THE AUDUBON
NEWSLETTER
222 S. Hamilton St. / Madison, WI 53703 / 255-BIRD / http://madisonaudubon.org
Two Speakers, Many Timely Topics
Whether the issue is environmental
preservation, health, consumer safety, or
democracy and world peace, Sheldon
Rampton, our first speaker, takes on the
public relations spin-doctors. He and John
Stauber co-founded the non-profit Center
for Media & Democracy to combat the
army of hired-gun propagandists paid to
convince the public that junk food is nutri-
tious, pollution is harmless, and what's
good for big business and big government
is good for the rest of us.
Most of us don't recognize that public
relations can be insidious. PR firms are
paid handsomely to make their clients
look good; they specialize in setting up
phony citizens' groups and scientific
"experts" who spin out contrived research.
Sheldon Rampton investigates the real
story behind the hype. As editor of "The
Weekly Spin," an electronic newsletter
(spin@prwatch.org), he sifts through the
latest pronouncements to alert the public
of behind-the-scenes manipulations of our
news.
Madison Audubon is a chapter of the National Audubon Society
In the book Mad Cow USA: Could the
Nightmare Happen Here?, Rampton and
Stauber expose how modern, intensive
farming practices and the meat industry
set the table for the outbreak of mad cow
disease in Great Britain. The US rendering
industry converts "slaughtered animal
parts" into feed supplements for pigs,
chickens, fish, pets and other animals, and
those animals can in turn be converted
into protein supplements for feeding back
to cows-as well as to their own species.
Can a "mad cow" outbreak happen here?
Rampton thinks so. Rampton & Stauber's
book Toxic Sludge is Good For You: Lies,
Damn Lies and the Public Relations Industry
exposes the "science of propaganda" and
details how the news media are manipu-
lated and the American public is fed its
"opinions." Trust Us, We're Experts! contin-
ues Rampton and Stauber's exposé of cor-
porations' use of PR firms and phony
experts to convince us we have to have
what they have to sell.
Our second speaker, Fred Meyerson, is
the former Director of the Global Change
Policy Project at the Yale University
Center for Environmental Law and Policy,
and currently works for the
Environmental Protection Agency. He has
seen the effects of human population on
OF THE
MADISON
AUDUBON
SOCIETY
JANUARY 2003
Free Public Program
What: Population & Habitat
Presents: Sheldon Rampton on
Mad Cows, Toxic Sludge,
Industry vs. Science
Fred Meyerson on "Youth Bulge"
When: Tuesday, January 21, 2003
7:00 p.m. - Refreshments
7:30 p.m. - Program
Where: Bolz Auditorium, Meriter
Hospital, 124 S. Brooks St.
Madison
Parking: Meriter Hospital paid
parking ramp across the street, on
the street, or Lot 51 north of
Regent and Mills St.
natural systems worldwide, and is wor-
ried about the "Youth Bulge" - the coming-
of-age of millions of teens and young
adults ready to have children of their own.
How they plan - or don't plan - their fami-
lies will have tremendous and unprece-
dented consequences on all of us.
Please join our guest speakers for a
provocative and fascinating evening. This
program is co-sponsored by the
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Department of Wildlife Ecology. You're
invited to join Rampton and Meyerson,
MAS board members, and friends at the
pre-program dinner at Paisan's Restaurant
beginning at 5:15 p.m. Please call the office
at 608/255-BIRD (255-2473) if you have
questions.

Courtesy of U.S. Fish & Wildlife
Winter Wonderlands
Saturday, January 11:
Wisconsin River Raptors
Come watch eagles soar over the
Wisconsin River! Karl and Dorothy
Legler will lead this trip to the
Wisconsin River to search for soaring
raptors and other wintering birds.
Likely finds include Bald Eagle,
Rough-legged Hawk (hopefully a
dark phase), Red-tailed Hawks, and
JOIN MADISON AUDUBON
A Chapter of National Audubon
Introductory New membership - $20
Membership Renewal - $35
Student/Senior Membership - $15
Foreign - Add $10 in US funds
Make check payable to
National Audubon Society
Mail check to Madison Audubon Society,
222 S. Hamilton St. Suite 1,
Madison, WI 53703
Name
Address
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State Zip
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National Audubon magazine
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2 The Audubon Caws
Kestrel. Other possibilities include
Cooper's Hawk and Northern Shrike.
