Norm has authorized me to post this action from the Biodiversity Conservation Alliance.  Please review this text, and if you care to take action, paste this link into your browser, which will allow you to send a canned or your own text to help aid the California Condor.

http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/2167/t/5243/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=26230

The Bitter Creek National Wildlife Refuge, located on 14,097 acres in southwestern Kern County, California, is a crucial wildlife linkage in the southern San Joaquin Valley. Purchased to protect declining California condor foraging and roosting habitat in 1985, the refuge is the place where the last wild female condor was trapped in 1986. It's now an integral part of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's condor recovery activities, and supports condor reintroduction, foraging, and roosting opportunities. In addition to the condor, the refuge protects grasslands, oak woodlands, chaparral, pinyon/juniper/oak woodlands, and riparian and wetland habitats. These diverse communities in turn support numerous rare species, including the endangered San Joaquin kit fox, blunt-nosed leopard lizard, and giant kangaroo rat. Western spadefoot toad, western horned lizards, and the tricolored blackbird also call the refuge home.

While cattle have had unrestricted grazing on the refuge in the past, the Fish and Wildlife Service has recognized that an alteration in the grazing regime would benefit the 9,400 acres of grassland habitat and provide healthier habitat for the recovering condor population. The agency recently proposed a restoration program to enhance the ecological values of the site and includes a modified grazing schedule based on ecological principles to limit grazing during critical times for native plant establishment, especially native grasses.

This important step forward in refuge management is key to maintaining ecologically diverse and functioning habitats for condors. But the current grazing lessee opposes the change in grazing management, and significant efforts have been made to oppose these changes by cattle operators and local elected officials. Your help is needed. Please send a letter of support for the grassland restoration project and limiting grazing. The Bitter Creek Wildlife Refuge was expressly created for condors, not for cows.

Kurt Schwarz
MOS Conservation Chair
goawaybird at comcast dot net