VOLUME 32, NUMBER 7 APRIL 2001

WARIOTO AT A GLANCE
REGULAR MEETING: Thursday, April 5, 7:30 p.m., room 102, McCord Building, APSU.
PROGRAM: "The Nisqually Wildlife Refuge, Olympia, WA" by Laurina Lyle, Department of Biology, APSU.

HOSPITALITY: Post-meeting refreshments will be provided.

BOARD MEETING: Thursday, April 5, 7:00 p.m., room 214, McCord Science Bldg., APSU.

FIELD TRIP: No field trip scheduled this month. Trees to Trail mulching at Dunbar Cave on April 28, 8:00 to 2:00ish.

What do the New Zealand Moa, Spanish Bucardo, and Australian Tasmania Tiger all have in common? For two things: They are all extinct and they have all been suggested as candidate species for cloning. Does it make sense to clone an extinct animal? Is this a good way to regain some of the biodiversity that has been lost due to human activities?

I have suggested that cloning an endangered animal is probably worthwhile if it propagates a genetically valuable animal. For instance, a zoo may hold an aging female African elephant that can no longer reproduce naturally and who is unrelated to any captive male African elephants. This female is genetically valuable. Rather than lose her genetics from the African elephant gene pool, perhaps she could be cloned and her clone could be mated. Usually for extinct animals high quality DNA necessary for the cloning procedure is available only from one individual that happened to have been preserved in a way that maintained the integrity of its DNA. If such an extinct individual was successfully cloned, there still would not be a mate of the same species for natural reproduction to follow. If there are no other individuals of a species alive, cloning one individual does not even approach recovery of a species. Even if a tiny herd or flock of clones were produced from one extinct individual’s DNA samples, they would all be of the same sex; again, no natural reproduction could occur. So, maybe it doesn’t make any sense to clone extinct animals as a way of maintaining biodiversity. This answer assumes, however, that cloning of extinct animals will always be an afterthought. What is now happening in some zoo research facilities and other similar institutions is that various tissues from endangered species (and from many individuals of a species) are systematically being preserved by freezing techniques that maintain the DNA’s integrity in each cell. If the species ever does become extinct, a population of clones could be produced (and presumably returned to a restored habitat). Natural reproduction would then be possible. Cloning experiments with extinct species DNA now may pave the way for these later, possible events.

Cloning is still very experimental and expensive. The techniques will undoubtedly improve and success rates with them; this may lead to lower costs; but, in terms of maintaining biodiversity, it remains a very desperate approach. Yet, I contend, an approach we should explore -- even for extinct species.

Nominations for officers, chairpersons, and board members still needed. If you’re interested call me at 387-4071 or send me email at slschil@attglobal.net.

Editors note: Those who left the field trip a little "early" missed seeing a Bald Eagle sitting on its nest (see next page) and the mate bringing in the afternoon meal (a rabbit, we think). Also, we had a questionable siting of an American Tree Sparrow by SWH.

Thanks to Amy Atkins for providing an introductory program to our Learning to Bird field trip. While many in the audience were expert birders, I, and a few others I know, learned a lot. We may want to try this again if we can get more novice birders to participate. We should discuss whether we want to try such a community out reach again. I would like to get input and ideas from anyone who has suggestions. It seems to me that getting the community at large excited about birds and other wildlife is part of our mission as an Audubon chapter. Let me know what you think.

Also, thanks go out to Debbie Hamilton for rounding up some tasting refreshments for after Amy’s program.

On April 5^th, Laurina Lyle, Environmental Education Coordinator, the Center of Excellence for Field Biology at APSU, will give a slide presentation about the Nisqually Wildlife Refuge in Washington state. Her program will highlight the natural history of the Nisqually River Delta. The Nisqually River is unique to most rivers in the United States in that its headwater and delta are both under federal protection. The headwaters start from glaciers in Mt. Rainier National Park; the river flows for eighty miles before reaching the delta in the Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge before emptying into Puget Sound. Her talk is the result of a two-week studying she made this past summer while assessing the environmental educational mission at the refuge

Almost daily we hear more news about higher energy prices, energy shortages in California, and impending energy shortages in other parts of the country. The Bush administration seems to have decided that increasing energy supply is the main, if not the only, solution to this problem. Although President Bush has already broken his campaign promise to regulate carbon dioxide emissions, he seems intent on carrying out his promise to open the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) to oil drilling. Is it just me, or is there a pattern developing here? It is not surprising that the Bush administration would be committed to this goal since it is populated by so many cabinet members with close ties to the oil industry. In response to this threat U.S. Senator Joseph Lieberman (D-Conn.) and U.S. Representatives Nancy Johnson (R-Conn.) and Edward Markey (D-Mass.) introduced legislation to protect the ANWR from oil drilling. Referred to as the "Alaska Wilderness Bill," (bill number H.R. 770 in the House of Representatives and S.411 in the Senate) designates the coastal plain of the Refuge as a wilderness area, and thus off-limits to oil drilling and exploration. Opposing legislation, with backing from the Bush Administration, H.R.39 and S.388 - was introduced earlier this year that seeks to open the ANWR to oil and gas drilling.

