Update 2/16: Wild Quaker Parrot Crisis in Yacolt, WA

Today, Washington TV Station KATU provided an updated report on the situation in Yacolt, Washington. As I've indicated on this site, the situation in Yacolt is highly unfortunate, because it appears that while a humane solution involving alternative nest platforms has been forged, evidence exists that the power company continues to remove nests despite the fact that doing this practically ensures that many birds will not survive the winter.

KATU's report about at least one dead Quaker Parrot being found in the vicinity of a recently removed nest is accurate. An autopsy was performed to identify the exact cause of death and the medical examiner's report will soon be released to the media.

While this latest news is most disturbing, I sincerely hope that the citizens of Yacolt, their elected officials, and the local power company can somehow find a way to reach a humane solution that addresses all legitimate concerns of the local community. I would like to see the squabbling and name-calling stop, tempers cool, and a good-faith discussion to being. While it is to be expected that passions will flare on either side of the issue, I implore those who care about their wild parrots behave in an appropriate, transparent manner, and would ask City officials and power company officials to do the same.

Hopes Dim for Yacolt, Washington, Wild Parrots

It's difficult following developments on the ground from 3,000 miles away. But I'm hearing only bad news from Yacolt, Washington, where Clark County Public Utilities Department and the U.S.D.A. attempted to eradicate wild parrots against the wishes of Yacol's community late last year.

Although the killing of the parrots stopped more than a month ago, fewer and fewer parrots are being sighted, suggesting the worst, which is that they have died a cruel death in the cold due to the continued nest removals that Clark County PUD has performed during this period.

This terribly cruel situation could have been avoided if the town of Yacolt and Clark County Public Utilities had followed best practices and not removed the parrot nests at one of the most perilous times of the year. Even in the midst of a terrible ice and snow storm, and even after pro-parrot activists notified the mayor, city council, and Clark County PUD of the dire effects of such continuing removals, the crews continued their work, sealing the parrots fate. There may still be a few surviving birds, but so far, none have been sighted in the alternative nesting platforms. So it seems that those who wished the parrots killed at the outset of this sad incident will get their way in a particularly cruel way.

This sad story could have had a much happier ending. But one cannot lay all the blame on the Yacolt politicians and the power company. Community efforts to negotiate a humane solution could have been more effective; from what I have heard from multiple sources, there appears to have been an unfortunate failure of leadership to effectively mobilize individuals, groups, both local and national, that could have stepped in to help avoid this bad ending.

It's tragic and ironic that just as people around the world began to learn that these remarkable birds gave them a reason to visit Yacolt (and provide a new source of eco-tourism revenue to the town and local businesses), it appears that the birds have succumbed to the elements, crushing an opportunity before it had a chance to bloom.

Time Running Out for Yacolt Wild Parrots: Please Help!

A very important meeting is happening tonight in Yacolt, Washington, in which pro-parrot people will be presenting their case to the Yacolt City Council and the Clark PUD (Public Utilities Department). The fate of Yacolt's wild parrots hang in the balance. Please sign our petition - we have 327 signatures but really need a minimum of 500 to be taken seriously. Thanks much!

Yacolt Wild Parrots Get Human-Made Homes!

Both photos by Chris Driggins

Here are two recent photos taken by Chris Driggins, of www.nwbirdrescue.com, showing one of the recently constructed alternate nest platforms built in Yacolt, Washington, for the wild parrots displaced by the local utility company. The sticks placed at the top of these nests weren't placed by the parrots, but were put there as an inducement for them to begin construction. With any luck at all, the parrots will soon discover it and begin rebuilding their destroyed homes.

Chris has trying to work with members of the Yacolt Quaker Parrot Preservation Association and the Quaker Parrot Society to keep the parrots alive through the cold months. You can read more about the Yacolt Wild Parrot Crisis by clicking here and you can tell officials in the town of Yacolt and the Clark County Public Utilities Department to end their anti-parrot pogrom by signing our online petition.

