Subject: FW: SW BIODIVERSITY ALERT #187

<<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><>><<>
SOUTHWEST CENTER FOR BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY
                            http//www.sw-center.org
   6-1-99                                                        
#187                                                         
<<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><>><<>

§ ANOTHER SUIT FILED AGAINST SPIELBERG'S DREAMWORKS
§ FEDS CALL LIVING TROUT "EXTINCT", PUBLIC SUPPORTS
   GREATER STEELHEAD PROTECTION IN SOUTHERN CAL.
§ AUDUBON VETERAN RECEIVES LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT
   AWARD FOR SOUTHWEST ACTIVISM
§ CALLS NEEDED TO SLASH PREDATOR KILLING BUDGET

ANOTHER SUIT FILED AGAINST SPIELBERG'S DREAMWORKS
On 5-11-99, Wetlands Action Network, the Southwest Center, and
Cal-PIRG filed suit against Steven Spielberg's production company,
Dreamworks SKG, accusing Spielberg of "unfair, unlawful and
deceptive" business practices in his attempt to construct a mega-studio
on the last significant wetland in the Los Angeles basin, the 1,087-acre
Ballona Wetlands.  The action seeks to enjoin the company from
further destroying sensitive wildlife areas. 

DreamWorks' controversial development has displaced Great blue
herons that normally nest on the Ballona Wetlands. Numerous
endangered species have been observed at Ballona, including the
California brown pelican, California least tern, Savannah belding
sparrow and the Southwestern willow flycatcher--species that,
surrounded by urban sprawl, have no other place to go.
     _________________________

FEDS CALL LIVING TROUT "EXTINCT", PUBLIC SUPPORTS
GREATER STEELHEAD PROTECTION IN SOUTHERN CAL.
On 5-20-99, 75 enviros and anglers jammed a National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS) hearing on steelhead habitat protection in southern
California. The crowd overwhelmingly called for expanding officially
protected "critical habitat" areas south to the Mexican border. Such a
move could interfere with plans to extend a new toll road across southern
Orange County, force the U.S. Forest Service to restore trout streams,
and scale back the U.S. Military's Camp Pendleton's plans to increase
water pumping and incursions into southern California's rare live streams.

NMFS recently declared steelhead runs as endangered up and down
the coast, but stopped short of extending habitat protection south of
northern Los Angeles County, claiming, with no good rational, that
steelhead are extinct in southern Orange and San Diego County.
Shortly after NMFS's decision, however, "extinct" steelhead turned up
in San Mateo Creek in San Diego County.

Outside the hearing, demonstrators destroyed a cardboard replica of
Matilija dam, one of many outdated and useless southern California
dams blocking steelhead runs, disrupting natural flooding patterns, and
trapping beach sediment.
     _________________________

AUDUBON VETERAN RECEIVES LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT
AWARD FOR SOUTHWEST ACTIVISM
On 5-8-99, the Southwest Forest Alliance, the Southwest Center, and
the Arizona chapters of the Sierra Club and National Audubon
honored retired doctor Robert Witzeman with a Lifetime Achievement
Award for Environmental Excellence in the Southwest. Witzeman,
72, has spearheaded many of the region's critical environmental battles
over the last three decades. He worked to stop dams on the Salt, Verde,
Gila and San Pedro rivers in the '60s and '70s, he fought to stop
construction of telescopes in Mt. Graham red squirrel habitat in the 80's
and 90's, and recently helped convince the Rainforest Cafe to use
shadegrown instead of clearcut coffee.

Dr. Bob has been a constant inspiration and much appreciated birding
consultant to the Southwest Center and other groups.
        __________________________

CALLS NEEDED TO SLASH PREDATOR KILLING BUDGET
A federal agency called "Wildlife Services" (formerly called Animal
Damage Control ) killed 82,394 coyotes in 1997 by aerial gunning,
cyanide poisoning and leghold traps in order to "protect" privately owned
livestock industry cattle. It also killed thousands of foxes, cougars,
bobcats, bears, and badgers. The cost to taxpayers? $10 million. 

Mass killing of predators by government is not the way to protect
domestic animals.  Kansas, for example, harbors 300,000 coyotes
and has developed a low-cost program that educates ranchers to
solve their own predator problems with tools like guard dogs and
fencing.  To spur the development of alternate approaches, Reps.
Peter DeFazio (D-OR) and Charles Bass (R-NH) are sponsoring
a legislative amendment to the House Agriculture Appropriations
Bill cutting Wildlife Services' budget by $7 million, thereby severely
curtailing its extermination program.  DeFazio's defunding measure
passed the House last year, but was defeated in a rare revote 24
hours later.

Please call your state representatives, tell them to support the
Bass-Defazio Amendment to the House Agriculture Appropriations
Bill cutting the "Wildlife Services" budget by $7 million.

Capitol switchboard: (202) 224-3121

_________________________________________________________________

Kierán Suckling                               ksuckling@sw-center.org
Executive Director                          520.623.5252 phone
SW Center for Biological Diversity   520.623.9797 fax
http://www.sw-center.org                 pob 710, tucson, az 85702-0710