We will check the river and dam for
waterfowl.
You may want to bring a lunch as
the trip will last until noon. If you
have a scope bring it. Dress appropri-
ately for the weather. We will meet to
carpool and leave at 7:30 a.m. from
the parking lot of Kohl's supermarket
in Middleton at the intersection of
Allen Blvd. and Century Avenue.
Riders are expected to share expenses
with drivers. Call the leader at (608)
643-4926 only if you have questions
about the trip.
Saturday, February 1:
Winter Birds in the Arboretum
The UW Arboretum is noted for its
diversity of birds in winter. Along
with winter birds, such as chickadees,
cardinals, finches, and sparrows, there
may be robins, hawks, owls or unex-
pected birds. We will explore the edge
of Curtis Prairie and wander through
some woods looking and listening for
bird activity.
Trip leader Levi Wood has partici-
pated in the Madison Audubon bird
count in the Arboretum for a number
of years. Meet at 8:00 at the McKay
center parking lot on the side toward
Curtis Prairie. If you drive in from
MADISON AUDUBON SOCIETY
President: Joanne Herfel, 241-8009
Vice-president: Debra Weitzel, 836-4051
Goose Pond Resident Naturalists:
Mark and Sue Martin, 635-4160
Editor: Abbie Kurtz, 245-1758
abbiejkurtz@yahoo.com
Graphic design: Paul Capobianco
Printed by Roemer Printing
The mission of the Madison Audubon
Society is to educate our members and the
public about the natural world and the
threats that natural systems are facing, to
engage in advocacy to preserve and protect
these systems, and to develop and maintain
sanctuaries to save and restore natural habi-
tat.
CAWS Newsletter Subscriptions Available
I am not a member of National Audubon, but am interested in receiving The
Audubon CAWS newsletter to stay informed of chapter activities. I've enclosed
$10.00 payable to Madison Audubon Society to cover printing and mailing for
one annual year.
Mail to: Madison Audubon Soc., 222 S. Hamilton St. Suite #1, Madison, WI
53703
Mills Street, park near the McKay
Center and walk through to the South
part of the parking lot. We will be out
for two to three hours depending upon
the weather and what birds we find. It
can be cold the last weekend in January
and might be snowy or icy, so dress
warmly and wear appropriate footgear.
Any questions, call Levi at 277-7959.
Saturday, February 8:
Wetlands in Winter
This unique winter trek into the
Pheasant Branch wetland in Middleton
is a joint field trip with the Wisconsin
Wetlands Association. Dr. Galen Smith,
wetland plant specialist, will accompa-
ny us, along with others in the know.
When was the last time you thought
about wetlands in the winter? Too often
we think of wetlands as soggy, green,
and buzzing with warm weather activi-
ty. But wetlands thrive year-round, with
activity above and below the surface.
Dress for the weather and be prepared
for off-trail treks into the snow for an up
close look at wetlands in winter. We will
meet at the county gravel parking lot
along Pheasant Branch Road north of
Century Ave. in Middleton. The trip
will last from 10 a.m. until noon.
Questions? Call Wisconsin Wetlands:
608-250-9971.
THE AUDUBON CAWS is published
September through July by:
Madison Audubon Society,
222 S. Hamilton St.,
Madison, WI 53703,
(608) 255-BIRD (2473).
Birding hotline, 255-BIRM
Madison Audubon Web Page:
http://madisonaudubon.org
E-mail: masoffice@mailbag.com
E-mail services donated by Berbee
Contribution deadline is January 13
for the February issue, for which items
may be sent to Abbie Kurtz, 313
Moulton Ct., Madison, WI 53704.
