Utah Breeding Bird Atlas Project

["Betsy BENEKE" <birderbetsy at msn dot com>]

Dear Utah Birders,

For quite some time, a Breeding Bird Atlas project in Utah has been planned. 
 A web site was created, survey methods were developed, and recruitment of 
volunteer surveyors began.  However, the project has been hampered with 
little enthusiasm by the Utah birding community...at least among the folks 
who have been contacted so far.

At a recent Utah Ornithological Society Board meeting, we discussed this 
project at length, once again.  Following that meeting, I decided that as 
the new UOS President,  I would benefit from asking Utah birders to share 
their opinions about this project.  If a sufficient number of volunteers 
cannot be found to commit to surveying areas over the next several years, 
the work would have to be contracted out.  Some of it would be anyway, as 
able-bodied individuals would be required to survey the more rugged regions 
of the state.  But, depending on how many volunteers sign up, this project 
could get very expensive.

So, I'd like to ask you all for responses to a couple of questions that I 
feel will help us decide how to proceed, or whether to proceed.  1)  Do you 
feel we should conduct a Breeding Bird Atlas project in Utah?  Why, or why 
not?  2)  If your answer is yes, then what are YOU willing to bring to the 
project?  A commitment of time to assist with surveys?  Money?  3)  If we 
decide to keep moving forward, we're going to need to do some major 
fund-raising.  Do you have grant-writing skills, or can you offer assistance 
in other ways?

All comments are welcomed, positive or negative.  Your opinions matter.  
Please email me <BirderBetsy@msn.com>.  Your replies will be held in 
confidence, if you wish.  I want to hear what you all have to say, so I have 
a better idea about how this project is viewed by Utah birders.

Thank you!

Betsy Beneke
UOS President


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