Breaking News: Wild Parrot Expert Travels to Yacolt; Allegations Continue Over Utility Company Misconduct

Today, bad news is mixed with the good in the continuing Wild Parrot Crisis of Yacolt, Washington. While residents of Yacolt struggle mightily to erect alternative nest platforms for the wild parrots of Yacolt, there is reason to question the behavior of the Clark County Public Utilities Department. Wild parrot advocate Alison Evans-Fragale, who is following the situation closely, sent the following two emergency e-mail updates to wild parrot conservation groups noting some of these allegations, which are highly troubling. At the same time, internationally renowned Quaker Parrot expert Jon-Mark Davey is travelling from Florida to Yacolt in an effort to moderate the situation.

Update 1/21/07: An online petition has been uploaded; it petitions the Town of Yacolt and the Clark County Public Utilities Department to spare the wild parrots' lives. Please sign it and pass it on if you would like to see these innocent creatures granted clemency.

(E-mails from Alison Evans-Fragale, of EdgewaterParrots.com)

The "(parrots') stay of execution" ends on March 27th, at which time Clark PUD is expected to resume their efforts to slaughter the wild Monk Parakeets that call Yacolt their home.

Clark PUD claims they have stopped killing for now, yet today they were videotaped removing nests from utility poles in a blizzard with temperatures below 30 degrees. Additionally, I was sent photos of the poor parakeets soaking wet and freezing, watching as their homes were destroyed. Clark PUD may claim that they are not killing the birds, but the inhumane treatment they are inflicting on the birds by rendering them homeless and exposing them to severe cold will ultimately cause each bird to die a slow and uncomfortable death.

The utility company continues to lie to the public, adhering to the mantra that the birds are pests and pose a threat to their equipment. This has to stop. There are humane alternatives, and we need to join together to put an end to Clark PUD's inhumanity.

Below is the letter I sent to the local newspapers, as well as Yacolt's Mayor and Council, and Dean Sutherland at Clark PUD.

I encourage you to send your comments in defense of the Yacolt parakeets to:

• Tom Vogt at the newspaper, The Columbian: tom.vogt@columbian.com


• The Oregonian newspaper: holleygilbert@news.oregonian.com


• The Reflector newspaper: staff@thereflector.com


• The Mayor and Council of Yacolt, Washington at: TownOfYacolt@aol.com


• Dean Sutherland at Clark Public Utility: DSutherland@clarkpud.com

Kindly forward this message to bird boards or anyone you think may want to help the wild parakeets. We are the only hope they have.

Alison

Alison Evans-Fragale alison@edgewaterparrots.com wrote:

Date: Sat, 19 Jan 2008 18:45:25 -0800 (PST)
From: Alison Evans-Fragale
Subject: Letter on Behalf of Yacolt's Wild Monk Parakeets
To: undisclosed recipients

Dean Sutherland, Director of Community Affairs for Clark Public Utilities, recently stated, "Clark Public Utilities is not involved in the design or implementation of the recovery or preservation efforts related to the parakeets in Yacolt".

Not involved?! Clark PUD established the parameters and deadlines for the slaughter of the Yacolt's wild Monk Parakeets, and they are responsible for the reason things are the way they are today! They failed to maintain the nests, and now they are trying to pass the buck to the local Mayor and Council.

If Clark PUD CARES, as they claim to, they should be working night and day to find a solution. If not, they have no right to demand the birds are killed or relocated!

No one knows more about what can work on the wires or poles, and individuals involved in the attempt to save the birds need input from Clark PUD to come up with a viable solution. In Edgewater, New Jersey, PSE&G and the Edgewater Parrots team developed a successful strategy to humanely manage Edgewater's population of over 200 Monk Parakeets. We were successful because we worked together. Monk Parakeet rescuers in Yacolt should DEMAND that Clark PU work with them for the very same reason!

Clark PUD should be working WITH rescuers in Yacolt -- period -- for so many reasons, including:

Every single effort to eradicate the wild Monks has proven unsuccessful. That would leave them holding the bag for the unnecessary murder of innocent birds AND having to deal with bad PR. Any benefit they think they might gain by exterminating the birds would be lost in a sea of bad PR for them -- not just locally, but nationwide!

Working with the community is excellent PR for the utility company— -- murdering innocent birds while they sleep and submitting them for research is not. At a minimum, Clark PU should realize that they are creating a public relations problem that exceeds any benefit they think they might gain by slaughtering the birds.

