Tree care for birds and wildlife makes progress

On October 30, the Cavity Conservation Initiative in partnership with West Coast Arborists held its second regional meeting, this time in Riverside, CA, to develop Best Management Practices (BPMs) for tree pruning during the nesting season and to protect habitat for birds.  Forty-eight California-based stake holders are now represented on this project.  With the except of the project’s contracted meeting moderator, Anne Fege PhD, Chair of the Community Forestry Advisory Board in San Diego, all are volunteers!  

Project leaders announced that CA ReLeaf, a Sacramento based non-profit,  has assumed the role of fiscal manager for the project.  CA ReLeaf is experienced in managing “pass-through grants” such as the $18,000 which was recently allocated by CAFIRE for the project.  These funds, in addition to a gift of $2,000 from Pomona Valley Audubon, will help to cover the first year costs.

Between now and February 2016, emphasis will be on a structure for the BMPS and in completing a search of relevant scientific literature on which to base those standards.  Meanwhile project members are seeking broad-based participation from the Audubon network as well as other civic and private entities to ensure that final products represent at least most of the needs of all stakeholders.

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