| Summary: | Bexar Tracks began with Vol. 4, no. 1 (January 1986). It continues Newsletter (Bexar Audubon Society). S~C.(OL FOLIO QL (Ocg4 .TLI 8'1q BEXAR AUDUBON SOCIETY Volume r./, No. 1 January, 1 997 BEXAR TR CK San Antonio Texas Big \XIin on Nationwide General Permits! Thanks to the hard work of Audubon wetland activists, chapter leaders, and Audubon staff across the country, Audubon's wetlands campaign has scored a major victory by obtaining major reforms to the Army Corps of Engineers wetlands "general permit" program. We have heard repeatedly that the White House has been flooded with phone calls, faxes, and letters demanding reform of the general permit program in recent weeks. As a result of persistent advocacy by Audubon and our conservation allies, the Corps has agreed to eliminate the most egregious general permit, nationwide 26. The Corps also has agreed to make several other significant, immediate improvements to the general permit program. The End of Nationwide 26 The Army Corps has decided to rescind nationwide permit 26 completely, effective December 1998. In its current form, nationwid~ permit 26 allows the filling of up to ten acres of wetlands-an area equal in size to seven and a half football fields-without an individual permit application and without any advance public notice. Over the next two years, pending . rescission of nationwide 26, the ceiling for use of nationwide 26 will be lowered to 3 acres, and a developer will be required to provide advance notice to th~ Corps of projects affecting onethird of an acre or more. Accounts from Florida to Montana demonstrate that nationwide 26 has resulted in the destruction of tens of thousands valuable Wetland acres each year, with serious adverse individual and cumulative impacts. Narrowing and ultimately repealing nationwide 26 will not, however, automatically halt this development. Instead, this reform means that individual permit applications will have to be filed on all or most projects now authorized under nationwide 26, and the public will · ·now have an oppnrtunity to review and comment on the applications. More careful projectreview as a result of the repeal of nationwide 26 should reduce wetland losses and save thousands of wetlands acres each year. Two Cautionary Notes The Army Corps maintains that, even though nationwide 26 is environmentally destructive, some subset of the activities authorized under nationwide 26 truly do have minimal impacts and can be properly authorized under general permits. Over the next two years, as it prepares to phase out nationwide 26, the Army Corps plans to develop a package of activity-specific general permits for at least some of the actions now covered by nationwide 26. Audubon will monitor the development of these substitute general permits carefully to ensure that they avoid the environmental destruction nationwide 26 has produced. Already, various developer lobby groups already have begun to beat the drum in Congress for a "rider" to reinstate nationwide 26. Because the Army Corps' decision represents a moderate response to a glaring defect in the nation's wetlands protections, intervention by Congress would be completely unwarranted. But if the threat materializes, all those who ---"'-'·"- worked to achieve re-peal of nationwide 26 will need to go to work again to defend this success in Congress. Oth~r Issues The Army Corps also addressed a number of other issues in the general permit program, in some cases well, in other cases not. • The Corps has decided not to issue two particularly controversial new general permits which were proposed, one dealing with mining and a second which would have incorporated the swampbuster "minimal" effects exemption. • The Corps has tightened somewhat the restrictions on "stacking," the practice of using two or more general permit authorizations at one time continued on page 5 January 16 Meeting: Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail. See Page 2. BEXAR AUDUBON SOCIETY P. 0. Box 6084, San Antonio, TX 78209 2 I 0-822-4 503 Chapter of the National Audubon Society The Chapter's primary goals are to promote species and habitat conservation, and environmental education in the community. OFFICERS AND BOARD Pre~ident Vice Pr~ident T ren~urer Secret my Bonrd Member Bonn! Member Board Member Board Member Board Member Bonrd Member PMt President Harriet Wiygul 534-7505: fax 534-7319 Katie Nava-Ragazzi 804-1 116 Bill Snin 408-77 31 Joyce Pipe~ 181 -1451 Clnire Drenowatz 599-4168 Chris Dullnig 818-40 I 7 John Langnn 491 -0691 Riclmrd Pipe~ 181 -1452 Bill Woller 696-31 86 Su~an K. Hughes 532-1331: fax 532-2013 COMMITTEE CHAIRS Adopt-a-Pnrk Bill Woller 213-3281 Aud. Adventure~ Betty Minyard 344-612 8 Birdathon Kim Fluet~ch 655-0543 Con~ervntion Ridmrd Pipes 281 -2452 EnrthDny DmmBohne 738-1342 Education Katie Nnvn-Rngazzi 804-1216 Ho~pitnlily Nancy Johnson 65 5-I 3 3 8 Membership Su~an Hughe~ 5 32 -13 32 Naturnllniliative~ Debbie Reid 698-105 7 Outings Pally L~lic Pa~ztor 82 4-12 35 Progrnms Chri~ Dullnig 82 8-40 I 7 Publicity Susan K. Hughes 532-2332 SAEN Coordinntor Ru~ell Smith 7 33 -7639 Way~ ll Mean~ Bill Snin . 