| When the President released his budget in early March, things looked bleak for Audubon’s bird conservation priorities. Auduboners like you responded in force, asking your members of Congress to preserve critical programs (see related article, above). More than 38,000 individuals contacted their members of Congress about budget-related issues through our Action Center. Among them, 1,000 New Yorkers spoke out for Long Island Sound, also joining nearly 4,000 people from Great Lakes states to advocate on behalf of Great Lakes ecosystem restoration. And 2,550 Californians reached out to their members of Congress specifically about cuts to the EPA. Keeping vital conservation programs going through September is a huge victory—we’ll need to keep up the pressure as we look ahead to the next funding battle. |
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| Thanks to conservation programs that have been preserved and in some cases expanded, Piping Plovers are beginning to recover in the Great Lakes and Long Island. |
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| In a piece of good news for birds and renewable energy, last week Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan signed a bill that sets standards for growing pollinator-friendly habitat around solar energy projects. This bill (SB 1158) passed the legislature unanimously with bipartisan support, including from agricultural groups, garden and native plant businesses, and Audubon staff and centers. With 2,500 acres of new solar projects planned in Maryland for 2018, this could make a big difference for birds and other pollinators. The measure also directs the state department of natural resources to certify solar sites that meet the standard. This legislation is similar to pollinator-friendly standards that Minnesota passed in 2016. |
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| Pickering Creek Audubon Center director Mark Scallion (standing, fifth from left) and other community members join Maryland Governor Hogan (center, in tan suit) as he signs the solar bill. |
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