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Defenders News Briefs: Spring 2008
To Save a Sea Otter
Last year Californians generously donated more than $255,000 to the state's sea otter fund by checking a donation box on their state income-tax form. The newly established fund supports research on the threats faced by sea otters and ways to help them recover. For the donation box to appear on tax forms in coming years, a minimum of $250,000 must be received in 2008. Taxpayers who choose to mark the donation box can contribute any amount they desire, starting at $1. Defenders is working hard to ensure California taxpayers are aware of the difference they can make, and is currently collaborating with conservationist Phillippe Cousteau, who is being featured in a series of ads touting the fund throughout the state. For more information, visit www.defenders.org/seaotter/taxday.
Reward Offered in Bat Deaths
Defenders has pledged $1,000 to help the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service offer a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for killing more than 100 endangered Indiana bats in Kentucky last fall. On two different occasions, the hibernating bats at Carter Caves State Resort Park were pelted with rocks and were either crushed or drowned after being knocked into a stream. Violations of the Endangered Species Act can result in a $100,000 fine and a year in prison. Anyone with information about the bat deaths should contact the Fish and Wildlife Service at 502-582-5989. For more information, visit www.batreward.com.
Big Win Against Roads in California
Defenders' campaign to stop a six-lane toll road through San Onofre State Beach—a scenic surf spot and critical habitat for the endangered Pacific pocket mouse, southern steelhead trout, California gnatcatcher, arroyo toad and other imperiled wildlife—succeeded in February when the California Coastal Commission rejected the proposal. The highway would have effectively closed more than 60 percent of the popular park. About 50 Defenders' activists attended a public hearing to register their concerns.
