New Year, New Wins for Birds and People

In this Issue: Birds and Offshore Wind Report, Chuckwalla National Monument, and How the BEACH Act Makes Coasts Stronger

                                                               

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Wingspan Newsletter | January 2025

Responsible Offshore Wind for Birds and Communities Our new report, Offshore Wind and Birds: Developing the Offshore Wind that Birds Need, highlights the potential of offshore wind to combat climate change while benefiting both wildlife and communities. The report advocates for rapidly adopting offshore wind to combat the climate crisis while protecting birds, supporting coastal communities, and addressing the growing demand from manufacturing and technologies. Keep reading to learn how this clean energy source can be a win for wildlife, climate, and the U.S. economy.

Piping Plover. Photo: Cole Parks/Audubon Photography Awards

The Chuckwalla National Monument is a Major Victory for Birds The Chuckwalla National Monument was designated last week, which means increased protections of more than 620,000 acres for sacred Tribal sites and desert land vital for iconic bird species like the Golden Eagle. We were part of a coalition with more than a dozen Tribes, organizations, and community partners to drive grassroots and political support for this big win. Read more

Audubon staff hike Painted Canyon, part of the 26,242 acres Mecca Hills Wilderness area in Chuckwalla National Monument, just east of the Salton Sea. Photo: Mike Fernandez/Audubon

The Little-known Law That Made Our Coasts Stronger Than Ever We have long been a champion of the Coastal Barrier Resources Act, a law that quietly protects 3.5 million acres of coastal wetlands and beaches. In November, President Biden signed the BEACH Act, which expands on the Coastal Barrier Resources Act system to protect an additional 300,000 acres of bird habitat while buffering coastal communities from flooding and saving taxpayers billions of dollars. Learn more

Saltmarsh Sparrow. Photo: Nadia Haq/Audubon Photography Awards

Urge Congress to Support Conservation Priorities According to the most recent U.S. Fish and Wildlife survey, 96 million people—more than one-third of American adults—participate in birdwatching in some form, highlighting the ongoing need for conservation efforts to protect the lands and waters birds call home. The new 119th Congress has the opportunity to advance vital conservation efforts. Urge your members of Congress to support and advance conservation priorities to protect and enhance the natural spaces that birds and people depend on.

Great Blue Heron. Photo: Thomas Martin/Audubon Photography Awards

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Anna's Hummingbird. Photo: Robert Gloeckner/Audubon Photography Awards

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