N.J. tries to accommodate birds and homeowners
From the Philadelpha Inquirer:
About 20 pairs of night herons - big, regal-looking birds with a threatened population and a fondness for shellfish - bombarded this suburban enclave of well-tended older homes this spring.What do you think of the solution?
But in recent weeks - before fed-up humans could resort to foul play - New Jersey environmental officials stepped in to broker what they hope is a truce, allowing the removal of some offending nests.
"I know that some people are going to take issue with the fact that we are charged with protecting endangered and threatened species and this, on the surface, seems to be in conflict with that mission," said Christina Kisiel, a biologist with the Division of Fish and Wildlife's endangered and non-game species program, which is part of the state Department of Environmental Protection.
"But I would argue the opposite. In this case, we have a species of conservation concern whose nesting habits are causing property damage to a homeowner," Kisiel said. "Instead of just saying to the homeowner, 'Too bad, deal with it,' we've tried to come up with a solution that doesn't harm the bird and helps the homeowner cope with the situation."
posted by Amy at 12:46 PM
2 Comments:
My absolutely insane college roomie was from Absecon. Is it run to hope that one of these houses is his?
Sometimes, the best solution isn't what we first think is right. What if a homeowner takes care of the problem on their own and harms or kills the birds? You could punish them but that wouldn't un-do the damage. But to be honest, I would be thrilled, no matter what the cost. What a great way to see those awesome birds up close and learn about them.
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