President’s Column

It’s the new year and time for those resolutions! As always, I continue to seek resolutions that help me live more responsibly on the earth. Recently, I read a column by birder Jim Williams in the StarTribune that called for birdwatchers to step up and join hunters in preserving bird habitat. Jim had very concrete suggestions and they are all on my list of resolutions. I’m passing them on to you, in case you’d like to join me.

Jim’s suggestions:

Do the Chickadee Check-off on your Minnesota Income Tax form. The money is used to fund the Non-game Program of the Minnesota DNR, but donations have dropped off in recent years. Only 3% of all tax returns have checked off by the little loon icon.

Buy a duck stamp. The proceeds go towards preserving waterfowl habitat. They cost $15 and you can buy them at some post offices and Gander Mountain in Forest Lake. They are seasonal, going on sale at the beginning of duck hunting season.

Join Ducks Unlimited (ducks.org) or Pheasants Forever (forever.org). These organizations restore an unbelievable amount of habitat—and remember, it is not only waterfowl that reside in marshes. Think: sora, marsh wrens, herons, blackbirds etc etc

Buy a “Critical Habitat” license plate. It will cost you $30 more, but the money goes to support the Re-invest In Minnesota (RIM) Program of the DNR. This is a program that encourages people to donate cash or land to the state, and provides matching funds. But the RIM Program has been so successful that the DNR fears its matching funds will soon be depleted.

Our beleaguered birds are seeing their habitat disappear at an alarming rate, and we can take action to preserve it. So, get going! And Happy New Year!

Sue