Today is one of those beautiful winter days that are mad for the chamber of commerce. The sky is crystal clear and blue with temperatures in the upper 20s and breeze as opposed to the strong winds of late. The snow only serves to round out a complete New England winter scene. The only thing wrong with the picture today is that I have a series of meetings that will keep me inside most of the day.
My work as a lobbyist has gotten very busy and keeps me hopping even during this week that the legislature has taken off. There are several issues that need attention and if I should get some free time I should start working on my summer business. One discussion that has drawn me in is the proposal to add the Barrows Goldeneye to the Maine Endangered Species list. I was skeptical of the real reason for the listing when I first heard about it last fall, and for some reason the groups that you would expect to be interested have been silent. The science behind the listing is at best sketchy based on the Audubon Christmas bird count. I was made aware of a post on the Maine Birding list serve that makes it very clear that this is an avenue to rid the world of those dreadful duck hunters and to fine them each $1000 to boot.
One of the saddest things to hear for me was when the fish and wildlife department stated that the Audubon volunteers are more reliable than hunter volunteers would be. I have frequently offered the volunteer services of groups that I work with to help in gathering biological data and am always told that volunteers are unreliable and of dubious scientific integrity. Which is fine, until I learn that the volunteer bird count is considered scientifically valid. I am not sure what to do with that information but it is disappointing to hear.
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