Peter J. Wasson - Opinion page editor
Wausau Daily Herald
Wednesday, May 5, 2004

In our April 29 editorial, we encouraged a central Wisconsin club or service organization to adopt Marge Gibson's Raptor Education Group International.

Gibson wants to move her operation from Antigo to Marathon County, and she needs about 40 acres and enough cash to support her efforts to rehabilitate dozens of sick and injured birds every year.

If a group would commit to raising money every year for REGI, Gibson's refuge could become another great tourism asset to the area, as well as a great resource for wildlife.

It turns out our plan might not have been the best one out there. A group of students at Wausau's Riverside Elementary School is thinking bigger.

Mrs. Mergendahl's fourth-grade class already had held a bake sale in February, raising $165 that REGI used to buy an apparatus that administers oxygen to raptors.

But they went one step further by proposing to state Sen. Russ Decker that he help Wisconsin establish a bald eagle license plate. Motorists could buy the special plates, similar to the endangered species plate, and pay a surcharge with proceeds going directly to REGI.

According to Decker's response, the endangered species plate raised $600,000 for the Department of Natural Resources in 2003. Even a fraction of that would allow Gibson to move and expand.

Decker suggested that the students approach the DNR, which is redesigning the Endangered Species plate because the wolf it currently features no longer is endangered in Wisconsin.

Decker and the fourth-graders have combined to form a wonderful idea.

The state should, as Decker suggested, put the image of a peregrine falcon or osprey on the next endangered species plate.

And motorists should be allowed to make a choice when they buy the special plates: pay their surcharge to the general endangered-species fund maintained by the DNR or earmark it specifically for Gibson's group.

REGI already is the designated treatment facility for injured birds collected by the DNR - a service for which the state contributes nothing.

The license plates would allow the state and bird lovers to do their parts.

Leave it to little kids to think big.

They've already adopted Gibson and they're not giving up. They surveyed 84 adults and found about half would consider buying plates to benefit REGI.

And Gibson expects the need for her group's services to grow even larger as the West Nile virus takes its toll on Wisconsin's birds.

If you support their idea, let Decker know. Write his office at: Sen. Russ Decker, State Capitol, P.O. Box 7882, Madison WI 53707-7882.

Or, write DNR Secretary Scott Hassett at 101 South Webster St., Madison WI 53703. And let's get Gov. Jim Doyle involved. He's at Office of the Governor, 115 East State Capitol, Madison WI 53702.