abbiejkurtz@yahoo.com
 DATE TRIP LEADER
Jan. 1 Faville Grove Sunrise Tour Dave Musolf and Roger Packard
Jan. 11 Wisconsin River Raptors Karl and Dorothy Legler
Feb. 1 Winter Birds of the Arboretum Levi Wood
Feb. 8 Wetlands in Winter: Pheasant Branch Galen Smith
March 1 Late Winter Birds Aaron Stutz
March 7 Night Owls Al Shea
March 15 Early Spring Migrants Steve Thiessen
March 29 Spring Birds of Columbia Co. Tony Kalenic, Carol Anderson
Photo by Herbert Lange

March 30 Ecology of Lower Mud Lake Libby Zimmerman

April 5 Beginning Birding Al Holzhueter
April 5 Ice Age Trail Gary Werner
April 6 Tour of Faville Grove Sanctuary Dave Musolf and Roger Packard
April 10 Frogs Night Out Bob Hay
April 11 Evening at Pete Helland Wildlife Area Mark and Sue Martin
Madison April 13 Scope Day at Goose Pond Dorothy Haines
Audubon Society's April 18 Evening at Cherokee Marsh Tony Kalenic and Levi Wood
April 25 Beginning Birding Al Holzhueter
2003 Field Trips April 26 Abraham's Woods Wildflowers & Birds Todd Miller
by Ken Barmore, April 27 Birding Wyalusing Al Shea
Field Trip Coordinator May 1 Picnic Point Warbler Walk Al Schirmacher
and Field Trip Committee May 3 Birding Picnic Point Roma Lenehan & Richard Clark
members Dawn Hinebaugh, May 6 Pheasant Branch Warbler Walk Mike McDowell
Karl Legler, Aaron Stutz, and May 8 Arboretum Warbler Walk Levi Wood
Levi Wood May 9 Evening at Nine Springs Niels Rattenborg
May 10 Big Birding Day Chuck Heikkinen & Delia Unson
Here are the MAS field trips May 13 Arboretum Warbler Walk Jim Berkomen
scheduled for 2003. Mark them May 15 Arboretum Warbler Walk John Feith
on your calendar and join us on May 16 Evening at Token Creek Ed Saur
these outings. We will try to May 17 Birding Spring Green Preserve Greg Geller
stick to this schedule, but May 24 Birding Baxter's Hollow Aaron Stutz
unforeseen circumstances may May 31 Birding Governor Dodge State Park John Romano
cause changes, so be sure to June 6 Night Birds Al Shea
check for details and any June 7 Canoe Red Cedar Lake Libby Zimmerman
announcements of schedule June 7 Birding Brooklyn Wildlife Area Aaron Stutz
changes in the monthly MAS June 14 Beginning Birding Al Holzhueter
newsletter (CAWS). When car- June 15 Birds of Indian Lake Kay Burcar
pooling, riders are expected to June 19 Evening at Black Earth Prairie Kathy and Tom Brock
share expenses with drivers. June 22 Birds of Devil's Lake Chuck Heikkinen & Delia Unson
June 28 Dragonflies of Rocky Run Karl Legler
July 5 Madison Butterfly Count Karl Legler
Courtesy of U.S. Fish & Wildlife

July 12 Butterflies of Cherokee Marsh Karl Legler

July 19 Tour of Faville Grove Sue Pech
July 26 Tour of Goose Pond Prairie Mark & Sue Martin
Aug. 9 Birding at Nine Springs Jesse Peterson
Aug. 23 Fall Shorebirds Steve Thiessen
Sept. 6 Fall Birding at Picnic Point Roma Lenehan and Marty Evanson
Sept. 13 Madison Natural Areas Birding Aaron Stutz
Sept. 14 Grasshoppers Kathy Kirk
Courtesy of U.S. Fish & Wildlife

Sept. 20 Bird Banding at Picnic Point Mara McDonald

Oct. 4 Mushroom Meander Diane Derouen and Tom Volk
Oct. 19 Scope Day at Lake Farm Park Dorothy Haines
Oct. 26 Fall Birding Tour Karen Etter Hale
Nov. 1 Lake Michigan Birding Aaron Stutz
Dec. 5 - 7 Northern Wisconsin Birding Trip Aaron Stutz
Dec. 6 Madison Lakes Al Shea
Some of the birds one may see on
Dec. 14 Madison Christmas Bird Count Tony Kalenic and Carol Anderson
MAS field trips include Saw-whet Jan. 1, 2004 Sunrise Tour of Faville Grove Dave Musolf and Roger Packard
Owl (top), Wood Duck (middle) and
American Woodcock (bottom).