H.R.770/S.411, the Alaska Wilderness Bill, designates the coastal plain of the ANWR as a "wilderness area." Such designation would give the area permanent protection from any oil and gas drilling, or other disruptive activity. The coastal plain is 1.5 million acres that has enormous ecological and cultural significance in the area. It provides habitat for more than 125 species of migratory birds, such as the Tundra Swan and King Eider. The coastal plain of the ANWR also serves as the central calving grounds for the 130,000-member Porcupine Caribou herd, upon which the native Gwich'in people rely for their subsistence.

Despite the coastal plain's immense value to wildlife and humans, the oil industry has long sought to open the area to oil exploration and development. Audubon has established a PROTECT THE ARCTIC website at www.protectthearctic.com! to make it easier for concerned citizens to express their opinion on this matter to their elected representatives. In contemplating your position on this issue keep in mind that even the most wildly optimistic estimates of the size of potential oil reserves that might be discovered in the ANWR represent only several months supply at current consumption rates and that none of this oil, if it does exist, would be brought to market in this decade! Is it really worth forsaking one of the LAST GREAT PLACES for such a transitory and distant potential?

As you know, President Clinton issued an Administrative Rule prior to his leaving office in January to protect 58.5 million acres of pristine national forest land across 39 states from road building and commercial logging. Lawmakers from western states, with the tacit approval of the Bush administration, are now leading a movement in Congress to overturn the Rule using the Congressional Review Act - a legislative procedure by which lawmakers can overturn a regulatory ruling by supporting a "Resolution of Disapproval." If they garner a simple majority of votes on the Resolution of Disapproval, the Roadless Rule will be obliterated from the books. The Roadless Rule brings a more balanced approach to managing our national forests, effectively protecting 49% of our national forests when combined with lands that are already protected as wilderness areas. Should this Rule be overturned, more than 80% of our national forests would continue to be open to logging and mining. The Roadless Rule is the product of decades of broad debate and the most inclusive federal rule-making process ever undertaken by a federal agency - with nearly two million Americans submitting comments to the Forest Service urging them to protect the last remaining roadless areas of our national forests. Congress and the Bush Administration should respect the extensive public process and overwhelming public support that shaped this decision, and oppose any effort to overturn or undermine the implementation of the National Forest Conservation Policy. Please contact your two Senators and your U.S. Representative and urge them to oppose efforts to overturn the Roadless Forest Protect Rule. Encourage them to urge the Bush Administration to implement the Roadless Rule now!

"TREE TO TRAILS" MULCHING AT DUNBAR ON APRIL 28
The Friends of Dunbar Cave will be holding the "Tree to Trails" mulching day on April 28 from 8:00 a.m. to about 2:00 p.m. This group with the help of community volunteers will be covering the surface trails of Dunbar Cave State Natural Area with the mulch produced from donated Christmas trees. The mulching efforts will be concentrated on the new section of trail constructed over the past year. If you come, please bring gloves and tools. You can use heavy garden rakes to spread mulch. Pitch (hay) forks are nice for digging and piling mulch. Wheelbarrows are needed to distribute mulch along the trails.

Please join the Friends of Dunbar Cave in their continuing effort to improve and promote this state natural area. Keep in mind that several years ago Warioto Audubon "adopted" this park. We need to contribute to Dunbar Cave in anyway we can, whether it is supporting events, working on park projects, volunteering time or becoming a member of the Friends of Dunbar Cave.

A BRIEF COMMENT FROM THE EDITOR

Shortly after mailing last month’s newsletter I received a correction to a word use error in the "Warioto at a Glance" section. I realize that I often make errors while rushing to get the monthly newsletter in the mail. To the person who sent me the correction I say thank you. I do realize that I should have used the word "led" rather than "lead." It was a simple, but careless error. To this same person, and to anyone else who cares to listen, nominations for the position of editor are being accepted. Should you be interested in preparing, printing, folding, and mailing the 200+ copies of the newsletter each month, please get your name to Sally Schiller.