408-7 7 31 Rcxar Tracl~$ Editor Claire Drcnowatz 590-138 I: fax590-1369 ~eedy@txdirect .net Bexar Tracks is your newsletter. We welcome your contributions. Next paper (hard copy, fax) deadline Jan 27, electronic (diskette, email) deadline Jan 31. Please send fax or email to Claire Drenowatz, as above; diskettes and hard copy should be sent to Claire at 16407 Crested Butte, San Antonio, TX 78247. Bexar Audubon Society general meetings are held on 3rd Thursdays at 7:00 pm, at the Ruble Center, 419 East Magnolia; board meetings 2nd Thursdays at 7:00. Introductory memberships to NAS, including AUDUBON Magazine, cost only $20. Send check to BAS (payable to NAS) at address above. Note chapter code W19, and name, address, and phone number of new member. 210-733-8306 210-698-1709 210-227-6143 January 1997 Local bird sightings Wildlife Rescue & Rehab To report local water waste. Jan. Meeting: Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail A couple of years ago, Ted Eubanks and Madge Lindsay (of Texas Parks and Wildlife) conceived of the Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail, the first phase of which was completed in November. The final two have recently been funded. Madge reported to us in June 1995 ·on the early phases of the Trail. Now Ted will fill us in on what's happened since. Ted is, and has been for most of his adult life, one of the most enthusiastic, knowledgeable and active birders and Audubon members in the region. He was instrumental in the early development of High Island as a Houston Audubon Society sanctuary; set up the first statewide rare bird alert phone line; has been a driving force in Partners in Flight; and - among other things - is currently hard at work on trying to solve some of the problems in Sandhill Crane country along the Platte River in Nebraska. In 1994, Ted was elected to the Board of Directors of National Audubon to represent the members of the Southwest Region, and has been at the forefront of the campaign to make Audubon more responsive to all of its members. This campaign resulted in, among other things, the nationwide Strategic Plan, several Audubon list-serves on the internet, and the new state office for Texas. Ted probably knows more about birds, Audubon and conservation in general than most people you'll ever meet. Join us at what promises to be an exciting meeting. Meeting Specifics: Monthly meeting ofthe Bexar Audubon Society, Thursday, January 16, 1997, 7 pm. Free and open to the public. Short business meeting at 7pm, program at 7:30. Refreshments and door prizes after the meeting, approximately 8:30. Stay and socialize, and meet our guest speaker. For more information, call 822-4503. Location: Ruble Center, Trinity Baptist Church, 410 East Magnolia (between McCullough and IH-37, Hwy 281). Nearest freeway exit is North St. Mary's, off Hwy 281. Public Transportation: VJA Route 5 (St. Mary's-McCulloughNorth Star Mall) to Magnolia Street. BAS Nominations Committee Report The Nominations Committee is hard at work searching throughout San Antonio for the highest quality leadership available to serve this chapter and its membership. The committee is made up offormer BAS presidents Marge Lumpe and Walter Barfield, Friends of Friedrich President Greg Paszto1~ and current BAS Treasurer, Bill Sain. Thanks to these four individuals for undertaking this most important, and most difficult, task. If you are interested in becoming more active in your efforts to conserve wildlife and its habitat by serving the chapter, please call Bill Sain at 408-7731. There are a number of one-year officer positions and two-year at-large positions available. Come join in the excitement of leading one of the premier environmental groups in Bexar County. It is a most rewarding experience. Bexar Tracks ~· SAAS CBC Report The San Antonio Christmas Bird Count was held on Sunday, December 22. The tentative species count was 137, the lowest in recent years. Highlights inlcuded White-faced Ibis, Wild Turkey