Date: Fri, 4 Aug 2000 08:31:24 -0400 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: "Lovelace, Glen" Subject: FW: Gordon's Pond Alert - calls needed to Carper! MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" not MD, but still an imaportant issue and a place many of you may visit > >Birders: > > > >I am forwarding this note from the Sierra Club. Calls to Governor Tom > >Carper are urgently needed this week to halt construction of a bike path > >through wetlands at Gordon's Pond in Cape Henlopen State Park - scheduled > to > >begin next week. Please read on, if you are unfamiliar with the topic - > and > >call even if you live outside Delaware. > > > >Thanks, > > > >Ron Simpson > >------------------------------------------------------------------------- > >> Calls are needed! > >> Please read the action alert below and take a couple minutes to make a > >> couple calls in the next day or so to the people listed at the bottom. > >> We need to let these regulators know that we support their calling for > >> the appropriate studies if they have not been done. > >> Thanks in advance for your help! > >> > >> Debbie Heaton, Delaware Sierra Club Chapter Conservation Chair > >> - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - > - > >> > >> HOT - HOT - HOT!!! > >> > >> We are asking you today to call the Governor and ask him to make sure > >> that all applicable studies have been completed before construction > >> starts a the Gordons Pond Wildlife refuge. We need to get lots of calls > >> in. > >> > >> Ask to leave a message for the Governor. > >> > >> 1. You want him to protect the wetland and animals at Gordons Pond > >> 2. He has the power to make sure it is done correctly, protecting ou= r > >> Gordons Pond Wildlife Refuge > >> 3. He should stop construction (which is due to start next week) until > >> all appropriate studies and consultations are done. > >> > >> Governor Carper > >> 800-292-9570 in state > >> 302-577-3210 out of state > >> > >> Below is more information. > >> > >> PLEASE MAKE THE CALL!!! > >> > >> > >> . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . > >> Action Alert > >> > >> > >> Gordons Pond Wildlife Refuge > >> Have the studies required by law been done? > >> > >> Today the Delaware Chapter of the Sierra Club questioned whether the > >> proper studies have been done to understand the effect of two projects > >> slated for the Gordons Pond Wildlife Refuge at Cape Henlopen State Park > >> in letters sent Monday to EPA Region 3 head Brad Campbell and John > >> Wolflin, head of the Chesapeake Bay office of U.S. Fish and Wildlife. > >> > >> Gordons Pond Wildlife Refuge is a unique ecological area sandwiched > >> between the Atlantic Ocean and the Lewes-Rehoboth Canal. Tidal wetlands > >> and uplands comprise the southern and western landscape. The DNREC is > >> currently planning for bicycle path/public access to a birding > >> observation platform in the Gordon's Pond Wildlife Refuge area as well > >> as a groin re-construction and enlargement on land adjacent to the > >> Refuge and the North Shores development. > >> > >> The Gordons Pond Wildlife refuge is home to several listed species. One > >> species, the Piping Plover is currently protected only by a memorandum > >> of agreement between the DNREC and U.S. Fish and Wildlife. This MOA is > >> in place of a critical area designation as specified by the Endangered > >> Species Act. Sierra Club is concerned that these two projects threaten > >> the habitat of the piping plover and other species that live or visit > >> there. > >> > >> Letters from DNREC's Fish and Game and Heritage Sections have both > >> expressed serious concerns and raised compelling questions as to this > >> project's over all impacts to the many biological communities that make > >> up this sensitive ecological area. To our knowledge many of these > >> concerns and questions have gone unanswered. > >> > >> We have posed the following questions: > >> 1. Has the US Fish and Wildlife Service performed formal consultations, > >> as is required under the Endangered Species Act, with the State of > >> Delaware regarding how this project may affect all threatened and > >> endangered species that utilize this region during some part of their > >> lifecycle? > >> 2. How does path through Gordons Pond Wildlife Refuge and the proposed > >> groin re-construction and enlargement effect the Memorandum of > Agreement > >> between the DNREC and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service of June 1990? > >> > >> The tidal wetlands that comprise the Gordons Pond Wildlife Refuge are > >> also under attack. The materials used to create the bicycle path/public > >> access to a birding observation platform project threatens to fill > >> wetlands on either side as each heavy rain and winter storms hit the > >> area. The Duffield Associates Report states that there are tidal > >> wetlands on each side of the trail over most of its length, according > to > >> the State Wetlands Map and stone and stone dust will run-off into the > >> adjacent wetlands and will need to be maintained each year with several > >> tons of rock. > >> > >> With information like this readily available we fail to see how this > >> project will not impact tidal wetlands. Both the State of Delaware and > >> the US Army Corps of Engineers - Philadelphia District claim no > wetlands > >> will be impacted, and that no individual permits are needed. Partly > >> because of these decisions there has been no public review or oversight > >> of this project. > >> > >> We have posed the following questions: > >> 1. Does the EPA-Region 3 concur with the findings of the Army Corps and > >> the State? > >> 2. Has the EPA-Region 3 performed an on-site wetlands delineation > >> assessment? > >> 3. Has an impact study been done to consider this drifting of the path > >> stone and stone dust in the wetlands over time? > >> We understand it has been considered in the maintenance cost > >> determinations by Duffield & Associates. > >> 4. Has an alternative needs analysis been conducted? > >> > >> If wetland delineation, formal consultations, or the MOA is > >> abrogated, we urge you to join us in calling the following regulators > >> and officials and let them know that you support them stopping any and > >> all construction until all the necessary assessments and studies are > >> completed and they clearly show there will be no negative impacts on > the > >> ecologically rich region. > >> > >> > >> > >> For more information contact: Debbie Heaton 302-378-8501 or Jim > >> Steffens 302-239-9601. > >> > >> > >> > > ========================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ========================================================================== ==========================================================================