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AZ Senate passes repeal of 1864 near-total abortion ban; Campus protests opposing the war in Gaza grow across CA; Closure of Indiana's oldest gay bar impacts LGBTQ+ community; Broadband crunch produces side effect: underground digging mishaps.

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Campus Gaza protests continue, and an Arab American mayor says voters are watching. The Arizona senate votes to repeal the state's 1864 abortion ban. And a Pennsylvania voting rights advocate says dispelling misinformation is a full-time job.

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Bidding begins soon for Wyoming's elk antlers, Southeastern states gained population in the past year, small rural energy projects are losing out to bigger proposals, and a rural arts cooperative is filling the gap for schools in Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

Farm Bill Conservation Programs Help Maryland's Birds

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Monday, August 21, 2017   

ANNAPOLIS, Md. – While the Farm Bill is crucial policy for agriculture, it's also quite literally for the birds.

The "State of the Birds 2017" report from the North American Bird Conservation Initiative says farm bill conservation programs are helping farmers and ranchers keep their land productive, while supporting birds and other wildlife species.

Two-thirds of the land in the lower 48 states is privately owned, and Andrew Schmidt, agriculture policy program manager for the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, says it provides critical habitat.

"If you look at migratory birds, they're certainly not coming down that flyway avoiding private lands,” he points out. “So, how do we create that habitat throughout their range to allow those birds and species to thrive, keeping birds off the endangered species list, keeping common birds common?"

Schmidt says conservation provisions in the Farm Bill have helped stabilize populations of grassland birds, including Maryland's beloved eastern meadowlark.

The report notes that grassland birds suffered a nearly 50 percent population drop before grassland easements were introduced in 2003.

The report makes recommendations for the 2018 Farm Bill, including increased funding for the voluntary, incentive-based conservation programs that benefit farmers and ranchers as well as grasslands and wetlands.

Schmidt explains habitat work goes hand in hand with soil and water quality improvements.

"If you're trying to create good grassland habitat, that habitat is going to restore that landscape to its native plant community, which by extension will also assist with soil health, nutrient runoff and water quality and quantity issues," he states.

Other recommendations include working with individual states to improve the impact of conservation programs on priority wildlife species, and monitoring and evaluating the programs over time to maximize efficiency.






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