Victories for Alaska’s Bristol Bay & Tongass Forest

In this issue: Minnesota joins growing list of states that have adopted 100% clean energy goals | Trouble viewing this e-mail? Try our [web version](. [National Audubon Society]( AUDUBON ADVISORY February 2023 [Steller's Eider. ]( [Victories for Alaska’s Bristol Bay and Tongass Forest]( The first month of the year brought several significant victories in Alaska. Two in particular were secured in part thanks to advocacy by Audubon and its members. The EPA vetoed a proposed mine that would have irreparably damaged Bristol Bay, home to the world’s greatest concentration of seabirds. And the U.S. Forest Service reinstated roadless area protections for the Tongass National Forest. [Read more]( Steller's Eider. [Aerial view of Lake Powell behind the Glen Canyon Dam.]( [How to Save the Colorado River? Use Less Water]( The massive dams on the Colorado River were supposed to protect us, but today the water stored behind them is so diminished that the federal government has warned of “system collapse.” As the Bureau of Reclamation develops new operating rules, Audubon submitted comments asking for considerations for birds and other living things that depend on the river. [Read more]( Lake Powell behind the Glen Canyon Dam. [Black-throated Blue Warbler perched on a tree branch with its beak open in song.]( [Big Wins for the Delaware River Watershed]( In November, voters in New York and Pennsylvania decided to invest in and protect wildlife, water, and the environment close to home. Now, Audubon looks forward to supporting state and federal policy efforts in 2023 to protect this critical watershed and all of its vital resources. [Read more]( Black-throated Blue Warbler. News from the Flyways - [Arizona: Top Legislative Priorities for 2023]( - [Colorado: Important Things Ahead for Water Policy in 2023]( - [Connecticut and New York: Nearly $1M Awarded to Audubon Conservation Projects]( - [Florida: Audubon Joined Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland for Tour of the Everglades]( - [Indiana: Audubon Members Push for Renewable Energy and Wetland Protections at Advocacy Day]( - [New Mexico: 2023 Should Result in Large Investments in Conservation]( - [South Carolina: Conservation a Priority at the Statehouse Again in 2023]( - [Utah: Advisory Council Established for Great Salt Lake Watershed Enhancement Trust]( Impact Updates [Two adult Common Loons with a chick. ]( [Climate Corner]( Minnesota has enacted a new law that requires the state’s utilities to get 100 percent of their electricity from carbon-free sources by 2040—joining the growing list of states and territories that have adopted 100 percent clean energy goals—including Illinois, New Mexico, Connecticut, and Washington. Decarbonizing the electric sector will significantly cut Minnesota’s carbon emissions, which is critical for minimizing climate threats to birds and people. The Audubon Minnesota Iowa Missouri team has long supported the movement towards expanding clean energy in the state because it will help reduce pollution and protect the high-quality habitats that birds like Minnesota’s Common Loon need to survive. [Read more]( Common Loons. [Tufted Puffins.]( [Your Actions at Work]( You might think that victories like protecting Bristol Bay and the Tongass National Forest would happen regardless of whether people take the time to contact decision-makers—over and over and over again—but let us assure you, they would not. More than 55,000 people wrote to oppose the construction of an open pit copper mine in the habitat surrounding Bristol Bay in the past six years, and more than 60,000 wrote in support of keeping protections in place to protect old-growth trees from logging in the Tongass. We can’t thank you enough. Your letters made a difference to the birds and people who depend on those special places.(See related article above.) Tufted Puffins. Photos from top: Mick Thompson; Courtesy of waterdesk.org and lighthawk.org; Skyler Kardell/Audubon Photography Awards; Joanie Christian/Audubon Photography Awards (left); Lola Knox/Audubon Photography Awards (right) [Join the Audubon Action Network]( Join our Action Network to receive periodic action alerts that connect you with decision makers when your voice matters the most. CONNECT WITH US [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( [LinkedIn]( [YouTube]( [DONATE]( [ADVOCATE]( [GET TEXT UPDATES]( National Audubon Society 225 Varick Street, New York, NY 10014 USA [(844) 428-3826](#) | [audubon.org]( © 2023 National Audubon Society, Inc. [Update your email address or unsubscribe](