More good news from Conneaut...
Representing OOS, I met with Conneaut Port Authority leadership in the field
during the OOS field trip there to gather information and obtain insight
about bird conservation challenges at Conneaut. I've made a commitment to
return to meet with city leadership and others in the near future (they were
unable to meet with me that day but invited return).
Thanks to Craig Holt for meeting me there in advance to share his long
experience birding at Conneaut. All of us owe a debt of gratitude to Craig
and other birders who regularly post update information about birds seen
there. Many of us schedule our trips to Conneaut based on their posted
sightings.
The good news: So far, all of the local leadership concerned that I've
talked with have been excited to learn more about their bird-related
resources and they have expressed their interest and their commitment to
conserving these resources for the benefit of their community and for the
birds. All have been fascinated to hear about the extraordinary migrations
some of their visitors undertake (mainly the birds, but birders, too!), and
of the importance of rest and refueling for their bird visitors' survival.
They are very interested in supporting birding and birders! They must
provide opportunities for other interest groups, too.
We talked about recent bird sightings at Conneaut and about birds seen there
the day of our meeting. Together, we observed minor bird disturbance events
and we discussed others we did not observe, that they pointed out as
potential issues they can address through management approaches. Recently,
they have posted leash requirements and they are actively discouraging
unfettered 'four-wheeling'. They expressed willingness to consider trail
design and wildlife drive approaches that may reduce disturbance while
increasing birding opportunities. They expressed the desire to install
observation facilities, including an elevated observation deck--their idea!
All of these possibilities are only considerations at this time. It's not
clear whether or not any such development can occur due to possible
regulatory limitations. Several powerful stakeholders are interested in
development outcomes in the Conneaut harbor area. The regulatory issues are
complex. If all stakeholders demonstrate interest and concern approaching
that I found when talking with Port Authority leadership, we can expect bird
conservation progress at Conneaut! The process may test our collective
patience but I'm confident the birds will gain protections.
Tom Bain
OOS Bird Conservation Chair
-----Original Message-----
From: Ohio birds [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Craig
Holt
Sent: Monday, October 11, 2010 3:27 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [Ohio-birds] Conneaut conservation news and some Mahoning Co. birds
When I was in Conneaut Saturday I picked up a copy of Ashtabula's
Star-Beacon newspaper. The front-page headline story was about the Conneaut
Port Authority being "In trouble with the EPA" for bulldozing wetlands on
the sandbar. This was the Ohio EPA, not federal yet but the US Army Corps
of Engineers is also investigating the matter. Will some real
conservation/protection finally come to the Conneaut sandspit? Stay
tuned.....on a more mundane note, I checked a couple reliable spots in
Coitsville Twp. (Mahoning Co.) this morning and found red-shouldered hawk,
e. phoebe, e. bluebirds, and sparrows--chipping, song, swamp,
white-throated, and white-crowneds. Craig Holt, Lowellville
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______________________________________________________________________
Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society.
Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list.
Additional discussions can be found in our forums, at www.ohiobirds.org/forum/.
You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at:
http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS
Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask]
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