January 2003 3
WBCI Statewide
Conference -
February 4-5, 2003
by Karen Etter Hale, WBCI Chair
A statewide Wisconsin Bird
Conservation Initiative (WBCI) meeting
has been set for Tuesday and
Wednesday, February 4-5, 2003 at the
Westwood Center in Wausau. This will
be a working meeting that will kick off
development of a State Action Plan for
"all-bird" conservation by focusing on
identifying Important Bird Areas (IBAs)
in Wisconsin's major habitats: wetlands
and shorelines; forests and barrens;
prairies, savannas, and agricultural
lands; and urban habitats.
WBCI has been progressing rapidly
on several fronts as all ten committees
(Research and Monitoring, Habitat
Assessment and Management along
with 4 habitat subcommittees,
Outreach, Issues, IBAs, and Bird-related
Recreation) are now up and running.
Since August, we have also had a full-
time coordinator, Andy Paulios, on
board, working through WDNR.
This will be an excellent chance for
the 108 WBCI partners, and others who
care about birds, to come together to
work on enhancing Wisconsin's bird
life. For more information, contact
Karen Etter Hale,
masoffice@mailbag.com, or
608/255-BIRD.
Wisconsin Land Legacy
Report Draft Unveiled
by Karen Etter Hale,
Executive Secretary
The Wisconsin DNR (WDNR) has
completed a draft of the Wisconsin
Land Legacy Report, which identifies
228 "Legacy Places." These are the spe-
cial lands and waters, identified over
the past three years with extensive
input from the public and WDNR staff,
that make Wisconsin "Wisconsin."
These are the places that will be critical
in meeting Wisconsin's conservation
and recreation needs over the next 50
years. Steve Miller, WDNR Land
Division Administrator, writes "While
the report describes each place in detail,
it does not identify how or when
Legacy Places should be protected or
4 The Audubon Caws
who should protect them. This report is
meant to foster those discussions over
time at the local and state level among
citizens, government agencies, nonprof-
it groups, businesses and many other
organizations with a stake in these spe-
cial places."
I attended the "unveiling" ceremony
November 20, representing Audubon
as well as the Wisconsin Bird
Conservation Initiative. It is an impres-
sive report, loaded with great maps,
data, and information. Many organiza-
tions, including ours, will be taking a
close look at this tremendous resource
to see how it fits in with our land
preservation priorities, and how we
might help protect some of the "Legacy
Places" described in the study.
I encourage anyone who is interested
in commenting on the draft report to
obtain a copy. It is available in two for-
mats: black-and-white hard copy and
compact disk (CD). The report has
many full-color maps and figures,
which are more difficult to interpret in
black-and-white. The CD has all the
maps and figures in color. Given the
size of the report (approximately 230
pages, 11"x17"), it will be much less
expensive for WDNR to send you a CD,
plus the final report will be published
in color. If you are interested, you can
request a copy (be sure to specify CD or
black-and-white hard copy) via e-mail
(Land.Legacy@dnr.state.wi.us), phone
(608/266-0823), or letter (Land Legacy -
LF/4, WI Dept. of Natural Resources,
PO Box 7921, Madison, WI 53707-
7921).
The deadline for sending comments
to WDNR is January 24, 2003. Specific
questions can be directed to John
Pohlman, WDNR, 608/264-6263 or
John.Pohlman@dnr.state.wi.us
Wisconsin - Land of Waters
by Karen Etter Hale,
Executive Secretary
Wisconsin is blessed by an abun-
dance of water: we sit at the headwa-
ters of both the Mississippi River and
the Great Lakes systems, we have over
15,000 lakes, 12,600 rivers and streams
totaling 44,000 miles, 5.3 million acres
of wetlands, and an estimate 2
quadrillion gallons of groundwater.
These are resources we have always
cared deeply about, but which we have
also taken for granted - but no longer.
In October, over 700 people came
together at a "Waters of Wisconsin"
conference, the culmination of a two-
year statewide effort by the Wisconsin
Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters
that involved hundreds of people in
examining the status and sustainability
of Wisconsin's aquatic ecosystems and
resources. The conference brought
diverse people together to start laying
the groundwork for "a comprehensive
long-term policy for sustaining
Wisconsin's waters." As Luna Leopold,
one of Aldo Leopold's sons, states
"Water is the most critical resource
issue of our lifetime and our children's
lifetimes. The health of our waters is the
principal measure of how we live on
the land."
We were asked to consider many
questions: Can you imagine
Wisconsin's waters in the year 2075?
How healthy will our aquatic ecosys-
tems be? Are our water policies ade-
quate to meet the needs of the future?
