Save Bird Island at Elmendorf Lake

Mayor and City Council of San Antonio

We must stop the cruel harassment of the diverse water birds at Elemendorf Lake. The City has justified this mass eviction with misleading information and disregarded our strong opposition. It is time for the city that has pledged to honor biodiversity and species protection to now honor our voices and our Westside and protect this unique ecological gem.

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San Antonio, TX

To: Mayor and City Council of San Antonio
From: [Your Name]

In December, 2019, with little community engagement and misleading information, the City of San Antonio led the destruction of one of the only known rookeries in San Antonio. Today, the birds seeking to return to this unique ecological gem are under daily assault to prevent them from returning to “Bird Island” at Elmendorf Lake Park.

We, the undersigned, demand a moratorium on habitat destruction and bird harassment at Elmendorf and other public parks in San Antonio for the following reasons:

The City of San Antonio recently adopted a Climate Action & Adaptation Plan pledging to “promote biodiversity and healthy ecosystems”;

Habitat loss is one of the primary causes of global climate disruption and the destruction of Bird Island has displaced threatened species protected under international treaty;

The project suffered from lack of transparency and community involvement, disrespect of the rich cultural history of the Westside and people's deep relationship with the birds, disruption of the balance of park ecosystems; and degradation of the peaceful nature of the outdoor experience;

Park visitors are put at risk by the use of chemicals, pyrotechnics, and noise harassment targeting the birds that have resulted in violations of environmental best practices and the law.

For these reasons and others, we demand an immediate halt to such destructive activities at Elmendorf Lake Park and city-wide.