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Subject:

Delmarva Penisula (extralimital, seriously, its from "Sweet Baby James" Taylor)

From:

Dan haas

Reply-To:

Dan haas

Date:

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 20:04:15 -0400

My friend in South Carolina is on James Taylor's email list.  I knew I
enjoyed JT's music for a reason...  his conservation efforts.  Here is
a portion of the email.

--------------------------------

This month James would like to share information with you about a
cause that is important to him and his family--the preservation of the
migratory songbirds' habitat on the Southern Tip of Virginia's Eastern
Shore.

For almost 20 years, the Southern Tip Partnership** has been working
to acquire and protect land on the Eastern Shore in an attempt to save
the neotropical migratory songbird. In an effort to protect this
crucial habitat, James and Kim, have donated funds for the acquisition
and protection of 285 acres of land containing 71 acres of wetlands,
82 acres of forest and 143 acres of crop land on the Eastern Shore.
The recent "Band of Legends" tour began with a benefit concert in
Virginia Beach which raised another $200,000 toward the Partnership's
continued efforts.

QUESTION: Tell us a little about the Southern Tip of Virginia's lower
Eastern Shore and why it is important to the songbirds.

JT: Basically, the eastern shore of New Jersey gives way into Delaware
which in turn gives way into Maryland, for a second, and then it
passes into Virginia into this peninsula that happens to be on the
eastern coast of a sort of barrier island that separates the
Chesapeake Bay from the Atlantic Ocean.

It's known worldwide as a habitat of crucial importance.
Ornithologists – academics, professionals and amateurs–are focused on
this as a crucial habitat and a "stopover" for the songbirds' and
other species in their fall migration from Canada to the tropical rain
forests of Central and South America. Many are traveling all the way
from Quebec to South America and they get funneled down, because of
the topography of their route, to this spot seeking refuge, rest and
food. A rise in housing development and pollution along this area have
decreased the availability of resources needed for them to survive
their seasonal journey.

QUESTION: Tell us about these special birds.

JT: A lot of these species, particularly the songbirds, are very much
at risk because they have to make an 18 mile flight across the mouth
of the Chesapeake Bay. The songbirds are especially in danger because
they are preyed upon by certain predatory birds and therefore need
shelter and protection for the trees and the plants they can eat. Most
of these birds are seed and berry eaters and they won't be able to
survive their journey if their food source is polluted. It's
absolutely essential that this eastern shore be protected for the
birds.

(PHOTO) James & family toured Virginia National Wildlife Refuge

QUESTION: What is being done to protect the land? What part have you
played in this effort?

JT: This land on the Southern Tip of Virginia's Eastern Shore has
traditionally been rural and farmlands and a lot of woodlots. Over the
years, the Southern Tip Partnership has been able to protect more and
more of this by raising funds to buy the land that the birds need.
Most of the land is bought with federal funds but groups like the
Nature Conservancy will step in and buy a piece of the property--but
only if they're guaranteed that they will get their funding back from
the state. In some cases, the state in turn buys the property from the
Conservancy so that the organization may use funds to protect
additional habitat. The value of the property can change due to
various restrictions resulting in a difference in what the Nature
Conservancy paid and what they're getting back.

The first show on our summer tour this year was in Virginia Beach and
we made it a benefit concert for the Southern Tip Partnership, raising
$200,000. The benefit was to make up for the difference in the cost
that the state agreed to pay back. We've secured the sale and
perpetual protection of a large tract of farmland, and we are
continuing to support the efforts to get more and more of this
farmland protected. It's only a matter of time before other people buy
up this farmland and woodlots and develop it. Our hope is that we have
been able to raise funds and increase public awareness. Public support
for federal grant funds is extremely important to ensure the
protection of migratory bird habitats. People need to know that they
can make a difference by telling their Congressmen that more funding
from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and
the US Fish and Wildlife Service is needed.

**The Southern Tip Partnership is comprised of the Virginia Coastal
Zone Management Program (CZM), the Virginia Department of Conservation
& Recreation (DCR), the Virginia Eastern Shore Land Trust, the
Virginia Department of Game & Inland Fisheries (DGIF), theUS Fish and
Wildlife Service, and The Nature Conservancy.

--------------------------------------

I decided to do my part.  Currently, I have four original CD's of my
music available for sale online (places like CDBaby.com and iTunes).
For the remainder of 2008, I will donate 100% of my sales to American
Bird Conservancy.

Good Birding,

Dan Haas
West Annapolis, MD

www.danhaas.com

(At tonight's gig, I'll cover a few JT tunes as a tip of the old hat
to his conservation efforts.)