What is the current status of our
waters? Do our decisions and policies
recognize the value of our waters for
both humans and the diversity of
native species, communities and land-
scapes they support? Is there equitable
access to water? What do we need to do
to make sure our waters are sustain-
able? Another intriguing question was
whether we know what our "water-
shed" address is.
The year 2002 marked the 30th
anniversary of the Clean Water Act.
The year 2003 has been proclaimed the
"Year of Water" in Wisconsin and the
"International Year of Freshwater" by
the United Nations. Not only will there
be many efforts over the next year to
preserve and protect Wisconsin's
waters, but there will be numerous
events held to, in the words of the
Academy, "celebrate, through art, poet-
ry, and music, the importance and
beauty of water in our lives, to remind
ourselves why this precious and endan-
gered resource must be protected - now
and in the future."
What will you be doing for
Wisconsin's waters in the coming year?
Population & Habitat
Living in the
Sixth Extinction
Reprinted with permission
from Population Press, vol. 8 #4,
October 2002
What does it mean to be living in the
sixth extinction? Over the last two gen-
erations, America has lost 50% of its
wetlands, 85% of its old growth forests,
and 99% of its prairie. That means there
were landscapes and animals my
grandparents saw that my parents
could not, ones that my parents saw
that I cannot, and ones that I have seen
that my son will not. What do I tell my
son about the world he inherits? I can
tell him there were once sparrows that
sang in London's Hyde Park, but now
the park is quiet. I can tell him there
were once frogs croaking in the moun-
tains above our house, but now they are
gone forever. I am saddened to have to
tell him that his world is ecologically
poorer than it was for me, my parents,
my grandparents.
Life on Earth has ebbed and flowed
throughout the history of our planet.
Mostly life has flourished over the last
500 million years in fantastic diversity
and profusion. However, there have
also been times of great destruction,
what are called Extinction Periods,
when large portions of life have died.
There have been five such periods in
the history of Earth, and each was
caused by catastrophic events that dis-
rupted the fragile balance of the global
ecosystem -- an asteroid collision or
massive volcanic activity. Extinction
Periods are marked by sharp declines
in oxygen-producing plants, such as
trees in tropical and temperate forests,
and ocean-based phytoplanktons and
kelp. They are also marked by the
death of large percentages of animals
living in various ecosystems.
Scientists have recently had a star-
tling revelation about the state of our
world today. Over the last century, the
biodiversity of the entire planet has
decreased by 20% in the oceans and
15% on the land. Rain forests have
decreased in size by 85% and temperate
forests by 80%. "We are confronting an
episode of species extinction greater
than anything the world has experi-
January 2003
enced for the last 65 million years,"
reported Dr Peter Raven, Director of
the Missouri Botanical Gardens. We
find ourselves living in a sixth extinc-
tion period.
This Sixth Extinction is being caused
by the activities of a single species:
Humans. Human overpopulation and
overconsumption are the culprits of this
current catastrophe. We are cutting
down the temperate and tropical forests
faster than they can regenerate. We are
releasing carbon dioxide and other
greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere,
causing a rise in global temperatures,
melting of the polar ice caps, and pro-
found changes in the climate. With
human population still growing, along
with demand for water, food and
goods, we are destroying more and
more habitats vital for other species, as
well as overfarming and overgrazing
once fertile land into wasteland.
Species we thought were not threat-
ened are disappearing at alarming
rates. For example, just this year, sever-
al species of sparrows that populated
towns and the countryside of Great
Britain have nearly vanished. Residents
of London didn't realize the birds were
in trouble until people started noticing
that Hyde Park was silent of bird songs.
North Atlantic fishing industries have
collapsed in recent years, as once plenti-
ful cod and wild salmon are nearly
gone. The North Atlantic bottlenose
dolphin and the Atlantic Pilot Whale
are also near extinction. Wild pandas
are barely hanging on. All great cat
species are either threatened or endan-
gered. Amphibian populations around
the world in a state of total collapse.
The list goes on and on.