There are many alternatives to killing. Public discussion with the community and with other power companies who face the same situation, will result in viable and cost effective solutions to this problem, while affording protection to Monk Parakeets, and allowing the community of Yacolt to continue to enjoy and respect wildlife.

I can't help but wonder why Clark PUD has chosen to kill instead of re-engineering its assets to dissuade the parrots from building their nests in utility poles.

Evidently, Clark PUD imbibed the USDA Kool-Aid. Despite their statement that the wild Monk Parakeets pose no threat, the USDA, and other companies, including one named Pandion, hold seminars to teach utility companies how to kill the birds, as well as seminars on how to "manage" public opinion. The false information fed to the residents of Yacolt by Clark PUD is the same "lesson" taught to utility companies and released to the public in CT, NY, and Florida. It is released to the public with the hope that the information will convince the public to see the birds as pests and tolerate the senseless killing.

Clark PUD is lying to residents of Yacolt. The truth is that the birds not pose a threat to agriculture or other birds. Their nests do not weigh 2,400 pounds. The nests do not cause pole fires.

Additionally, Clark PUD did not remove the nests after the breeding season in an effort to be humane. They employed a strategy utilized by all utility companies: to remove the nests when it is cold to insure that the ones they don't catch will die from exposure and stall when removing the nests until it is so late that no one will be around to see what they do.

Clark PUD released a statement that they are not killing the birds, yet they were caught on video-tape removing a nest just today! Nest removals at this time of year exposes the birds to extreme weather, including sleet, snow, and freezing temperatures, and this on-going practice of removing nests as they are being re-built is certain to result in a slow and cruel death for the few Monk Parakeets that survived the attempted eradication a few weeks ago.

The "euthanasia" they employ is far from humane. The birds that are trapped in their nets suffer multiple crush injuries, broken wings and limbs, and severed extremities before they are thrown into a gas chamber or sent to a research facility in Florida or Colorado.

There are humane solutions. In New Jersey, PSE&G successfully manages a population of over 200 wild Monk parakeets by utilizing humane solutions, including bi-annual nest removals during temperate weather, both before and after the breeding season. They also install orange insulating sleeves on utility poles after removing the nests, which deter re-building efforts. PSE&G has offered to discuss their efforts with Clark PU, but, to date, Clark has not made any effort to contact PSE&G.

Yacolt residents deserve to be told the truth by Clark PUD. They should be angry that they are being manipulated and should demand that and that Clark PU work with rescuers and consult with other utility companies in an effort to provide humane treatment of the parakeets as well as to preserve nature in their town.

Anyone wishing proof of anything I have stated in my letter, please contact me by e-mail at: alison@edgewaterparrots.com. I stand by my words and am more than happy to share my evidence with any individual who wants to know the truth and help save the Monk Parakeets of Yacolt.

Alison Evans-Fragale RN, MSN, CFNP, CLNC
Founder
EdgewaterParrots.com
Edgewater, New Jersey

Citizens of Yacolt, Washington Raise First "Monk Bunker" For Homeless Wild Parrots

In a surprisingly hopeful development in the Yacolt, Washington Wild Parrot Crisis, several citizens have succeeded in erecting the first of several artificial parrot nesting platforms. Plenty of work went on behind the scenes before the first platform could be built, including securing permits. Providing non-power infrastucture roosting platforms has worked in Connecticut: let's all keep our fingers crossed that the Yacolt Quaker Parrots will adopt these "monk bunkers" soon!

Latest Update on Embattled Wild Parrots of Yacolt, Washington

The weather has turned frigid in the Northwest, a heavy snow is falling, and the battle for the lives of Yacolt, Washington's endangered wild parrots has escalated. Volunteers in Yacolt are working against the clock to erect temporary nest platforms so that the parrots made homeless by the local utility company's untimely destruction of their nests might have a chance to survive. Chris "Birdman" Driggins, along with a hardy crew of local residents, is working hard to keep as many birds alive as possible in this continuing crisis. You can read more about this developing situation at BirdChannel.com; I don't know how this situation will ultimately turn out, but wish the hardy volunteers the best. All of us in Brooklyn who cherish our wild parrots are very happy that Brooklyn's own green immigrants aren't shivering in the frosty air tonight: it's wicked cold outside!