and Brown Pelican. Total numbers of individuals in most species were down. There seemed to be three caustive agents of the low numbers. • Lingering effects of the drought, as evidenced by, several dry ponds which usually get us waterfowl and shorebirds. Woody and riparian areas seemed to have birds only if there was at least a small pond. • The food crop was very poor, which is also partly a reflection of the effects ofthe drought. ~ Incr~asing urbanization of the CBC circle has given us double-wide mobile homes 'in place ofTama~lipan thorn forest and birds. Better luck next year! - Steve Hawkins, for Ernie Roney San Antonio Audubon Society Passport to Texas Texas Parks & Wildlife has created a radio series, Passport to Texas, th11t , explores the our state parks. Topics covered so far include the coastal birding trail, the golden-cheeked warbler, caving and hiking, holiday act.ivities at state parks, and birding. To date the 90-second weekday ra-. clio broadcast is heard on 54 affiliates statewide. Unfortunately, none of our local San Antonio stations carry this series. The nearest stations are KRNH in Kerrville and KVOU in Uvalde. We hope to rectify this soon and we ask each of you to call or write your favorite local radio station and urge that they air this wonderful series. For more information you can contact Kathleen Jenkins at 512-4~4-1922, or fax 512-454-2552, or e-mail her at pass-' portCI:iJio.com. Beginning in January, you can also access the Passp011 to Texas program on the TexasParks and Wildlife web site at (www.tpwd.state). Bexar Tracks BIRDS AND WILDLIFE Refuge Reporter Recommended I just received my Winter 1996 copy of the Refuge Reporter and would like to put in a plug for this very fine small publication. To quote their masthead, the Refuge Reporter is "An independent journal to increase recognition and support for the National Wildlife Refuge system." Since t4e Atlantic A,udubon Society was the first chapter of National Audubon to adopt a refuge, the Forsythe NWR near Atlantic City, I find this publication to be very interesting. Jim and Mildred Clark, the editors, travel extensively to NWRs around the country and wdte of their experiences. If you are interested in the National Wildlife Refuge System I'd suggest you try a one-year subscription ($12 for four issues, $22 for two years or eight issues). . Just mail a check payable to Refuge Reporter together with your name and address ·to Refuge Reporter, Avocet Crossing, Millwood, VA 22646-0156. For more info you can contact Jim br Mildred via phone/fax at 540-837-2152 or e-mail at · r,efrep@mnsinc . corp. A Moist Point of View Frogs are born "environmentally concerned," Kermit the Frog told Green Light, the newsletter of the Environmental Media Association, in a recent interview from his spot · in the lower-middle of the food chain. "I wish for ~ moment, every person could see the world from the point of view of the smallest' animll,l." 'I~MA says Kermit remains "one of the friendliest, most unaffected, and consistently moist celebrities you'll meet." - GrassRoots Environmental Effectiveness Network A project of Defenders of Wildlife http://www.defenders.org/grnhome.httnl To subscribe, one-line message to , listproc@envirolink.org subscribe actgreen Your Name -Mel Davidow . Atlantic Audubo1J Society, Absecon, NJ $10,000 Grants Offered Sound too good to be true? I must be going to try to sell you something, right? Wrong! The' Texas Parks & Wildlife Departments is currently accepting applications for grants of up to $10,000 to pay to assist qualified landowners in managing thier land to conserve endangered species. Help the environment and get paid for it too · . what a deal! The funds can be used for a variety of projects including habitat improvements (restoring native vegetation, prescribed burns, selective brush management, adjusting grazing rates, fire ant control, putting up bird nesting boxes) or habitat protection (construction of exclosure fences to keep livestock or deer out of sensitive areas). Funds can also be used to pay for legal expenses related to establishment of conservation easements. These are just a few examples of what the funding can be used for. TPWD will also provide some technical assistance in planning and carrying out your projects. ·'For more information contact TPWD, Endangered Resources Branch, 3000 I-35 South, Ste 100, Austin TX 78744 or call512-9l2-7011. Applications are due by March 1, 1997 -Bill Sain January 1997 General Mills to Aid Honeybee Research Note from the internet. (A little background, first. You