Will The Oregon Occupation Ruin Bird Habitat?

[phantom power]

The employees of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge have not been able to go back to their desks ever since the armed occupation started earlier this month.

They’ve been able to do much of their work off-site, but some important stuff is being left undone.

That includes the effort to eradicate an invasive fish from the refuge’s waters.

The common carp arrived in the refuge in the 1920s and multiplied like mad, crowding out native species and severely messing up the habitat.

Linda Beck is a fisheries biologist at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, and she spoke with Morning Edition host Geoff Norcross about how the occupation is disrupting the refuge’s important work.

Geoff Norcross: What were you planning to do about the carp this month that you haven’t been able to do because other people are in your office?

Linda Beck: Well, we were planning on fixing and doing some repairs to a trap on the Blitzen River, which is our northernmost dam on the river. And that, in the first year of operation, stopped 30,000 carp from going up the Blitzen River.

GN: What could possibly happen?

LB: Potentially we could be set back all the improvements we made in the last three years with controlling carp.

http://www.opb.org/news/series/burns-oregon-standoff-bundy-militia-news-updates/oregon-burns-occupation-birds-habitat/

[valerief]

1. I wonder if they're shooting birds for fun. nt

[phantom power]

2. To the best of my knowledge they haven't fired on anything to date...

Human, animal, or property.

Of course, they've bulldozed some new roads for themsleves. And just by being there, with their guns, they're keeping law abiding employees and citizens out.

[KamaAina]

3. Well, the occupiers certainly are birdbrains

[world wide wally]

4. There are fragile wetlands there.

I don't know what the impact on those has been

[madokie]

5. I'd be suspicious of the stench

Not sure birds can smell but other animals damn sure can

My hope is that the fbi is giving these old boys, emphasis on 'boys', enough rope to hang themselves but good with

[amborin]

6. the Sage Thrashers need the sage brush; hopefully they at least are unscathed; nt