2022 Policy Wins for Birds | Audubon Attends COP-15 Biodiversity Conference

In this issue: The Lesser Prairie-Chicken has been officially listed under the Endangered Species Act. 

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AUDUBON ADVISORY December 2022

Top Policy Wins for Birds and People in 2022 Throughout 2022, Audubon and the Audubon Action Fund helped more than 150,000 people make their voices heard, advocating for stronger climate actions in the Inflation Reduction Act, for Lights Out and Native Plant proclamations in cities across the country, for coastal community protections and natural infrastructure that also supports bird colonies, and for better water policies across the West. Read on to learn more about Audubon's most important advocacy and policy work across the hemisphere this year!

Audubon policy staff on the steps of the United States Capitol building during the Save the Seabirds Fly-In.

New Bipartisan Legislation Will Modernize a Crucial Coastal Law Good news for coastal birds and communities: This week, Senators Tom Carper (D-DE) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) introduced the Strengthening Coastal Communities Act of 2022 to better protect undeveloped beaches, wetlands, and other coastal areas. Read more American Oystercatcher.

Audubon Joins Global Conversation on Biodiversity Loss This month, an Audubon contingent including our CEO Elizabeth Gray is attending the United Nations' Biological Diversity Conference (known as COP-15) in Montreal, Canada, along with other experts and delegates from around the world. The conference is an opportunity to engage in the global conversation on biodiversity loss and share expertise as we all push towards a solution together. Read more Canada Jay.

Increased Connectivity on Public Lands Will Benefit Migratory Birds The Bureau of Land Management recently released guidance to maintain, conserve, and restore habitat connectivity on public lands, in an effort to help stabilize populations of wildlife that need large, intact spaces to thrive. Read more Golden Eagle.

News from the Flyways

California: Audubon Receives $500K from General Motors to Support Salton Sea Restoration (published by The Desert Sun) Colorado River: The Colorado River Compact at 100 Florida: Audubon Celebrates 75 Years of Everglades National Park Indiana: Task Force Calls for More Protections of State's Wetlands Mississippi: Coastal Resident Calls for Action to Protect Seabirds New Mexico: Environmental Database is Up and Running Utah: Birds of Great Salt Lake's South Arm Ecosystem Threatened Washington: New Legislative Priorities Launch at 'Advocacy Day' Western Water: $250M Allocated to Restore Toxic Salton Sea (published by The Guardian)

Impact Updates

Climate Corner Following the midterm elections, Audubon CEO Elizabeth Gray penned an op-ed about how the link between humans and nature can unite us across party lines to protect our planet from increasing climate threats. Given that more than 70 percent of Americans across party lines accept that global warming is happening and will harm future generations, Dr. Gray writes "The urgency for meaningful climate mobilization grows greater every day. Regardless of our personal politics, we all bear the burden of a changing climate. When we listen to what birds tell us, they lead us to solutions. We seek consensus in tangible, nature-based action because we know that we must." Read more Cerulean Warbler. Your Actions at Work The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has announced its decision to list two distinct populations of the Lesser Prairie-Chicken under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Since the 1960s, Lesser Prairie-Chicken populations have declined by 97 percent across their range. More than 20,000 Audubon members along with 60 local chapters across 20 states submitted public comments in support of increased protections. The ESA prohibits anyone from harming an endangered species either directly or indirectly, requires the development of a recovery plan for the species, and generally requires the identification of critical habitat. Read more Lesser Prairie-Chicken.

Recovering America's Wildlife Act: What You Need To Know As we enter the final weeks of the legislative session, Audubon continues to urge Congress to pass the Recovering America's Wildlife Act (RAWA), a bill that is critical to protecting more than 800 vulnerable bird species. Watch our video and take action

Photos from top: Luke Franke/Audubon; Nick Vance/Audubon Photography Awards; Rajan Desai/Audubon Photography Awards; Rachel Spencer/Audubon Photography Awards; Jesse Gordon/Audubon Photography Awards (left); Doug Kliewer/Audubon Photography Awards (right)

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