Eco Report – August 18, 2023

  Hello and welcome to Eco Report. For WFHB, I’m Julianna Dailey. And I’m Frank Marshalek. Coming up later in today’s episode, we learn about the EcoBlitz wildlife survey program monitoring biodiversity and bat populations in Indiana which discovered a new species of bee. We also get details about an upcoming forest protection roundtable as Environmental Correspondent Zyro Roze speaks with Steven Stewart, the Hoosier National Forest Program Director for the Indiana Forest Alliance. And now for your environmental reports: A letter to the Indianapolis Business Journal outlines something that would improve Indiana.  The letter was written by Larry Clemens, Indiana state director of The Nature Conservancy.His letter is in response to the recent article, “Indiana lawmakers could further dilute state wetlands protections following SCOTUS decision” [by Casey Smith, Indiana Capital Chronicle, IBJ.com, July 26]. The article did a great job of citing the benefits of wetlands, particularly their ability to catch and hold excess stormwater. As storms intensify throughout Indiana with each passing year, this is a benefit we cannot live without. What the article failed to mention is how Hoosiers reacted strongly two years ago when the General Assembly threatened to remove all state regulation from wetlands. Polling shows a majority of Hoosiers favor sensible regulatory protection of this critical resource, yet wetlands remain a target of developers with powerful connections. It’ll take a strong and sustained effort from Hoosiers across the state to ensure we don’t lose these important natural assets. —Norm Holy The New York Times reported a story about the fires on Maui that has a good outcome. Jennifer Pribble was asleep when the power line fell in the forest. She heard the generator kick in but didn’t think much of it. High winds sometimes led to electricity failures. It was normal enough. Wildfires were not even on her radar. Ms. Pribble lives at the Maui Bird Conservation Center, where she helps care for some of the most critically endangered birds in the world. Hawaii’s native birds have been decimated by disease fueled by climate change and by introduced predators like rats. The center keeps some 80 birds in enclosures in an effort to prevent their extinction. On Monday night, Ms. Pribble was the only staff member at the center, one of two in Hawaii managed by the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. As she slept, a downed line appears to have started a fire in the pine forest nearby.  Several hours later, at about 3 a.m., Ms. Pribble awoke again, this time to the thud of a large branch hitting the roof. Still unaware of the fire, she worried it might have damaged the building and went onto the back porch to check. The sky was orange and there was smoke in the air, like out in the forest, Ms. Pribble said. She went outside to see what was happening, and saw flames about 150 feet from the edge of the property. She called 911, and was told the Fire Department knew about the blaze and was assessing.  The center houses about 40 ‘akikiki, a native songbird, and about 40 ‘alalā, also known as the Hawaiian crow. ‘Alalā are e