Hi Everyone,
The following is forwarded from the Southern MD Audubon list and on behalf of Dave Curson and Mike Callahan. If anyone can make it to this meeting in La Plata tonight, this sounds like one of the events where we can make a real difference. I know this is the work side of what we do, but it's absolutely critical to our defending wildlife habitat in an increasingly busy state. Please read on and seriously consider attending if its an option. There's also a petition at the bottom of the message.
We're a rapidly growing community. If we don't harness some of that to strengthen the cause, we dropped the ball!�
Thanks!
Bill
Call to arms to protect Natural Charles County- EMERGENCY
This is an emergency call to arms to help protect natural Charles County!
We need you to show up in numbers at 6pm on Tuesday, January 08, 2013 in La
Plata at the County Government Building for the Hearing before the County
Commissioners to let our voices be heard in favor of the Tier 4 which would
slow uncontrolled destruction of the green nature of Charles County. I
would bet most of you live in Charles County because it is not developed
like Washington DC,Northern Virginia and Montgomery and Prince George's
Counties. If we don't show up in full force for a greener Charles County,
than before long it will be just like the fore mentioned urban locations.
Many of you may have heard about and participated in what appeared to be a
very democratic and community involved process over the past two years by
the Charles County Planning Commission. The Charles County Comprehensive
Process was comprised of design charette meetings were held throughout the
County and citizens from all walks of life participated in the workshop
planning process through discussions and breakout sessions. It seemed like
this process was truly a way of the County Planning Commission would listen
to comments of Charles County Citizen and that they were going to take
them into account.
After these design charettes were held and the county held a hearing in La
Plata last spring, it appeared that people who had not attended any of the
previous charettes showed up in La Plata to say they opposed to what came
out of those design charettes. It appears that an organization known
as Balanced Growth Initiative ( BGI which has the appearance of ties
to developer interests) appeared on the scene some time last year and with
property rights scare tactics have whipped some property owners into a pro
growth/development frenzy.
There are three Important Bird Areas (IBA's) in Charles County. All of
which currently have habitat important to various native bird populations.
Under the plan proposed by BGI and supported by the part of the Planning
Commission and possibly about to be approved by the Commissioners will
significantly turn them from green vital bird habitat to splintered
developed land. "If we don't stand up for birds and wildlife and for a
better life for County residents, who will?" Hey that sounds a little like
a quote from "The Lorax", my favorite Dr. Seuss book.
Please join us on Tuesday night in La Plata and tell your non-member
friends who care about the environment to show up too. The BGI people are
planning on stacking the auditorium with their supporters, so we better
show up in force for the environment too.
If we don't speak out, with help from the Once-ler aka BCI, Charles County
is on course to become Thneed-Ville.
See you on on Tuesday and if you can't make it in person, then please at
least look at the Tier maps at http://maryland. sierraclub. org/
and then also sign the petition at http://noplan2006. com/
Naturally,
Mike Callahan
President
Southern Maryland Audubon Society
�
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Bill Hubick
Pasadena, Maryland
<bill_hubick...>
http://www.billhubick.com
http://www.marylandbiodiversity.com
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