Why should we care about sparrows,
dolphins and lions, much less lowly
plants and phytoplankton? Mohamed
El-Ashry, the CEO of the U.N. Global
Environment Facility, describes biodi-
versity as being like a wooden house
we live in. We have been pulling pieces
out here and there and burning them to
stay comfortable. We can continue this
for some time without a noticeable
change, but gradually the cold seeps in
and we need more wood to maintain
our comfort level. However, we do not
fully understand the design of the
house, so we may one day remove a
piece that brings the whole structure
down on our heads. We don't know
how many pieces we can remove until
it collapses.
The current rate of species extinction
is so fast that turning a few hundred
acres into conservation reserves will not
solve the problem, important as those
reserves are. To avoid bringing our
entire house down, we have to stop
burning the boards. While we huddle
around the fire, this reasoning may
seem illogical. But tearing down our
walls can in no way be considered sus-
tainable. We must remember, it is the
house that protects us.
Extinction is forever. Biodiversity is
not a house we can rebuild. However, if
we act quickly to stem the future dam-
age of this extinction period, then we
will give our children a chance to sur-
vive it, and the world a chance to heal.
The most important and most difficult
tasks will be to stop population growth
and unsustainable use of natural
resources.
We must realize that for all our tech-
nological prowess, humans rely upon
the house we call Earth to survive. We
need specific environmental conditions
to survive, and if we destroy those con-
ditions, we will go the way of the
dinosaurs. Extinction periods only
end when the cataclysm causing the
damage is gone. We are the cataclysm.
As Virginia Morell of National
Geographic points out, "the sixth
extinction is not inevitable. If humans
are the cause, they can also be the solu-
tion."
Courtesy of U.S. Fish & Wildlife
The California Condor is one of the most
famous birds listed on the U.S. Fish &
Wildlife Service’s Endangered Species List.
5

Ethanol Plant
Threat Loses Steam:
Proposal Tabled
Indefinitely
by Marsha Cannon
On December 9, 2002 the Arlington
Village Board took no action on the vil-
lage Plan Commission's unanimous
recommendation to "indefinitely table
the application by United Wisconsin
Grain Producers (UWGP) to locate an
ethanol plant in the village industrial
park until such time as UWGP obtains
all state and federal permits to operate
on the proposed site." This leaves the
application tabled indefinitely at the
Plan Commission level.
Thus, after more than seven months
of legal wrangling, the ethanol plant
conditional use permit application
review process initiated on April 22,
2002 came to a quiet but very happy
ending.
A costly lesson
Unfortunately, the ethanol plant
debate proved to be a costly lesson for
What you can do!
Contribute to the
MAS Legal Defense Fund
_____ Yes! I want to help cover legal
costs of defeating the Arlington
ethanol plant proposal. Here is my
donation to ensure expert legal
advice is available to protect Madison
Audubon wildlife sanctuaries, now
and in the future.
Name___________________________
Address_________________________
City__________________State ______
Zip_________ Phone______________
$50______ $100______ $250______
$500_____ Other_____
Please make check payable to
Madison Audubon Society Legal
Defense Fund. Mail to: Madison
Audubon Society, 222 S. Hamilton-
Suite #1, Madison, WI 53703.
Donations are tax deductible to the
extent provided by law.
6 The Audubon Caws
both Arlington and Madison Audubon.
Village residents and elected officials
became polarized during the debate,
and the wounds will take time to heal.
The MAS Board committed immedi-
ately to protecting Goose Pond, and we
are proud to have staved off a plant
that would change forever the neigh-
boring community and our sanctuary.
Madison Audubon's cost for open
records requests, copying complex doc-
uments, assembling a team of expert
witnesses and documenting their testi-
mony, and a myriad of other legal ser-
vices amounts to over $60,000.
In spite of the cost, by becoming
involved at the beginning of the
process, we found a large core of
friends in the village, appear to have
defeated the project, and saved the
even greater expense of fighting the
project in court. It is significantly more
difficult, if not impossible, to overturn
municipal action after it has been taken.
It is unlikely that UWGP will come
back to Arlington. Obtaining federal
and state permits for an ethanol plant
can cost $150,000 or more.
Madison Audubon appreciates that
Village of Arlington officials came to a
logical conclusion and opted to protect
their community. We are grateful to
residents who formed Concerned
Citizens of Arlington to oppose siting
the plant within the village limits. We
also wish to thank expert witnesses
who testified about procedural options
available to the Village and the effects
the plant would have on Goose Pond.