may not be aware of it, but honeybees are in trouble, primarily due to an infestation of mites. This does not bode well for wildflowers, the critters that feed on them, honey for people and bears, pollination of many crops, and . ) From the 26 Dec. Wall Street Journal: ·The plight of the honeybee is aided by General Mills, which says it will donate 25 cents for every honeybee logo clipped from its Honey Nut Cheerios boxes and mailed to the company by the end of January. It is raising money for research toward breeding a stronger honeybee and for eliminating its chief foe, the mite. January 1997 4 -Dan Tufford Columbia, SC Bexar Tracks NEWSBRIEFS Nationwide Permit 2 6 Victory in order to avoid the need to file an individual permit application. • Unfortunately, the Corps continues to take the position that it may continue to apply a general permit in a State which has concluded that the permit violates the State's water quality standards. The Corps' approach to the "section 401 certification" issue conflicts with how the Environmental Protection Agency, and virtually every other Federal agency, interprets the Clean Water Act. • Finally, the Corps has completely failed to respond to the complaint that it is issuing new nationwide general permits without first consulting with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service about the effects of these permits on threatened and endangered species. The Corps has elected to take the plainly illegal tack of going forward with issuing the general permits and then attempting to complete "consultation" requirements under the Endangered Species Act after the fact. Next Steps Pending the return of Congress and a possible effort to roil back the - continued from page 1 general permit reforms, there are two types of actions activists can usefully take: • Thank the President and Vice President. The Clinton -Gore administration has taken a strong stand in favor of the environment and they need and deserve support on this issue. If possible, copy your Congressperson and your Senators. • Participate in the section 401 process. Over the 60-day period starting Dec.ember 13, the Corps will be seeking to obtain 401 certifications from the individual States. The Corps has committed to adding additional terms and conditions to the general permits to ensure consistency with State water quality standards. If you are interested in participating in this process, contact your State water quality agency. For more information about the revised general permit program, please contact John Echeverria, Mac Blewer, or Peter Hoffmann in the D.C. Policy Office. - NAS Wetlands Campaign 1901 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20006 202-861-2242,/ax 202-861-4290 wetlands@audubon.org, http: I /www.audubon.org/audubon New Texas State Office, New Exec Director Catriona Glazebrook has been selected as executive director of the Texas State Office of the National Audubon Society. She comes to Audubon with more than 10 years of experience in the environmental field as an environmental lawyer, policy analyst, scientist, and educator. Most recently, she has been the director of the Environmental Policy Institute, a small non-profit organization in New Hampshire as well as a faculty member at Antioch New England Graduate School and Vermont College of Norwich University. Catriona was selected through a process that included Texas chapter leaders and Jesse Grantham (Audubon's director of western sanctuaries and former Texas resident) evaluating several dozen candidates and interviewing the top several. It was an important task, and we thank Susan Hughes, Carol Wilmoth, Lynne Aldrich, Merriwood Ferguson, Richard Pipes, and Jesse Grantham. Catriona will join the Audubon staff on 6 January 1997. Please welcome her to Audubon. Bexar Tracks - Glenn Olson golson@audubon.org 5 NAS Boa1fEiection _ . - Nominations are now op~for the chapter-selected candidate'Vfrom the Southwest Region to the National Audubon Society Board of Directors. Any chapter in the Southwest Region, including Bexar Audubon, may nominate one candidate by January 31, 1997. The election to choose the regional representative to the board from among the chapter-selected candidates will be held in the spring. Nominees should be able to do the following: • Help set overall national policies. • Articulate the issues and concerns of our region. • Participate in fundraising, and maintain the fiscal integrity of National Audubon Society. • Fill the position for the three years beginning December, 1997. • Attend 4 