I have a feeling that little will change regarding our outcry. We only represent a handful against the interests of thousands and thousands of beach worshipers which generate way more $$$ than we do. We will lose this one and every issue down the road. Let's face it....we are insignificant. K Mueller >From way up in Marquette Mich. Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

We are not insignificant, possibly just too passive. In a 2006 U.S. Department of the Interior & U.S. Fish & Wildlife Services report "Birding in the United States: A Demographic and Economic Analysis" there were 48 million birders generating $82 billion. Estimates were $12 billion on birding trips and $24 billion on equipment with $6 billion going to State tax revenue and $4 billion in Federal tax revenue. 28% of CT folks participate in birding related activities. Is it time to make our voices heard and promote CT as an Important Birding Hot Spot for residents and tourists alike? Rather than throw in the towel it is time to join in with those working toward that goal for us. http://digitalmedia.fws.gov/cdm/singleitem/collection/document/id/176   Just my thoughts   Sophie Zyla Beacon Falls ________________________________ From: "kmueller@ntplx.net" <kmueller@ntplx.net> To: "ctbirds@lists.ctbirding.org" <ctbirds@lists.ctbirding.org> Sent: Wednesday, June 19, 2013 11:32 AM Subject: [CT Birds] Hammo "improvements" I have a feeling that little will change regarding our outcry. We only represent a handful against the interests of thousands and thousands of beach worshipers which generate way more $$$ than we do. We will lose this one and every issue down the road. Let's face it....we are  insignificant. K Mueller From way up in Marquette Mich. Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry _______________________________________________ This list is provided by the Connecticut Ornithological Association (COA) for the discussion of birds and birding in Connecticut. For subscription information visit http://lists.ctbirding.org/mailman/listinfo/ctbirds_lists.ctbirding.org

Think about this. Do you beach goers really want to blacktop the parking areas at Hammo? Ever walk barefoot on blacktop on a hot summer day? Of course, you have. It is time to think outside the box on how to stop these types of "improvement" projects that are, in reality, not only inappropriate for migrant shorebirds, but just plain bad for the environment. The fact is that we cannot expect "saving" birds or other wildlife to stop these projects because that is not going to happen. Strategies must be developed to demonstrate cost/benefit analyses, effects upon air and/or water, etc. and other issues with which the regulatory boards and commissions are concerned. Today's Hartford Courant has devoted a significant amount of space to Texas Gov. Rick Perry's wooing of Connecticut businesses. One of the articles mentions Texas's lack of environmental concerns. Maybe our two states have more in common than we think? Jay Kaplan Canton -----Original Message----- From: kmueller <kmueller@ntplx.net> To: ctbirds <ctbirds@lists.ctbirding.org> Sent: Wed, Jun 19, 2013 11:34 am Subject: [CT Birds] Hammo "improvements" I have a feeling that little will change regarding our outcry. We only represent a handful against the interests of thousands and thousands of beach worshipers which generate way more $$$ than we do. We will lose this one and every issue down the road. Let's face it....we are insignificant. K Mueller >From way up in Marquette Mich. Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry _______________________________________________ This list is provided by the Connecticut Ornithological Association (COA) for the discussion of birds and birding in Connecticut. For subscription information visit http://lists.ctbirding.org/mailman/listinfo/ctbirds_lists.ctbirding.org

The problem is that NOBODY is thinking about any of these actions. Its being done in a panic to secure tenuous and all too readily cut jobs and funding by people afraid of a Governor who has not got a clue as to the dire consequences his cavalier budget pillaging have on real people or the environment. No one in DEEP will speak on this because they are afraid of retalliation. We are rapidly approaching a "Concord Bridge" moment as it pertains to our voice in how things go environmentally and on so many other fronts. I hope we have the courage to stay the course. Mark On Jun 19, 2013, at 1:16 PM, jaybrd49@aol.com wrote: > Think about this. Do you beach goers really want to blacktop the parking areas at Hammo? Ever walk barefoot on blacktop on a hot summer day? Of course, you have. It is time to think outside the box on how to stop these types of "improvement" projects that are, in reality, not only inappropriate for migrant shorebirds, but just plain bad for the environment. > > The fact is that we cannot expect "saving" birds or other wildlife to stop these projects because that is not going to happen. Strategies must be developed to demonstrate cost/benefit analyses, effects upon air and/or water, etc. and other issues with which the regulatory boards and commissions are concerned. > > Today's Hartford Courant has devoted a significant amount of space to Texas Gov. Rick Perry's wooing of Connecticut businesses. One of the articles mentions Texas's lack of environmental concerns. Maybe our two states have more in common than we think? > > Jay Kaplan > Canton > > > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: kmueller <kmueller@ntplx.net> > To: ctbirds <ctbirds@lists.ctbirding.org> > Sent: Wed, Jun 19, 2013 11:34 am > Subject: [CT Birds] Hammo "improvements" > > > I have a feeling that little will change regarding our outcry. We only represent > a handful against the interests of thousands and thousands of beach worshipers > which generate way more $$$ than we do. We will lose this one and every issue > down the road. Let's face it....we are insignificant. > > K Mueller > From way up in Marquette Mich. > Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry > > _______________________________________________ > This list is provided by the Connecticut Ornithological Association (COA) for > the discussion of birds and birding in Connecticut. > For subscription information visit http://lists.ctbirding.org/mailman/listinfo/ctbirds_lists.ctbirding.org > > > _______________________________________________ > This list is provided by the Connecticut Ornithological Association (COA) for the discussion of birds and birding in Connecticut. > For subscription information visit http://lists.ctbirding.org/mailman/listinfo/ctbirds_lists.ctbirding.org