Date:         Tue, 23 May 2000 09:37:23 -0400
Reply-To:     Maryland Birds & Birding <MDOSPREY@HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM>
Sender:       Maryland Birds & Birding <MDOSPREY@HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM>
From:         Glen Lovelace III <glovelace@MAIL.DOT.STATE.DE.US>
Subject:      logging

Hello All,
      I have an issue to sound off on if I may get up on my soapbox for a
couple minutes.  First let me explain the situation.  My grandfather has =
a
50 acre farm that straddles the DE/MD border at Oak Grove.  I have
maintained a list (a 1 mile radius) for the area for 7 years or so and ju=
st
recently got my 150th bird there.  The farm has a RR that runs along one
side and at the back, the RR runs into a woods which is unfortunately not
part of the property.  The woods has a good variety of birds all year
including Pileated Wood, Ovenbird, one pair of Worm-Eating Warb, good for
warblers in the fall w/o any water source or funnelling effect.  I try to
walk to area every Sunday morning.  My last walk on 5/14 had 55 species.
This week's walk got rained out, but I did go in the afternoon to check m=
y
bluebird boxes.  And to my horror I saw that the woods on the other side =
of
the railraod had been clear cut in the past week.  Needless to say, I was
not happy.
     Here is where I get on my soapbox.  I my work I deal with replacing
bridges.  We are being required to schedule our construction around bird
nesting season through enforcement of the International Migratory Bird
Act.  Our activites affect maybe 3 species (Phoebes, Barn and RW Swallows=
)
and in the grand scheme it is a limited number of birds at a limited numb=
er
of sites.  Now here come the loggers and destroy acres of woods, affectin=
g
20 or 25 species of nesting birds and multiple pairs of each.  Plus the
woods is now fragmented with the adjacent pieces.  It seems to me that a
much more beneficial enforcement of the Migratory Bird Act would be to
limit logging operations between April and July.
     I do not know what the regulations are for MD.  Does anyone on the
list know what is required legally for logging operations?  Are permits
required and what are the restrictions?  Who would be the appropriate
contact to get some information?  I looked at the forestry section of the
dnr website but I could not find the info I was after.  Any assistance
inpursuing this matter will be greatly appreciated.  Thanks.

Good Birding,
Glen Lovelace III
glovelace@mail.dot.state.de.us
Seaford, DE

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