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NWF Natural Resources Bulletin

(National Wildlife Federation)

Natural Resources Bulletin

March 17, 2009

IN THIS ISSUE:

1. Obama continues push for scientific integrity in Washington

2. California braces for rising seas

3. Salazar upholds controversial wolf decision

4. Celebrate National Wildlife Week

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1. Obama restores science to the ESA

President Obama overturned a "midnight regulation" ordered by former President Bush that would have stripped the Endangered Species Act of much of its weight.  Under Bush's last-minute change, federal agencies were no longer required to have independent consultations on projects' ecological impacts, a scenario that staggered many conservationists.  Obama's announcement last week was met with applause from the environmental and scientific communities: according to John Kostyack, Executive Director of Wildlife Conservation and Global Warming at the National Wildlife Federation, "With just one stroke of the pen, President Obama has done more today to uphold the scientific integrity of the Endangered Species Act than President Bush did during his entire eight years in office." 

For more, visit:

http://www.nwf.org/news/story.cfm?pageId=CDD059B8-5056-A84B-C360955956CDD7DA

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/03/03/endangered.species.act/

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2. CA releases report on sea-level rise and adaptation

California state officials have released their first report on adaptation strategies for communities at risk from escalated sea levels triggered by global warming.  The governor's Climate Action Team anticipates the Pacific Ocean rising up to 55 inches in the next century, a huge climb over the 8 inches gained over the past 100 years.  Based on the results of advanced climate models, the authors found that likely inundation, erosion, and storm surge jeopardize billions of dollars worth of homes and infrastructure and threaten hundreds of thousands of Californians.  Michael Woo, a Los Angeles planning commissioner, warned that these conditions "could be California's version of Hurricane Katrina."

The state is already a leader in environmental awareness, but immediate and dramatic policy shifts will be necessary to prevent the worst effects.  Among the panel's recommended steps: limiting development in high-risk areas, updating property insurance incentives to reflect climate change, and requiring coastal infrastructure to be adaptable to the shifting conditions.  "We can't pretend that the future will behave like the past," said Matt Vander Sluis of the Planning and Conservation League. "The ostrich has to take its head out of the sand or, in this case, it's going to be underwater."

East Coasters should take note: a new study published in the journal Nature Geoscience predicts that sea levels in the Northeast will be 8 inches above worldwide averages by 2100.  This is possible because of differences in ocean currents and other factors.   In order to protect human and natural communities from the harmful effects of global warming, we need to protect the ecosystems which buffer and modulate these effects.  This means greater investment in our natural resources to go along with a strong cap-and-trade mechanism for greenhouse gas reductions.

For more, visit:

http://www.latimes.com/news/science/environment/la-me-global-warming-searise12-2009mar12,0,2405277.story

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29718962/

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3. Salazar upholds Gray Wolf delisting

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar has announced he will finalize Bush administration rules removing Great Lakes and Northern Rockies gray wolves from the list of threatened and endangered species.  The Obama administration has sought to establish its environmental credentials early, but the de-listing has concerned some conservation groups.  Gray wolf populations have rebounded in the Great Lakes region and are poised to do so in Montana and Idaho, but Wyoming law denies essential protections to the species.  In a statement last week, the National Wildlife Federation urged Secretary Salazar to convene a stakeholder process involving all three states, the livestock industry, conservationists, and other interested parties to see whether a better solution can be found. 

For more, visit: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/06/AR2009030603133.html

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4. Celebrate National Wildlife Week - March 16-20, 2009

Since 1938, National Wildlife Week has been essential to wildlife conservation, bringing awareness about the issue to people of all ages.  It is a time to honor wildlife and ignite the minds of children and adults.  Research shows that families connected to nature raise healthier kids and inspire a life-long appreciation of the environment.  Find out more at www.nwf.org/nationalwildlifeweek