“Fine Waterfowl Water” by Charles Uibel. See more of Charles’ work at GreatSaltLakePhotos.com

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Land birds found throughout the Rocky Mountain West need human help.

Dr. David Pashley, Vice President of American Bird Conservancy – the nation’s leading bird conservation organization – cautioned today that as climate change impacts are increasingly felt throughout the United States and beyond, conservation efforts affecting birds will take on a doubly important role in protecting not only birds that are already threatened, but more common birds as well.

Dr. Pashley made his comments in connection with Thursday’s release of State of the Birds 2010, the first comprehensive vulnerability assessment of bird species to climate change across the United States. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar announced the report’s release at a press conference in Texas, along with several environmental organizations including American Bird Conservancy that had collaborated on the publication.  Dr. Pashley was one of the authors of the report.

“Our findings tell us that birds of conservation concern today will be in even greater peril in the future as a result of climate change, and many bird species that are now doing well may soon become conservation priorities as global warming progresses,” Dr. Pashley said.

The report identified common Rocky Mountain West bird species such as the common nighthawk and northern pintail that are likely to become species of conservation concern as a result of climate change. 

After two days of testimony, mostly in opposition, Idaho’s House State Affairs Committee voted to pass this year‘s version of the “conscience” bill, which lets medical professionals such as nurses and pharmacists refuse to perform medical actions or fill prescriptions that could cause an abortion—as well as emergency contraception—or hasten the end of life. The bill has already passed the Senate.

This year’s bill is different from last year‘s in several ways, such as the inclusion of the end-of-life component, which brought in other opponents such as AARP and, perhaps, made debating and voting against the bill more palatable to legislators who would not otherwise want to be perceived as being pro-abortion. In addition was the fact that the bill went through the State Affairs committees in both houses—reportedly not only because the State Affairs committees are thought to be more conservative, but because of the perception that Health & Welfare committees—each headed by women—would be less receptive to the bill, especially after chair Senator Patti Anne Lodge, R-Huston, held the bill in her committee last year.

Lending credence to this argument, voting on the bill was split not only along partisan lines but also among gender lines: All three votes on the bill featured Republican men on one side and Democratic women on the other.