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Hey CDFG, Burrowing Owls Still on the Decline in California
I don’t often find myself quoting World War II Japanese Admirals, but I do believe it is most fitting considering a complete lack of response and acknowledgement from the California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG). Believe me I am more than willing and quite ready to give the agency props for addressing my burrowing owl conservation concerns, but ignoring all of my correspondence is most definitely not the route to bliss. In fact…
“I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with a terrible resolve.”
Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto
A terrible resolve indeed! So to those CDFG management officials keeping tabs on my website I would most definitely appreciate a few answers as silence only leads to conjecture. Break those political and developer ties that bind and work for burrowing owl protection as opposed to sanctioning their demise. And by all means tell me and the public what you need in terms of assistance to make conservation a priority and the Comprehensive Conservation Strategy a reality.
In case you have yet to receive the latest information from the Institute for Bird Populations, the California-wide Burrowing Owl survey in 2006-2007 has been completed. I was told the report had been dropped in the mail for your reference, but here’s a tidbit to get things rolling for 2010.
As a reminder, The Institute for Bird Populations (IBP) conducted a Burrowing Owls survey in California from 1991-1993. The findings of that IBP study indicated that a 50%+ population decline had occurred in the last decade throughout the SF Bay Area.
In the IBP 2006-2007 survey, burrowing owls have continued to witness a population decline since completion of the previous survey 15 years ago. According to results presented at the Burrowing Owl Consortium on February 6th, there is a 8% statewide decline and a whopping 27% population drop in the SF Bay-Delta Region.
I wish I could say this data is a complete surprise, but after witnessing a botched eviction plan that was approved by the CDFG and carried out by hired consultants, mitigation that amounted to absolutely nothing, and troubling reports from concerned CDFG employees makes it easy to identify a major component of the burrowing owl problem blanketing California and other Western States.
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Scott, the last time I visited, I think you and Catherine Portman had a meeting schedule with CDFG. Is that right? This post sounds like you have not had any contact. That is troubling and disappointing. I still hold hope that we can find an amicable to solve the conflict.
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We had an appointment with a member of the Assembly. Unfortunately that will take some time and will not result in any immediate protections. This is a route we intend to continue exploring and see what can be done legislatively. More vists and more discussions are needed.
Hey Scott, this Antioch saga is beginning to remind me of a modern political thriller where every turn uncovers more unbelievable villainy by the powers that be. The question that keeps coming back to me is, why is the CDFG so lackadaisical when it comes to the death and destruction of a “Species of Special Concern” right under their own noses?
Why would a government agency that defines their purpose, to maintain wildlife including “habitat protection and maintenance in a sufficient amount and quality to ensure the survival of all species and natural communities,” actually become the main cause of a species to become endangered? To not only allow this to happen, but to be the cause by not living up to their specified purpose.
To quote Shakespeare, “Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.” This smells of political chicanery and I’m beginning to wonder how high it goes and if there is money being made.
If those involved think this is going to go away they are sadly mistaken. When a large, concerned group of people discover outrageous behavior like this, they don’t forget and they don’t give up.
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Perfectly said and oh so eloquent. I am operating under the assumption that the CDFG believes this FIRE will go out as it has done so many times in the past. But, I do believe they are starting to catch wind that perhaps trouble is brewing. And the reason why I get zero responses. No one wants to be on the email record. I have always wanted to know how it feels to be blacklisted, and maybe that will be a topic for an upcoming post.
But all of this can be avoided as it is not a difficult process; simply become what the agency was supposed to be and simply protect the public’s resources. They are not beholden to Corporations, they are beholden to Californians.