July 7, 2000

Cowbird parasitism info readily available

Many members of the Texas Farm Bureau reading the article “Birds of a Feather,” by TFB Field Editor Lana Robinson (June 2, 2000 issue of Texas Agriculture), regarding a landowner-led effort to control cowbird parasitism of endangered songbirds in the Texas Hill Country have called or written wanting more information.

The brown-headed cowbird is a brood parasite that lays its eggs in the nests of other birds, including the black-capped vireo and golden-cheeked warbler, for them to raise. The cowbird chick emerges to dominate feeding and, in some instances, destroys the songbirds’ eggs and/or young. Landowners, working with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, have trapping programs underway in several parts of the state.

Kirby Brown, director for private lands and habitat for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, notes that the Recovery Plan for the endangered vireo and warbler seeks to address two key points: loss of habitat and cowbird parasitism.

“In the Hill Country, the economics of wildlife, primarily deer, has resulted in many more landowners managing for deer, for populations. Better deer habitat is good vireo habitat. Landowners are the key. They’re the ones whose economies are tied to the land. That’s only going to enhance the condition of habitat. The other key is handling parasitism, so we can delist or downlist these birds. We’re getting activities out there working in this way and landowners are taking the lead. I’m very encouraged,” says Brown.

A brochure, complete with diagrams and details for building the cowbird traps, is available from TPWD. Call 1-800-792-1112, ext. 4505, toll free, or visit the agency’s website at www.tpwd.state.tx.us (Look under “Conservation”).

To set up an educational meeting on the project, contact Linda Mc-Murray, coordinator of the program for Texas Parks and Wildlife, at 512-389-4767. County Farm Bureaus interested in hosting a cowbird trapping presentation at a convention or special meeting, call Don Petty, Texas Farm Bureau’s associate director of Commodity and Regulatory Activities, at 254-751-2263.

Cuba review commission proposed
Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) has announced support for a proposal to develop a bipartisan 12-member commission to make recommendations on Cuba policy.

“We’re going into another transition in government,” Daschle recently said. “We know that we’ll have a new president, a new administration, next January. I can’t think of a better time for us to assess relations with (Cuba) and be prepared to reconsider whether or not those relations make sense right now.”

The Cuba review commission initiative, sponsored by Sens. Christopher Dodd (D-Conn.) and John Warner (R-Va.), is a pending amendment to the defense authorization legislation. It would require the president to appoint six members of the committee and Congress to appoint the remaining six.

The House is wrestling with language in the ag appropriations bill that would soften food and medicine sanctions against Cuba and other embargoed countries. The measure, introduced by Rep. George Nethercutt (R-Wash.), would prevent the U.S. from barring food and medicine exports to Cuba, Iran, Sudan, Libya and North Korea without congressional approval. Approved sanctions could not be retained for more than two years.

A vote on the defense bill and the Cuba amendment was expected at press time.

OECD terms GM crops safe
According to two Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development reports published on the Internet last week, biotech crops that have already been approved for human consumption are as safe as other food products. The reports also encourage government regulators to involve the public more when making future genetically modified crop assessments.

“Those countries that have conducted assessments are confident that those GM foods they have approved are as safe as other foods,” OCED said.

Peter Kearns, OECD’s principal biotech administrator, said the report is part of the Paris-based organization’s response to a 1999 request by the Group of 8 (G8) industrialized countries for more information on GM foods.

In addition, Kearns said that regulators and consumers are currently dealing with the first round of GM crops, and that the following round is sure to be more advanced.

“Both reports point out that the second generation of products will be a little more complex,” said Kearns. “It is very important for government safety regulators to think about what’s coming in the future.”

Quick action urged on PNTR
Now that he has House approval for Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) for China under his belt, President Clinton is calling on the Senate to take quick action, recently urging Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott to schedule a swift vote on the trade measure.

Saying it would be a “huge mistake” to hold it up any longer, the White House asked Lott and the Senate not to play politics with the bill.

“This is an extraordinarly important vote,” said White House spokesman Joe Lockhart.

Lott has said he will not rush to schedule a vote. Senate aids say a PNTR vote will most likely be held over until mid- to late-July.

Notable Quotables
“It wasn’t a very well balanced meal she threw at me.”

Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman reacting to a protester who recently threw a pie at him. Glickman, a frequent target of off-the-wall protests, had just begun his speech to the National Food Summit in Washington, D.C., when a People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) activist rushed the stage and tossed a pie at him. The PETA activist was protesting USDA’s promotion of meat as part of a healthy diet. “Tofu cream” from the pie brushed the sleeve of Glickman’s suit coat.