Farmers’ efforts provide tricolored blackbird habitat A cooperative program to improve habitat for tricolored blackbirds has con- cluded its sixth summer of field opera- tions with reports of expanded nesting sites for the birds. found in the same areas, often even in the same field. This year, a few colonies were discovered in places we haven’t seen them before. ”
cline among the birds. Xerónimo Cas tañeda, Audubon California conservation project man- ager, said the organization found 15 tricolored-blackbird colonies in ag- ricultural fields across four counties this season. “Working closely with these pro- ducers, together we protected more than 177,000 birds,” Castañeda said. “In most years, colonies are reliably
Paul Sousa, director of environmental services for WesternUnitedDairies, said the collaborative effort has been “very important” to the tricolored blackbird as well as to dairy farmers whose feed crops house the birds. “This partnership has allowed dairy farmers to be compensated for the loss of feed that we need for our cows while pro- tecting nesting tricolored blackbirds—a win-win,” Sousa said. Western United Dairies is a member of the working group that also includes theU.S. Department of Agriculture, Dairy Cares and Audubon California. RaeAnn Dubay of the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service said the agency’s field biologist reported 100% of known tricolored blackbird colonies were protected this season. Historically, colonies may have had more than 100,000 nests, Audubon California said, although such large con- centrations seem to be growing scarcer in recent years as the birds shift to small- er, possibly more numerous, nesting grounds. This year, the largest colony detected was estimated to host some 25,000 birds.
Each spring and summer, Audubon California works closely with landown- ers and other partners in the working group to protect the species across the state. The initiative includes compensat- ing farmers for delaying harvest of feed crops where blackbirds nest.
The Audubon California Tricolored Blackbird Working Group said the pro- gram involving farmers, agricultural organizations, government agencies, conservation groups and researchers intends to reverse the population de-
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Biotech Continued from Page 5
duce overall registration costs to devel- opers by about $444,000 to $459,000 per product. The agency estimates about 80% of entities likely to develop such products are small companies, whichwould realize the cost savings as they seek EPAapproval of newactive ingredients. Theagency said thiswould likely“removeapotential barri- er tomarket entry for small entities.” The proposed exemptionmight accel- erate development of new plant variet- ies containing biotech pesticides, giving farmers more tools to protect their crops, EPAsaid, adding that thiswouldalsoallow themarket to respond faster to changes in diseasepressureand resistance toexisting pesticides. The agency also said it antic- ipates the proposed rule would particu- larly encourage development of biotech pesticides in “minor” cropswhere limited acreage makes it more difficult to recoup investment in research and development into new varieties, especially if regulatory costs are high. The biotech pesticides targeted in the new exemptions are those produced by plants and the geneticmaterial necessary for theplant toproduce thepesticidal sub- stance. The existing regulatory exemption for pesticides that are incorporated in plants is limited to those created through conventional breeding. The proposed ex- emptionwouldallowforpesticidescreated through biotechnology also to be exempt from existing regulations if they pose no greater risk thanones thatmeet EPAsafety requirements and that could have been created through conventional breeding. (ChingLeeisanassistanteditorofAgAlert. Shemaybe contactedat clee@cfbf.com.)
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24446_FB_7.25x10_CA_Gen.indd 1 14 Ag Alert September 9, 2020
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