Date: 6/6/25 8:29 am From: Doug & Nina Harr <dnharr...> Subject: Re: FW: [ia-bird] Bird habitat destruction in the name Invasive species removal for Prairie and Oak Savannahs.
I must agree with Steve Dinsmore's message about the importance of removing
invasive vegetation to many species of birds. And most interestingly, just
today The Wildlife Society (a nationwide professional organization)
happened to include a quite related article in its weekly newsletter. I
would suggest that many of you might want to read the article, using the
following link:
https://wildlife.org/qa-the-public-opinion-on-invasive-species-management/ .
Doug Harr
TWS Certified Wildlife Biologist®
& Audubon Upper Miss. River Regional Office Advisory Board member
On Thu, Jun 5, 2025 at 10:21 PM <aj...> wrote:
> Posting for Steve Dinsmore who for some reason cannot access this group.
>
>
>
> I continue to be surprised by comments like Clayton’s. As I said here a
> couple of years ago, these kinds of negative reactions to habitat
> management for birds (and other wildlife) are common, sometimes
> unfortunate, and demonstrate a short-sighted view of a very complex
> situation. Clayton’s email references two main issues, (1) oak savannah
> restoration, and (2) non-native honeysuckle removal. Here are some
> perspectives to consider on these issues:
>
>
>
> - I strongly disagree with the notion of “destruction of bird habitat”
> as used more than once in Clayton’s email. Such comments demonstrate an
> ignorance of what habitat management is all about and promote the notion
> that management equals destruction. Alteration is a more appropriate term.
> Restoring to its native state is even better. And while these alterations
> are bad for some species they are also good for others.
> - The site at Cherry Glen that Clayton references is being restored to
> native oak savannah. Personally I am thrilled at all the oak savannah
> restoration efforts at Saylorville and elsewhere. This is great for birds.
> This particular restoration site is full of Red-headed Woodpeckers and
> Great Crested Flycatchers, is great for migrant warblers (and I can see
> them better now that the forest is more open), hosts breeding Summer and
> Scarlet tanagers, etc. We need more of these efforts to restore native
> forests in Iowa.
> - Clayton’s comments about Big Creek State Park seem to reference
> efforts to combat invasive honeysuckle. For lots of reasons the spread of
> honeysuckle is bad for native wildlife. True, there are some examples of
> benefits, but on balance there are far more costs. Keeping it contained
> through aggressive removal is the best tool we have right now. Surely we
> can agree that removing non-natives like honeysuckle is a good thing?
> - Contrary to Clayton’s comments, management is not all about oak
> savannah and prairies. Wetland restoration and management (the Shallow
> Lakes effort is a great example), restoring river oxbows, restoring
> sandbars on the Missouri River, and managing flood control reservoirs for
> waterbirds are a few that come to mind. I’ll note that some of Clayton’s
> favorite birding locales benefit from these management efforts.
> - Clayton’s comment about the lack of edges is baffling. Edge habitat
> is everywhere and in a highly fragmented landscape like Iowa it will always
> be that way.
> - I applaud ALL efforts by management agencies to restore native
> habitats for wildlife. This includes the tree removal at Bays Branch,
> honeysuckle removal EVERYWHERE, oak savannah restoration, and similar
> efforts. We need more of these efforts.
> - The IOU does not need to get involved. At the 2025 spring meeting in
> Sioux City the membership approved a new mission statement as follows: “The
> purpose of the Iowa Ornithologists' Union (hereafter I.O.U.) shall be to
> develop birders to encourage bird observation, identification, and
> reporting and share a consistent, historical snapshot of birds in Iowa.”
> Nothing about habitat management. I heartily agree with what others have
> said about the need to help, and we can all do this in our own way. But IOU
> involvement is unnecessary.
> - Lastly, I am disturbed by Clayton’s seemingly selfish attitude
> towards public lands where he has always seen birds and seems to feel this
> should never change. Public lands are for everyone, not single birders. And
> the lands to which Clayton refers are at least in part intended to help
> preserve our natural resources, including birds. Comments suggesting that
> an individual’s access to see birds is more important than conserving
> native birds is therefore offensive to me. Enough said.
>
>
>
> As always, thank you for reading this email.
>
>
>
> Steve
>
> **********
>
> Stephen J. Dinsmore
>
> Professor and Chair
>
> Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management
>
> Interim Director, Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture
>
> Iowa State University
>
> 209 Science II
>
> Ames, IA 50011
>
> Phone: 515-294-1348
>
> E-mail: <cootjr...>
>
> Web: https://faculty.sites.iastate.edu/cootjr/ >
>
>
> *From:* <ia-bird...> <ia-bird...> *On Behalf Of
> *Clayton Will
> *Sent:* Wednesday, June 4, 2025 10:33 AM
> *To:* IA-BIRD <ia-bird...>
> *Subject:* [ia-bird] Bird habitat destruction in the name Invasive
> species removal for Prairie and Oak Savannahs.
>
>
>
> Hi everyone,
>
>
>
> I have held off on writing this because I know it will not be accepted by
> some but have in the past spoke with The Army Corp, Iowa DNR and the
> Naturalist for Big Creek. All relating to the destruction of bird habitat
> such as seen most recently at Lost Lake Trail - Ledges State Park at Cherry
> Glenn a couple years ago. Big Creek State Park every year even to the point
> of girdling, chemical spraying, then removing mature trees along with
> invasives on as small as one acre plots to turn into prairie.
>
> When I was young the Iowa DNR promoted the positive impact that "edges"
> had on wildlife. Today it is all about prairie and oak savannah, nothing
> else.
>
> I could go to Cherry Glenn and sit in one spot and see twenty species of
> birds including Warblers, Tanagers and Cuckoos. After the area was
> cleared of all undergrowth there has been none of these because the edges
> are gone. The same way with the walking path at Lost Lake Trail -Ledges
> which was a go to spot for me and others to see warblers in the Spring.
> This year they were few and far between after a group that thought they
> were doing the right thing cleared all the forest floor.
>
> I think IOU should get involved with input on what works for birds but
> when I was on the board told "Oh no, we can't get involved with that".
>
> Many of you have been taught in college that it's all about prairie and
> Oak Savannah but there has to be a reasonable acceptance that we are
> observing negative changes in our parks with these methods.
>
> I recently visited numerous parks such as Lacey-Keosaqua and you don't see
> the Brush Hog destruction along roadways in the parks that lay there for
> years as at Big Creek and Army Corp property. I hope they don't follow suit
> at DNR directive.
>
> When asked about large tree planting projects I'm told "We don't have
> funds for that". Yet there is plenty of money for equipment to destroy
> habitat. When asked if they were going to replant with native species to
> replace as they call "low value" berry bearing bushes, "We don't have funds
> for that". There's plenty of money for burning prairie which I don't have a
> problem with but there has to be a return to tree planting and "Edges". I
> don't understand how trees around the edges would negatively impact the
> prairie. The North end of Bays Branch in Guthrie county once had a very
> large woods/prairie area that once a Prairie Warbler was reported there.
> Now it's nothing but stumps and very few birds.
>
> IOU could have some input on this if the board would be willing to be
> proactive and ask these organizations to consider the edges we need for
> birds.
>
>
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Clayton Will
>
> Madrid
>
>
>
>
>
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