Monday, July 24, 2006

Cerulean Warbler to Gain Protection in Georgia

The Georgia Department of Natural Resources is in the process of revising its lists of protected plants and animals. Among the changes is the addition of the Cerulean Warbler, which has undergone sharp declines in recent decades due to habitat loss. In Georgia, cerulean warblers are primarily found in the mountainous northwest corner of the state, including at Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park.

Other avian changes to the list include the addition of the Henslow's Sparrow, Red Knot, Southeastern American Kestrel, Black Skimmer, and Golden-winged Warbler; the deletion of the Bachman's Warbler; and the changes in status of the Bald Eagle (endangered to threatened), Peregrine Falcon (endangered to rare), and Wilson's Plover (rare to threatened).

The Georgia DNR is seeking public comment on the proposed changes, which must be in writing by July 31, 2006. The full list of proposed changes is here (pdf). The current lists of protected species in Georgia may be found here.