MAS board and chapter members
spent countless hours reading through
Photo by Mark Martin
Photo shows
the Jackson
Family. The
ethanol plant
was proposed
to be in line
with the water
tower, half way
between the
water tower and
Goose Pond.
public records, learning about ethanol
production and its effects, attending
meetings of the Plan Commission,
meetings of the Village Board, meetings
with UWGP representatives and con-
sulting with our legal team at Solheim,
Billing and Grimmer. Special thanks go
to Attorneys Jeanette Lytle and David
Billing for orchestrating Madison
Audubon's strategy.
New developments
Recently Margaret Ruesch of
MeggPro Solutions, LLC of Sun Prairie
applied for a permit to operate a metal
recycling facility in the old DelMonte
headquarters building. Another payoff
of the ethanol debate is that a more
knowledgeable Village Board gave the
application fairly close scrutiny, asking
about heavy metal contamination,
smelting, dust and traffic aspect of the
operation. MeggPro described the recy-
cling process as a "closed system" using
only 170-degree water.
Although the Board failed to seek
outside expert advice about the pro-
posed MeggPro operation, they did
insist on four conditions: (1) no water
discharge except bathroom waste into
the village wastewater treatment plant;
(2) the village will consider other waste-
water discharge, but requires testing at
the business's expense, to protect the
village treatment plant; (3) operations
are limited to metal washing, "densify-
ing" (compacting) and briquetting
(forming into small bricks); and (4)
MeggPro must pay the cost of profes-
sional fees incurred by the Village from
the date of application through issuing
the conditional use permit.
MeggPro plans to begin operations in
January 2003. Initially they will occupy
rented space, but eventually plan to
construct a building on a 2-acre lot in
the industrial park. At that time anoth-
er conditional use permit would be
required.
More industry to come
Today, the industrial park developer
is under pressure to fill the park by
2006 to meet financial obligations,
according to the terms of the Tax
Incremental Financing district. Village
water bills are among the highest in the
state due to unused wastewater treat-
ment capacity, and new water users are
needed to share the cost. We can
expect a number of conditional use
applications in the future.
In 1999, the Village bought the for-
mer DelMonte canning plant site,
including the water tower. They want-
ed to control future development but
couldn't afford to develop the site. So,
they kept the water tower and upgrad-
ed the existing wastewater treatment
plant. The remaining land and build-
ings were sold to MR/BK. The village
also established a 200-acre Tax
Incremental Financing (TIF) district,
including the DelMonte site and adja-
cent farmland.
Shall we breathe a sigh of relief now
that the ethanol threat appears to have
passed? For awhile. But Madison
Audubon and local residents must
remain vigilant. Future industrial
development could bring air and water
pollution as well as increased runoff
from roofs and pavement. Goose Pond
resident manager Mark Martin and the
industrial park owner have begun dis-
cussions about a plan to protect Goose
Pond from industrial park runoff. Stay
tuned!
MAS has an
account at the
Madison
Recycling Center
on Fish Hatchery
Rd. Remember
MAS next time
you recycle.
January 2003
Genorosity in January
ACRE MAKER
In Memory of William Hambley
Evelyn Batchelor
Powers-Wolfe Charitable Trust
MY OWN VISION
Janet Battista
Bruce Connelly
Diana & Grant Cottam
Betty Perego
Donald Schmidt
GIFTS IN MEMORY OF A PERSON
In Memory of James Brandt
Ruth Deppe
Friends and Family Members
Jodi Fuerbringer
Beverly & Edward Koeppel
David & Frances Tillotson
Ellen M. White
In Memory of Charles H. McLean
Esther & Kenneth Berliant
Virginia & William Chapman
Edna & Richard Stark
In Memory of John Smail
Helen Ranney
Marilyn & Edward Schten
Margaret & Kurt Stege
Diana & Thompson Webb
In Memory of Ruth Wynn
Karen & Austin McNey
GIFTS IN HONOR OF A PERSON
In Honor of Carol Liddle
Margaret Leslie Demuth
In Honor of Nancy Ludwig
Harry Ludwig
Susan Pirocanac
In Honor of Mark & Sue Martin
Arlys Caslavka
YES! I want to make the Madison
Audubon Society’s vision a reality.
Here is my contribution to the
Wildlife Sanctuaries Campaign.
[ ] Acre Maker. $2000 or more to buy and restore
another acre of land.
