[EBB Sightings] Altamont Pass Hawk Dicing Fans

(Ok, this is one political comment on this list, and it is not about a bird
sighting per se, but it does definitely relate to East Bay Birding and the
future lack of sightings of hawks, eagles, owls and vultures that will be
caused by these wind farms)

Rep. Richard Pombo's family gets substantial royalties from leasing land to
the wind farms (more than they do from ranching). His staffers recently
asked Sec'y of Interior Gale Norton to exempt these wind farms from
environmental regulations that seek to curtail bird deaths, a move that
clearly harms the birds and benefits Pombo's parents. He asked for this
exemption without informing Interior that his family has a substantial stake
in seeing these regulations voided.

Of course, Pombo says this is not a problem since he does not personally
benefit from trying to twist Interior's arm --  it is his parents that
benefit, and not him, he claims.

See http://www.abettercongress.org on the Home Page under Recent News (the
April 7, 2005) entry.

Scott Restivo
San Ramon birder


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Brian Zeiler" 
To: 
Sent: Tuesday, May 03, 2005 1:20 PM
Subject: [EBB Sightings] Altamont Pass Hawk Dicing Fans


> I just sent the below to my Alameda County Supervisor
> - you can figure out yours (if you're in Alameda) at
> http://www.acgov.org/board/ and get their contact
> info.
> For background on the issue and the upcoming June 2
> hearing, visit
> http://www.goldengateaudubon.org/newsletter/2005-05-thegull.pdf
> .
> I've only been on this list a couple months, so I'm
> not sure how much this has been discussed in the past.
>  Unfortunately I think most people don't regard birds
> as highly as they regard mammals, which is a tragic
> underestimation.
> Brian
> --- Brian Zeiler  wrote:
> > Date: Tue, 3 May 2005 13:11:21 -0700 (PDT)
> > From: Brian Zeiler 
> > Subject: APWRA Conditional Use Permits
> > To: bosdist4 at co.alameda.ca.us
> >
> > Dear Mr. Miley,
> >
> > I am writing in regard to the wind turbines at
> > Altamont Pass.  Please require that the wind energy
> > companies operating at Altamont reduce their bird
> > kills by 50% within three years and 85% within six
> > years per California Energy Commission
> > recommendations.
> >
> > The location of these wind farms could not possibly
> > be
> > in a worse place, right in the path of a major
> > regional raptor migratory route.  Continuing to
> > allow
> > thousands of hawks, eagles, owls, and meadowlarks to
> > be slaughtered each year by enormous hilltop fans is
> > utterly reprehensible and a horrendous conservation
> > example for the rest of the nation.
> >
> > Thank you for your attention to this issue.
> >
> > Sincerely,
> >
> > Brian Zeiler
> > [address removed]
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