to have the park protected as a permanent grassland. The group even paid for an expert assessment of the site with recommendations for how the City can preserve it.

In connection with these developments, I sent a letter to the Dubuque City Council outlining some recommendations for them to consider as part of their state and federal legislative priorities. The letter stated, in part, that I will be proposing legislation to give more authority to cities and counties to safeguard migratory birds and other protected or endangered wildlife species.

The City of Dubuque Imagine 2037 comprehensive plan states, as part of its land conservation component, that "protecting natural areas…will not only lead to ecological benefits but offers potential for eco-tourism. Doing so in a manner that educates the public will help foster stewardship for future generations. In workshops, focus groups, and online comments, community members expressed a desire to conserve areas…to create serene places and viewpoints to watch migratory birds."

The document further states that the City’s environmental policy is to "ensure heightened development review when development occurs in green infrastructure protection areas, habitat cores, or other sensitive rural or natural areas."

In addition to state legislation, I have encouraged the appropriation of more federal funding for state and local initiatives. Attached is a letter to Congress from the National Caucus of Environmental Legislators. The letter urges adoption of the bipartisan Recovering America's Wildlife Act (RAWA). That Act would protect America's biodiversity through proactive conservation, keeping thousands of animals from being listed under the Endangered Species Act.

I was a signatory to this letter and requested that the City support the Recovering America's Wildlife Act as part of its federal legislative priorities.

The letter was sent on September 26, I have not seen it on a Council agenda nor am I aware that the recommendations have been discussed. Stay tuned for introduction of the legislation.

PS -- Another step the City can take: Support an amendment to the state Constitution establishing the right of people to a clean and healthy environment that supports all species, including human beings.

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