board meetings a year, each 3 days in length. Contact a chapter officer (see box on page 2) with your questions or suggestions by January 15, 1997. Area Birding Map Planned Do you have a favorite birding spot that's off the beaten track? We'd like to know about it. In March, we hope to introduce · our new area birding map, in conjunction with other area bird-oriented organizations. Our list includes all of the obvious places: • Mitchell Lake Wetlands • Botanical Center • Judson Nature Trail • Calaveras Lake Park • Friedrich Wilderness Park • Brackenridge Park and Zoo • McAllister Pa·rk • and a couple others, but there must be other places that aren't so well known. Please tell us about your favorites, and give us directions if it's not an easy-to-find location. Call Claire Drenowatz at 590-1381, fax 590-1369, or email seedy@txdirect.net with your suggestions. January 1997 Duck Populations Soared, Buffalo Roamed Free, Condors Flew In The Southwest The continued recovery of the Nation's duck populations after decades of decline is just one wildlife success story in a year that offered many bright spots for species from buffalo to butterflies. "The American people are making an impressive effort to restore wildlife across the Nation. At year's end, we like to take a moment to reflect on some of the good news that people may have overlooked during the busy year," said Acting U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director John Rogers. Among 1996's good news stories: * An estimated 90 million ducks flew south from their northern nesting grounds, the highest figure since the Service began estimating the "fall flight" in the 1950s. Seve.ral years of plentiful rain and snowfall in primary nesting areas of the north central United States and south central Canada, along with restoration and conservation of millions of acres of wetland habitat, has boosted duck population by 34 million since 1990. * In early December, six California condors were released into the wild in northern Arizona after an absence of 72 years. The six condors, which were bred in captivity in California and Idaho, were held ·in acclimation pens at the release site for several weeks before they were set free in mid-December. The huge birds nearly became extinct during th€; 1980s and have been restored through captivebreeding in zoos and releases to their former range in California and, now, Arizona. * For the first time since the mid-19th Century, buffalo are again home on the range in Iowa amid the tall prairie grasses of the Walnut Creek National Wildlife Refuge near Des Moines. January 1997 A total of 14 buffalo were relocated to Iowa from herds at Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma and Ft. Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge in Nebraska. The Service hopes the Walnut Creek herd will reproduce and eventually number 100-150 buffalo. * Reintroduction of the gray wolf in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming and in central Idaho has been so successful that no new releases will be made in either area in 1997. In addition to the wolves released in both areas in 1995, the Service released 20 wolves in central Idaho and 17 in Yellowstone National Park in 1996. There are now 52 wolves in Yellowstone and 40 in central Idaho. Wolf recovery team leaders say that further wolf releases will be considered on a year-by-year basis. * Eighty-two young bald eagles were fledged from 58 active nest sites at the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge in Minnesota. Nine of the nests produced triplets. By comparison, in 1986, there were nine active nests, each producing only one young. * In August, biologists reported the first recorded breeding of northern fur seals on the Farallon Islands offCalifornia since 1817. Bi-ologists observed a bull, sev-eral females, and a pup on West End, a wilderness area of the Farallon National Wildlife Refuge, 30 miles west of San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge. San Miguel Island in the Channel Islands is the only other northern fur seal breeding colony in California. * About 170 whooping cranes are expected to arrive this year at Aransas National Wildlife Refuge in Texas, up from 158 last year. Only 16 whooping cranes were left in the wild in the 1940s. * Despite losses last winter caused by red tide along Florida's southwest coast, manatees are doing 6 well at the Crystal River NWR in Florida and populations may top last year's record high of 304 animals. By the end of November, 283 manatees had already congregated