Rock Creek Cellphone Towers Comments
GAIL@UMDD.UMD.EDU
Mon, 29 Mar 99 08:41:13 EST
Hi all --
I wanted to remind Ospreyers that the public Comment Period for the proposed
Bell Atlantic cellphone towers in Rock Creek ends 3/31/99. As you may recall,
one tower is proposed for the peak of the Rock Creek West Ridge, near the
Maintenance Yard.
A number of birders attended the public hearing 3/24, and testified. I found
the hearing extremely enlightening, as almost everyone speaking seemed well
prepared and had good arguments for why the permits should not be granted.
Obviously, birders stressed the importance of the ridge and maintenance yard,
the latter called "the best field in the park" in Claudia Wild's book, to
neotropical migrants. We presnted data on the numbers present in both spring
and fall, including species considered regionally threatened or endangered by
the Northeast Council (the list in the Yellowthroat and the recent ANS News).
Ottavio Janni, for example, has recorded over 180 species in this general
area, and 145 in the Maintenance Yard alone. We stressed that there is NO
DATA on whether these towers pose a collision threat to birds which are, at
predawn, moving at treetop level. The Environmental Assessment failed to
recognise the West Ridge as a migratory corridor, and glossed over any
potentail threat. Bell Atlantic wants to place a 150-foot tower (which will
extend 65 feet above treeline) near the Maintenance facility parking lot,
near a large light pole -- which was pointed out would greatly increase the
potential for bird kills. (Bell Atlantic doesn't want the NPS option 4, a
shorter tower in the yard itself).
But I found some of the other testimony very interesting. The EA did not
consider alternatives, such as facilities outside the park or a cable along
Beach Drive (as is done through the Metro tunnels). Telecommunications
experts said the Bell technology was already "outmoded" and more advanced
technologies provide complete coverage of Rock Creek Park with no intrusion:
eg, Sprint has a single transmitter on the roof of the National Cathedral
(which cannot be seen). The local neighborhoods don't want the towers because
of intrusion into the environment, health concerns, and distrust of Bell
Atlantic's final intentions. One telecommunications person said this would
camel's nose under the tent -- that BAM would need a total of six towers to
completely cover the park, using their current technology. And that other
applications would follow. A number of folks were extremely resentful of
Congressional pressure on Interior and NPS to grant this permit, which will
bring BAM lots of money and gain the park service very little.
However, to make a long story short -- if you are a birder who has enjoyed
the wonderful migrations at Rock Creek, please take a few moments to access
the NPS web page and type in your comments. Perhaps stress the importance of
the West Ridge to migrants and the fact the EA did not discuss this at all,
and the risky experiment they are proposing. The web page can be located at:
http://www.nps.gov/rocr/, where you view the EA and then click on a button
to type in comments. Written comments can be sent to Ms. Adrienne Coleman,
Superintendent, Rock Creek Park, 3545 Williamsburg La., NW, Washington DC
20008.
Thanks to all the people who showed up at the hearing and all of you who have
sent in comments already -- you've been great!
Gail Mackiernan
Silver Spring, MD
gail@umdd.umd.edu