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Klobuchar Leads Letter Urging Department of Interior to Protect Waterfowl from Harm after Oil Spill

Waterfowl hunting, birding contribute tens of billions of dollars to economy

July 1, 2010

Washington – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar led a bipartisan group of seven senators in sending a letter to Interior Secretary Ken Salazar today, calling for a coordinated effort to protect the habitat of the migratory bird population in light of the Gulf oil spill.

“As we’ve seen, oil covered habitats pose a serious threat to the birds that are already in the Gulf,” Klobuchar said in the letter. “With millions of additional birds headed to the area soon, the problem will become more acute and our wildlife – and hunting and birding communities – could face severe harm if we do not treat this issue with a great sense of urgency.”
 
Earlier this week, Klobuchar convened a group of Minnesota waterfowl experts to assess the potential impact of the BP oil spill and what can be done to protect migratory birds and their habitats. Minnesota is home to more than a million waterfowl, including loons, ducks, and geese.

Klobuchar authored legislation with Senators Mark Begich (D-AK) and Ron Wyden (D-OR) that requires oil companies to set aside money in a fund to address damages and claims from major oil spills. It would help streamline the process by which individuals, businesses and organizations seek funding to restore the migratory bird and waterfowl habitat. Klobuchar had previously called on BP to establish a fund to compensate the individuals and businesses harmed by the Gulf oil spill, helping prompt the oil company to agree to pay $20 billion into an independently controlled escrow account.

Full text of the waterfowl letter is below:

July 1, 2010

The Honorable Ken Salazar
Secretary
U.S. Department of Interior
1849 C Street Northwest
Washington, DC  20240

Dear Secretary Salazar,

As you and the Department of Interior (DOI) work to help stop the Gulf oil leak and clean up the Gulf Coastline, we urge you to ensure there is proper coordination between the Unified National Command, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and other organizations working on the ground to protect the habitat of our nation’s migratory bird population.  It is also important that you assess whether DOI and the National Incident Command have adequate capacity to assess wildlife impacts and to mitigate the threat to habitats in the Gulf.

Nationally, waterfowl hunting, birding, and related activities contribute tens of billions of dollars to the U.S. economy and to our respective states’ economies every year.  An estimated 13 million ducks and 1.5 million geese historically winter along the Gulf Coast and their migration to the coast is rapidly approaching.  As we’ve seen, oil covered habitats pose a serious threat to the birds that are already in the Gulf.  With millions of additional birds headed to the area soon, the problem will become more acute and our wildlife – and hunting and birding communities – could face severe harm if we do not treat this issue with a great sense of urgency.

As you know, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has personnel on the ground leading wildlife survey teams as well as the Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration Program, which will estimate the restoration costs associated with the ecosystem’s recovery.  Additionally, countless conservation organizations have been helping survey the coast for birds and wildlife that are threatened by the toxic oil on the water and the coastline.  As bird and waterfowl populations begin to migrate to the Gulf in the coming weeks and months, it is important that both government and non-profit resources are coordinated.  Additionally, to ensure the marshes, beaches, and estuaries in the Gulf are able to serve their role of providing a winter habitat for our states’ birds and waterfowl, it is important that a thorough assessment of the plan to cleanup and protect these valuable ecosystems is made. 

We strongly support your efforts as you do everything in your power to stop the oil spill and protect our nation’s coastline and wildlife habitats.  We urge you to work closely with the National Incident Command to ensure that damage from this disaster does not permanently harm our nation’s migratory bird populations.  Thank you again for your efforts and we look forward to working with you to address this important issue.

Sincerely,

Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)
Kent Conrad (D-ND)
George Voinovich (R-OH)
Blanche Lincoln (D-AR)
James Inhofe (R-OK)
Ben Nelson (D-NE)
Russell Feingold (D-WI)

Cc:       Admiral Thad Allen, National Incident Commander
            Deepwater Horizon Response

Rowan Gould, Acting Director
            U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

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