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<div align="center"><font face="Times New Roman, Times" size=4></font><font face="tahoma" size=2><b>From:</b>
bcalist-bounces@lists.abcbirds.org [<a href="mailto:bcalist-bounces@lists.abcbirds.org" eudora="autourl">mailto:</a>bcalist-bounces@lists.abcbirds<a href="mailto:bcalist-bounces@lists.abcbirds.org" eudora="autourl">.org</a>] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Jennifer Arnold<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Tuesday, January 23, 2007 12:15 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> bcalist@lists.abcbirds.org<br>
<b>Subject:</b> [BCAlist] Help Stop the Lead Poisoning of Threatened Albatrosses onMidway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge <br><br>
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At the November Bird Conservation Alliance meeting, BCA members were alerted to the situation on Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge, where government buildings are shedding lead-based paint that is being eaten by Laysan Albatrosses. Jennifer Arnold, Seabird Program Director for ABC, has been working on this issue, but while some progress is being made the federal government is being slow to respond. ABC is now initiating a public action campaign, through which we are asking the public to e-mail the President to demand that funding for clean up of the buildings is forthcoming in his 2008 budget. BCA member organizations can help by spreading word to their own members.<br><br>
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Midway is home to the world's largest breeding colony of Laysan Albatrosses, a species already listed as globally vulnerable to extinction. Lead poisoning from the peeling paint is predicted to kill 100,000 of these magnificent ocean wanderers in the next ten years unless action is taken soon.<br><br>
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Midway is part of the newly designated Northwest Hawaiian National Marine Monument, yet ABC staff have been informed that insufficient funds are available to clean up this catastrophe. This situation must be changed now!<br><br>
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The cost for removing the lead paint from the buildings is $5.6 million. It is the responsibility of the federal government to clean up the hazard posed by their buildings on a wildlife refuge that is now part of a national monument. <br><br>
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Please encourage your members to visit <a href="http://www.albatrossaction.org/">www.albatrossaction.org</a> to send an automatically-generated email to President Bush.<br><br>
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This is just one facet of the campaign to rid Midway of lead paint, but we believe a big response will increase the public pressure that we can exert through the media on the government.<br><br>
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For more information visit <a href="http://www.albatrossaction.org/">www.albatrossaction.org</a> or contact Jennifer Arnold at <a href="mailto:jarnold@abcbird.org">jarnold@abcbird.org</a>. <br><br>
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