--------------------------------------------------
From: "Public News Service" <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thursday, January 14, 2010 7:57 AM
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Public News Service-INS story for January 14, 2010 Prairie Pothole 
Study: Corn Et

> Public News Service-IA
>
> January 14, 2010
>
> Prairie Pothole Study: Corn Ethanol is Crowding Out Critters
>
> DES MOINES, Iowa - Government incentives and mandates to plant corn for 
> ethanol are bringing some unintended consequences for wildlife, according 
> to a study conducted for the National Wildlife Federation (NWF). What once 
> were native grasslands in the Prairie Pothole Region of Iowa, Minnesota, 
> North Dakota and South Dakota, are increasingly becoming corn acreage, and 
> NWF's research shows a significant decrease in grassland bird populations 
> as a result.
>
> University of Michigan graduate student Aviva Glaser is one of the 
> report's authors and researchers. As more land is dedicated to corn 
> production, she says, the populations of western meadowlarks, grasshopper 
> sparrows and upland sandpipers decline.
>
> "The increases in corn plantings have really affected the amount of 
> habitat for wildlife, and what we've seen in our study is that it also 
> affected bird populations."
>
> Farmers aren't to blame, they're just following government policy, adds 
> Glaser.
>
> "There are a lot of incentives for farmers to plant their land in corn, 
> but there aren't as many incentives to put their land in conservation."
>
> The report recommends that mandates and financial supports for corn 
> ethanol be reviewed and possibly phased out. NWF is also recommending 
> conservation programs be strengthened so farmers are financially rewarded 
> for preserving native grasslands.
>
> The full report, Corn Ethanol and Wildlife, is at 
> http://www.nwf.org/News-and-Magazines/Media-Center/News-by-Topic/Wildlife/2010/~/media/PDFs/Reports/Wildlife/01-13-10-Corn-Ethanol-Wildlife.ashx

 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
To unsubscribe from the IOWA-TOPICS list, send any message to:
[log in to unmask]

Check out our Listserv Lists support site for more information:
http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/faq.asp