VOLUME 35, NUMBER 1 SEPTEMBER 2003

HOSPITALITY: Barbara Wilbur will provide refreshments following Randy’s presentation.

BOARD MEETING: In the Sundquist Building biology conference room, D126 at 7:00 p.m..

Some positions for Warioto Audubon officers and at-large board members remain unfilled. Daniel Moss, last year’s Program Chair and President-Elect, has declined to serve at President this year because of professional obligations. Nonetheless, he assures us he plans to remain active the chapter and has accepted nomination as a board member-at-large. He has also offered to assist Randy with program development. Randy Ellis has agreed to continue duties as President until another person can fill position.

Nominations for board for the 2003-04 year:

President: Randy Ellis

1^st V.P.-Program Chair/Pres. Elect: Randy Ellis

2^nd V.P.-Field Trips: Barbara Wilbur

3^rd V.P.-Membership: Debbie Hamilton

4^th V.P.-Publications: Steve Hamilton

5^th V.P.-CEECS: Joe Schiller

Secretary: Amy Wallace

Treasurer: Gloria Milliken

Members-at-Large: 2003-06: Sally Schiller, Daniel Moss

Alan Bottomlee (01-04), Barry Podell (02-05) and June Stratton (02-05) continue as members-at-large

September's program will be "The Birds and the Bees: Everything You Wanted to Know About Pollination But Were Afraid to Ask," to be done by myself, Randy Ellis. This will not be your sometimes boring biology class lecture about stigmas, stamens, and pollens. This includes movies and tasty treats. You are certain to develop a new appreciation of plant sex.

The Warioto Audubon field trip will be Saturday, September 6 to Pace Point on Kentucky Lake. Mike Todd of McKenzie, TN has graciously agreed to meet us there to help with shore bird identification. We will depart the APSU McCord parking lot at 7:30 a.m. with plans to meet Mike at Cross Creek about 8:15 a.m. Be sure to bring lunch, plenty of water, insect repellent, an extra pair of "wading" shoes, binoculars, spotting scopes and field guides. Tentative plans call for a drive through Britton Ford on our afternoon return. For further details, call me at 647-4956.

Our next field trip will be an afternoon outing to enjoy fall foliage coloration. Specific information will be available in the October newsletter.

As is usual for this time of year there has been much news about forest fires recently. Fires make great news stories. They are large, dramatic, and possibly conjure up images of what some of us may have in store for eternity. Given all this, it is not surprising that fire is often misrepresented and poorly understood. During and shortly after the great Yellowstone fires of 1987 many politicians and so-called experts decried the destruction of Yellowstone by the fires. These proclamations reflected ignorance, collective myth, and in some cases, vested financial interests. The fact is, fire fighting is now a multi-billion dollar industry, and a conduit for large amounts of political pork. Although Yellowstone is far heathier today than it was then as a result of that fire, few people are aware of this fundamental truth. Fire is not a natural and essential component of forest ecosystems everywhere, but it is a sustaining and essential force of many forest ecosystems. In truth, Yellowstone was born of fire and depends on fire for its continual rejuvenation. This fall the U.S. Senate will debate and vote on legislation meant ostensibly to protect forests, as well as at-risk neighborhoods and communities located near national forests, from wildfires. The Audubon society and other environmental organizations suspect congress will use tragic forest fires as political fuel for a forests bill heavy on logging of America's pristine forests.

As of now, your Senators have two bills to chose from: a Senate bill that truly focuses on protecting people and communities as well as our forests, or the House-passed bill that is big-on-logging, short-on-conservation. Unfortunately, the House-passed bill offers so many special perks aimed at winning over potential opponents that lawmakers would have a very hard time opposing it!

The House-passed proposal, bill number H.R.1904, is misleadingly referred to as the Healthy Forest Restoration Act. This unbalanced bill does not hold a hope of restoring forest health, nor does it ensure any increased protection for communities at risk from fires! Rather,

it weakens environmental safeguards, allows widespread logging on national forest lands, and limits public input and court appeals that might otherwise be a last line of defense for our pristine forests. The House-passed proposal gives land managers broad new license to cut down millions of acres of national forest lands. It also allows the logging industry access to large, old trees -- which happen to be the most fire resistant trees - that are located in the remote back country, miles away from the nearest community. This approach would wreak havoc on the birds and wildlife of our forests while doing little to actually protect communities.

The Senate bill is better! Its bill number S.1453, the "Forestry and Community Assistance Act of 2003" and it is by far the most comprehensive and sensible community fire protection and forest and watershed restoration bill that has been introduced to date. Not loaded down with special perks to win over potential opponents, S.1453 focuses on protecting communities and their drinking water infrastructure. It prioritizes fuel reduction in the Community Protection Zone, directly around communities and municipal drinking water infrastructure based on the best available Forest Service science. It establishes watershed and forest restoration programs and funds watershed and forest health restoration projects by engaging American citizens in the forest planning process without gutting environmental laws. And it protects roadless areas, old growth, and threatened and endangered species habitat and prohibits road construction on these ecologically valuable lands.

America's national forests comprise some of the most biologically and economically significant land left on earth. The 191 million acres that comprise our national forest system is the best wildlife habitat in the U.S. for over 3,000 fish and wildlife species and 10,000 plants. In fact, more than one quarter of the nation's imperiled species are found on national forests. We don't need to level our forests to keep us safe from forest fires. And the Senate can help by support S.1453, and opposing the House-passed H.R.1940. Click HERE now to send a message to Senators Frist and Alexander today!