Yacolt Wild Quaker Parrots: Your Comments Are Welcome

Chris Driggens, of www.nwbirdrescue.com, called me yesterday and asked me to post a link to a story on the Wild Quaker Parrots of Yacolt. Chris is a good guy who's worked very hard over the past few weeks to forge a humane solution to the parrot problem in Yacolt. So if you admire what he's trying to do (as I do), please follow this link and post a positive comment: Chris tells me that getting positive comments will help the Quakers a lot as this issue moves forward.

Monkzilla of Manhattan Beach Addresses Wild Parrot Crisis in Yacolt, Washington

One of Brooklyn's senior feral parrots broke his traditional silence to address the dire situation faced by his distant relatives in Yacolt, Washington. This parrot, widely known in South Brooklyn as "Monkzilla," minces no words in calling for a humane solution to the Wild Parrot Crisis in Washington.



For more information on the Wild Quaker Parrot Crisis in Yacolt, Washington, see:

• Perch On, Oh Yacolt Parakeets! (Poets Weigh in on Yacolt Wild Parrot Crisis) (December 13, 2007)


• Yacolt Wild Parrot Preservation Efforts Continue (With a Few Hitches) (December 10, 2007)


• Citizens of Yacolt, Washington, Rally to Save Their Free-Range Quaker Parrots (December 07, 2007)


• Yacolt Wild Parrot Crisis Deteriorates Into Chaos and Confusion (December 05, 2007)


• Update on Endangered Wild Quaker Parrots of Yacolt, Washington (November 30, 2007)


• BREAKING NEWS: Wild Parrot Killings Halted in Washington State (November 28, 2007)


• Update on Washington State Wild Parrot Killings (November 28, 2007)


• RED ALERT: Wild Parrots in Washington State Are Being Killed by U.S.D.A., Clark County Public Utilities (November 27, 2007)

Perch On, Oh Yacolt Parakeets! (Poets Weigh in on Yacolt Wild Parrot Crisis)

The poets have spoken. The Wild Parrots of Yacolt, Washington must be saved.

The only thing I'd object to is the line "a thimble can contain your brains." It's not the size of one's computing mechanism that counts, otherwise the room-sized computers of 1952 would be able to out-compute today's mobile processors. It's the degree of integration, and I can tell you that our beloved Monks are well-integrated beasties!

Anyway, this latest missive from the artsy crowd is a favorable indication that perhaps the wild Quaker Parrots of Yacolt can be saved. After all, once the poets jump on the bandwagon it's a sure bet that public opinion has shifted in the right direction. And by the way, if you'd like to read a poem closer to the heart of parrot-crazy Brooklyn, please check out our The Brooklyn Parrots Christmas Poem.

Yacolt Wild Parrot Preservation Efforts Continue (With a Few Hitches)

As mentioned a few days ago, pro-parrot citizens in Yacolt, Washington are attempting to forge a humane solution to the Yacolt Wild Quaker Parrot Crisis by deploying alternative nest platforms (AKA "Monk Bunkers"). The first construction session on Sunday had to be halted due to snow, but work continues this week. A permit for the platform must be obtained from the City of Yacolt, so the earliest the first platform can be erected will be in January.

Special thanks to the Quaker Parrot Society for donating funds for this first platform. You can support this effort either by using QPS's easy Pay Pal link (scroll down on the page and you'll see the button on the LH side) or by sending funds via postal mail to:

QPS
P.O. Box 7241
Eugene, OR 97401

Citizens of Yacolt, Washington, Rally to Save Their Free-Range Quaker Parrots

"Monk Bunkers" Under Construction in Connecticut, January 2006

I spoke today to Joy Tindall, a resident of Yacolt, Washington who recently formed YPPA (the Yacolt Parrot Preservation Association). Joy has been leading the charge to save Yacolt's wild Quaker Parrots (AKA Monk Parakeets) from extermination. Joy and a small band of pro-parrot partisans are working hard with both the Clark County Public Utility Department and the City of Yacolt to provide alternative nesting platforms (AKA "Monk Bunkers") for the wild parrots to build on.