in the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico with more expected by the end of December. The Service helped return a wandering manatee named Sweet Pea to the wild in Florida after her sojourn and rescue near Houston. * Mississippi Sandhill Crane National Wildlife Refuge, where most of the remaining wild population of this endangered crane resides, reported a record 13 nesting pairs in 1996, the highest number of nesting pairs recorded in 30 years of monitoring. Today there are 95 Mississippi sandhill cranes in this country, 23 of them hatched in the wild, compared to only 30 in existence in 1975. * More than 250 endangered Schaus swallowtail butterflies were released into their historic habitat near Miami. The butterfly, which occurs only in Florida, was on the verge of extinction in 1991; populations have been on the rise since mosquito spraying was halted on northern Key Largo during the Schaus breeding season. * Endangered black-footed ferrets have been discovered in the Shirley Basin of Montana, where the species was reintroduced between 1991 and 1994. Surveys at Charles M. Russell refuge confirmed the presence of approximately 20 black-footed ferret kits in 7 to 9 new litters. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service manages 511 national wildlife refuges covering 92 million acres, as well as 72 national fish hatcheries. The agency enforces Federal wildlife laws, manages migratory bird populations, stocks recreational fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, administers the Endangered Species Act, and helps foreign governments with their conservation efforts. -Mitch Snow, USFWS 202-208-5634 mitch snow@mailjws.gov Bexar Tracks ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES Comments Requested on Texas Wetlands Plan Texas Parks & Wildlife is asking for comments on a draft of the Texas Wetlands Conservation Plan, which was developed on a regional basis by three Regional Advisory Groups. Five general categories of wetlands issues were identified, including education, economic incentives, conservation, private ownership, and governmental relations. Information from the three groups were combined into a single plan. If you wish to review this draft plan (approximately 60 pages) and provide comments, contact Julie Anderson, state wetlands planner, at 512-389-4328 or write to TPWD, Attn: Julie Anderson, 4200 Smith School Rd, Austin TX 78744, or e-mail julie.anderson@ tpwd.state.tx.us. In addition to the draft plan, Julie also has available a quarterly newsletter, a video describing Texas wetlands, and a Wetlands Assistance Guide for landowners. As you know, wetlands are important to both the human and wildife populations of Texas for a number of reasons. They provide flood control, water purification, and lessen hurricane damage by absorbing the storm surge. They are also a significant food source, home, and most importantly nursery for many species of birds and other wildlife. The economic impact of these wetlands is tremendous. In addition to the economic benefits derived from flood control and water purification, wetlands also support an amazing percentage of the game and commercial fisheries of the state as well as providing prime hunting and birding habitat. Additional details of the plan and the BAS and Audubon Council of Texas position' on this draft plan will be provided in next month's Bexar 7i·acks. Please call me at 408-7731 if you would like to help us review this important document and form the BAS position. .Matagorda Island NWR Resort Plans Dropped You may have read the articles and an editorial in the San Antonio ExpressNews concerning a proposed commercial resort on Matagorda Island, a barrier island with unique sensitivity. In addition, it is public land, and further, is a unit of the national wildlife refuge system. We won't go into all the details, but because of protests from Audubon members and other conservation~ minded people in the a.t:ea and nationwide, the building plan has been withdrawn-without legal battles. Sometimes protest works. It works best when people like you are informed and ready to respond. In this particular case, it was necessary for your chapter officers, and the Audubon Council of Bexar Tracks Texas, to respond for you, because there wasn't time to get a message into Bexar 7i·acks. It has been a much longer campaign, but protest also has worked in the announcement that the Army Corps of Engineers will abolish National Exemption 26, the cause of so much wetlands destruction in this country. We hope that