[ ] Half-Acre Maker. $1000-$1999.
[ ] Quarter-Acre Maker. $500-$999.
[ ] Adopt An Acre. I pledge $100 a year for three
years ($300 total). Here is my first installment.
[ ] Nest Egg. I pledge $50 a year for three years
($150 total). Here is my first installment.
[ ] My Own Vision. $ to help sanctuaries
as much as possible.
[ ] My Gift $_____for MAS Program Support (i.e.
Education & Newsletter)
Direct my gift to:
[ ] Where it will help the most
[ ] Endowment fund to restore and
maitain the sanctuaries.
[ ] Land acquisition at Faville Grove.
[ ] Land acquisition at Goose Pond
[ ] MAS Program Support
Name
Address
In Memory of
In Honor of
For Gifts Honoring Another, send acknowledge-
ment to (name and address)
Contributions will be acknowledged near the
Madison Audubon Information Board at Goose
Pond as follows: $1,000 or more-name will appear
on a permanent plaque; $250-$999-name will
appear on engraved paving brick.
[ ] Do not acknowledge in Madison Audubon
Society Newsletter, CAWS.
Make checks payable to:
Madison Audubon Society
Mail to:
Madison Audubon Society
222 S. Hamilton Street, Suite #1
Madison, WI 53703
Gift is tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.
Madison Audubon Society’s financial statement is
available upon request.
7
 Madison Audubon Society, Inc.
Joanne Herfel, President
222 S. Hamilton St. Suite #1
Madison, WI 53703
Who Cooks for
Poor Sam Peabody?
Wisconsin Bird Songs CD
Gives the Word on Birds
Birdwatchers often resort to mnemon-
ics when trying to remember bird songs.
Some common bird song mnemonics
like "Who cooks for you all?" for the
Barred Owl and "Poor Sam Peabody?"
for the White-throated Sparrow are
familiar to many birders. A new audio
CD "Bird Song Ear Training Guide: Who
Cooks for Poor Sam Peabody?" by a
Madison birdwatcher aims to help oth-
ers recognize bird sounds and includes
these and nearly two hundred other
bird songs and memory aids. This CD of
Wisconsin birds is organized in a quiz
format, with a short narration following
each call.
John Feith has been watching birds for
over seven years and participates in
yearly breeding bird surveys around
Wisconsin. Since birds are often hidden
from view, birdwatchers who can recog-
nize bird songs have a huge advantage
over those who can't. "It's like being able
to see through leaves and branches and
it adds another layer of enjoyment to
Timely Topics
See page 1
nature walks. Once you tune in to bird
sounds you immediately begin to pay
more attention to birds wherever you
are," Feith notes.
CDs (ask for product #53476) are
$16.45 each, including shipping and
handling. Profits will be donated to The
Nature Conservancy and the Wisconsin
Society for Ornithology. More details,
sample audio clips and ordering infor-
mation are available at
www.caculo.com/birdsongs or contact
John Feith, 1225 East Mifflin St.,
Madison, WI 53703, feith@charter.net, or
608-258-8359.
Milwaukee Audubon
Society Presents Natural
Landscaping Conference
Milwaukee Audubon's 23rd annual
Natural Landscaping Conference
"Habitat and a Sense of Place" will be
held Saturday, February 8, 2003 from
8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the UW-
Milwaukee Union, 2200 E. Kenwood
Blvd., Milwaukee. Session topics include
native orchids, woodland
restoration/gardens, small urban wild
Non-profit organization
U.S. Postage Paid
Permit No. 1831
Madison, Wisconsin
1/03
MAS Calendar
at a Glance
Saturday, January 11:
Wisconsin River Raptors
Saturday, February 1:
Winter Birds in the Arboretum
Saturday, February 8:
Wetlands in Winter
yards, maintenance, landscape design,
water/wetland gardens, starting plants
from seeds and division, an educational
track for educators, community action
and, of course, prairie plantings. Also
featured are over thirty exhibitors and
the urban naturally landscaped yard of
Shorewood poet Sally Tolan. The
keynote address, "Ancient Pathways to
the Future", will be by arborist and
activist Jim Uhrinak.
The cost is $40 per person before
February 1 or $45 per person after
February 1 and at the door. For more
information, please contact the
Milwaukee Audubon Society office at
262/375-1565 or
milwaudubon@core.com