This letter is to introduce myself, and to inform you of recent developments within Audubon-California's Important Bird Areas (IBA) program. I'm Dan Cooper, a biologist with the National Audubon Society, working in Los Angeles. Recently, I have been asked to take over the IBA program in California from Bob Barnes, who will devote more time to issues in the Kern River Valley. A native of the Los Angeles area, I came to Audubon with over a decade of birding experience in the state, and have conducted fieldwork on birds throughout southern California.

Since California's IBA program began in 1996, over 60 IBA nominations have been received, which have resulted in nearly 50 sites being designated Global, Continental, or National IBAs. Chapter members spent long hours on the phone, gathering information from local experts and filling out nomination forms. Many of the sites are familiar to you, since they are also famous birding and bird research areas, including Big Morongo Canyon Preserve in Riverside County, the Farallon Islands off San Francisco, and Tule Lake/Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge in northeastern California. All are well-defined, defensible properties with an active constituency of conservationists working together to ensure these areas stay attractive and vital to birds.

A network of IBAs can become a cornerstone of Audubon's conservation activities throughout California. Aside from showcasing bird-friendly land use decisions, their identification will help guide conservation activities, both at the chapter and national levels of Audubon, as well as those of other groups and agencies. Over the next few months, I will expand our IBA program to eventually include 150-200 sites that are representative of the diverse habitats in the state. This process will culminate in a website, similar to one launched in 1998 by New York State Audubon (http://www.audubon.org/chapter/ny/ny/iba/index.html).

The certification of IBAs had been overseen by the American Bird Conservancy (ABC), the U.S. arm of Birdlife International, which, until recently worked closely with several states to identify IBAs. Since the ABC is no longer devoting attention to the program, Audubon-California will assume sole responsibility for the identification of new IBAs, and will devote more attention to coordinating conservation activities among them where possible. Future IBAs will be identified using criteria already developed by the New York State IBA Program, nearly identical to those developed by Bob Barnes and a team of advisors a couple years ago.

Over the next year, I will be meeting with experts on California bird distribution to plot the locations of future California IBAs, including David Fix, Don Roberson, and Mike San Miguel. The next step will be connecting sites with interested individuals - monitors and defenders of the IBAs. Please feel free to contact me directly for more information on nominating IBAs anywhere in California, or if you are involved in groups already working as stewards of particular sites.

I would like to thank Bob Barnes and Kathy Gilbert of Audubon-California, and to the Audubon members and others who have already contributed their energy to this effort. I look forward to developing a first-rate IBA program in California. I can be reached at (323) 254-0252 or email at dcooper1@pacbell.com.

Sincerely, Dan Cooper, Audubon-California, Los Angeles