this is one of the reasons you joined Audubon in the first place. Even if you joined only for the magazine, we hope that once in a while you'll respond to a plea for action. Outrage without action is, after all, pretty much a waste of time. 7 - Claire Drenowatz Editor Sustainable Development Rice University and the Houston Advanced Research Center are sponsoring a meeting, "Sustainable Development: Managing the Transition," March 3-5, 1997. The meeting will discuss such issues as Defining 21st Century Challenges in Sustainable Development, Achieving Ethical and Equitable Leadership, Scientific Issues and Uncertainty in Decision Making, and Population and Consumption. The meeting site is Brown Hall at Rice University in Houston. For more information, contact Judy Howell at Rice University at 713-737-5674 or jmhowell@ rice.edu, or Marilu Hastings at HARC, 281-363-7913. The Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board and many other agencies are co-sponsoring the 2nd Annual Region 6 Non-Point Source Pollution Conference. The meeting will take place March 3-5 in Austin at the Omni Hotel Southpark. The meeting will emphasize watership planning, partnerships, environmental education, new success stories, measuring success, ~;omponents of healthy streams, and funding sources. Other co-sponsoring agencies include the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission and the Lower Colorado River Authority. For details, contact the State Soil and Water Conservation Board at 817- 773-2250. - Ric Jensen, Info Specialist Texas A&M University 409-845-8571 January 1997 Bexar Audubon Society. Inc. P. 0. Box 6084 San Antonio. TX 78209 Address Correction Requested Non-profit Organization U. S. Pottage Paid San Antonio, TX Permit #590 Membership Matter~ Address Changes If you are moving, please let Bexar Audubon and N ationa! Audubon know! You may call the BAS phone at 822-4503 and leave a message. Please state your name, your old address and zip, and your new address and zip or any name change. To advise N AS of an address or name change, please call 1-800-274-4201. Operators at this number can also research questions about payment status, expiration dates, and delivery of backpacks, pocket guides, and other premiums. If you advise only NAS of your change it will eventually get to BAS, too, but in the meantime, we may have had your newsletter returned to us, incurring an additional 32 cent charge:._plus you miss your Bexar Tracks that month! Summer/Winter Address Change Many members move regularly between summer and winter homes. To encourage local participation, the NAS system is set up to transfer a member out of a chapter automatically if they move out of its ar~a. This setup leaves some chapters with members who transfer in and out each year, which can make record keeping difficult. To help members and chapters, NAS offers a service whereby members can request automatic address change twice a year, on dates specified by the member, without having their chapter changed. Members may obtain summer/winter address forms from the New York office. Freeze Chapter Some members wish to remain with a chapter indefinitely, regardless of where they move. NAS can "freeze" a member's chapter affiliation at the member's written request. Send your request to the Membership Department, 700 Broadway, New York, NY 10003. Chapter Recruitment When BAS recruits a new member for N AS, we receive additional financial benefit for local programs. If you wish to give a gift of an N AS membership, if you have a friend who is interested, or if you are reading someone else's copy and wish to subscribe for yourself, be sure to send your check for $20, payable to National Audubon Society, for a one-year introductory membership to Bexar Audubon Society, PO Box 6084, San Antonio, TX 78209. Be sure to note our chapter number, W-19. Please Print National/Bexar Audubon Joint Membership Form $20.00 Introductory Membership for Myself Name ____________ Phone +-__,.__ ___ _ Address _______________ -,-____ _ City/State/Zip --- ' --- $20.00 Gift Membership For: Name ______________ Phone+--+ --- City/State/Zip --- . $20.00 Gift Membership For: Name --- Phone \ --- + --- Address ___________________ _ City/State/Zip _________________ ___ Make check payable to National Audubon Society. Send form and check to Bexar Audubon Society P. 0. Box 6084 San Antonio, TX 78209 Local Chapter Code W-19 You may subscribe to Bexar Tracks only for $10 (US) per year. Make check to Bexar Audubon Society. 1.
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