Joy has no Internet access right now and asked me to broadcast the news that this Sunday, December 9th, there will be a nesting platform working session. Volunteers are needed to assemble these platforms. If you're in the neighborhood of Yacolt, have basic hand tools, and are willing to help, you'll be welcome at this session. Here are the details:

When: This Sunday, December 9th, at 2:00 PM
Where: The Yacolt Pentecostal Church, which is at the intersection of Humphrey and Rank, Yacolt, Washington.

Please call Joy at 360-320-9768 for more information on this working session. "Monk Bunkers" have successfully provided wild Quaker Parrots safe refuge for the winter. Monk Bunkers are easy to build and the design for them is not patented, which means that they can be built without any licensing fee. You can listen to a radio commercial created by BrooklynParrots to promote Monk Bunkers by clicking on this link.

I asked Joy how the homeless parrots are doing. The weather in Yacolt is rainy and cold, and the parrots seem to be sheltering in trees. Joy and other concerned residents are doing their utmost to keep the parrots fed. With luck and hard work, there will be human-engineered homes for them to return to before the ice and snow set in.

Note: The Oregon-based news site OregonianLive.com has an updated story recounting the latest developments in the Wild Quaker Parrot Crisis in Yacolt that was posted today, December 7th, 2007.

Yacolt Wild Parrot Crisis Deteriorates Into Chaos and Confusion

I am saddened to report that the wild parrot controversy in Yacolt Washington appears to have descended into near anarchy. According to my source, an emergency meeting called last weekend to discuss the fate of the Wild Quaker Parakeets of Yacolt devolved into a blizzard of "name-calling" and ad hominem attacks.

The gathered pro-parrot groups now appear split into three warring contingents: those who want to capture the parrots and give them sanctuary in a parrot-friendly city, those who want them to remain free, and those who want to capture and sell them back to Yacolt city residents for $75 each. As my correspondent (who favors keeping the parrots wild) notes, "it's now a 3-ring circus and open game on the poor Quaker Parrots." At the same time, unnamed officials of the City of Yacolt have issued an ironclad edict giving the parrots four months to "get out of town" or face a team of trained snipers (an event which was only narrowly averted last week).

While I had high hopes that there might be a happy ending to this crisis, it now appears to me that the situation in Yacolt is clearly beyond rational solution. While I count myself in the camp favoring keeping the parrots wild, it seems that the parrots have so many human enemies in the City of Yacolt that allowing them to remain there would put them in severe peril.

Wild parrots will never survive in places where powerful authorities collectively decide to be rid of them: we learned that in the 19th Century in the sad case of the Carolina Parakeet, which was hunted to extinction, and we appear to be learning it again in the City of Yacolt, Washington, which is clearly bent on making its skies parrot-free. At the very least let us rescue the remaining birds before April 1, 2008 and avoid another deadly fusillade.

Update on Endangered Wild Quaker Parrots of Yacolt, Washington

A quick update from Yacolt, Washington. My correspondent tells me that the situation there remains tense. Yacolt City officials refuse to allow artificial nest platforms for the homeless parrots to be constructed: they want the parrots removed, and will kill any remaining there past a date certain.

Neither the power company (Clark County Public Utilities, AKA "PUD") nor the town will tolerate the presence of wild parrots in Yacolt, so the only hope for those who want to save them is to capture them and relocate them to a town willing to accept them.

There will be a gathering of bird groups and bird rescuers in Yacolt this weekend to discuss the stand-off. In the meantime, a grass-roots group, the Yacolt Quaker Parrot Preservation Association, has been formed to fight the wild parrot eradication effort. A Rapid Response Team from the Quaker Parakeet Society has been dispatched to inspect the situation on the ground and in the air.

There are a lot of raw emotions in Yacolt tonight. My correspondent writes: "I was very heart broken listening to the people. They love those parrots so much and they are so angry that the city didn't informed them on what their plans were. I had an old lady cry in my arms. She doesn't want these birds to leave or die. They are all she has in life right now."

My hope is that officials in the City of Yacolt change their mind, but I know that a lot of people don't really have much feeling for the natural world, and some people just don't like animals. Maybe Yacolt is just one of those places.

