Re: Some thoughts on giving back (long)
Howard Youth (hmyouth@erols.com)
Tue, 10 Feb 1998 15:41:10 -0500 (EST)
I wholeheartedly agree with Robert Mumford's discussion on birders being
taxed. Many of us have birded this area for decades, and seen some terrific
areas (such as Gude's Nursery and countless large farms) fall to office
parks and subdivisions. Today, undeveloped land is much pricier, and harder
to find.
How would we feel if Lilypons fell to developers? Would there be funds
available to potentially buy up the land IF the property owners were
considering a sale? (This is only hypothetical.)
I can see the other side, though. I must admit I still feel a twinge of
annoyance when I have to fork over a few bucks for a refuge entrance fee. I
remember when all birding was free. But I also sometimes feel like a
freeloader, enjoying areas like Hughes Hollow, when I've not been asked to
contribute a cent.
Though it's taken a minor mental adjustment, I'm more than willing to pay
for the privilege to bird on federal and state lands. We birders tend to be
a fairly well-off lot, relatively speaking. We can certainly pay a bit more
for the birds and wild places we love--and help leave something that future
generations will enjoy.
Howard Youth
Rockville, MD