What's clear is that if the majority of people of Yacolt and their elected leadership don't want wild parrots flying free in their city, the parrots won't be around for much longer. It's too bad, because the presence of these wonderful birds was already making Yacolt a popular stop-over for parrot-watchers. As one resident declared, "the parrots put Yacolt on the map."

There will certainly be more news to report soon. Right now, all I can say is that I'm very glad that our civic leaders in Brooklyn, including Borough President Marty Markowitz, have a different viewpoint, and recognize that having wild parrots around is a wonderful thing.

For more on the Endangered Wild Quaker Parrots of Yacolt, Washington, see:

• BREAKING NEWS: Wild Parrot Killings Halted in Washington State
• RED ALERT: Wild Parrots in Washington State Are Being Killed by U.S.D.A., Clark County Public Utilities
• Wild Monk Parrots Popping Up in Yacolt, WA

BREAKING NEWS: Wild Parrot Killings Halted in Washington State

I'm pleased to report that Clark Public Utilities and the U.S.D.A. have called off their plan to kill the remaining wild parrots in Yacolt, Washington. My correspondents tell me that this decision was taken only because of overwhelming public opposition. The Web site of local TV station KGW also reports the fact that they have been spared.

Thanks to all of you who protested against this cruel action: this is great news but many issues remain, including how these parrots, now homeless, can possibly survive the winter. My hope is that the good citizens of Yacolt will construct artificial nest platforms and put out plenty of food so that the survivors have a shot. But at least we can all breathe a bit easier tonight: the killing has stopped and reason (always a scarce thing) has somehow prevailed.

Again, thanks for all your support, Steve Baldwin, Webmaster, BrooklynParrots.com

Update on Washington State Wild Parrot Killings

Several new developments have occurred in the past 24 hours since I posted the original story about the Washington State Quaker Parrot killings. At least one exotic bird rescue group has approached Clark Public Utilities offering to rescue the birds. But an official known as "Lena" rebuffed the offer. My correspondent adds that "the PUD (Clark Public Utilities) does know all these other ways (of humanely controlling the parrots)" but for some unknown reason went ahead anyway.

Please call "Lena" at Clark Public Utilities and ask her to reconsider her decision. If you make the call, be polite and civil but also rational and firm. The number is 360-992-3000. I am told that the utility company is holding a meeting today to decide on a future course of action. Let's hope they opt to take the humane course.

Update 11/28: The website of The Columbian, a local newspaper in Clark County, has a poignant story (with a short video) on the plight of the Yacolt wild parrots.

RED ALERT: Wild Parrots in Washington State Are Being Killed by U.S.D.A., Clark County Public Utilities

I received a disturbing report today from a resident of Washington State. According to her e-mail, Clark Public Utilities has announced that it will be killing the 50 or so wild Quaker Parrots that have lived in Yacolt, Washington, for some time.

I contacted Clark Public Utilities and have not heard back from them. In the meantime, this news story has appeared: 3 of the 50 wild parrots in Yacolt have already been killed.

You may register your comments with Clark Public Utilities by clicking on this e-mail link, which will connect you to their general mailbox. You can also call Clark Public Utilities at 360-992-3000. (Note: Please be civil if you call Clark Public Utilities. In my view, these people are misguided but should not be abused verbally. Please convey your message calmly, even though this is obviously an emotional subject.) Also, please forward this item to any anti-cruelty animal groups you think might be effective in terms of stopping these killings.

Update: 11/28: New story on this situation. The U.S.D.A. is the party actually doing the killing (although this issue has nothing to do with agriculture). Please call the regional office of the U.S.D.A. to protest at (360) 883-1987 (phone) and (360) 885-2284 fax

Wild Monk Parrots Popping Up in Yacolt, WA

Where exactly is Yacolt, Washington? What goes on there? Well, the wild Monk Parrots living in Washington State seem to have discovered Yacolt and decided to nest there, so the town must have some virtues; see Yacolt Residents Take a Liking to Wild Parrots, an item on news station KATU's website. It has been suggested that the parrots moved there from quarters formerly occupied at the Portland Airport Maintenance Building #3. If you have Windows Media Player installed on your PC, you can watch KATU's televised report by clicking on a link at KATU's site.