I have included the letter I am sending for anyone that needs an idea on what is involved here.
Please help. November 5th is the last day comments will be heard. If there is no voice, there will be much less of the sanctuary left. Especially as time goes on.
The letter:
Here is the body of the letter I sent. Sorry, I copied the original from an email i sent.
********
October 22, 2007
RE: Permit SWG-2007-321
Jayson Hudson
Regulatory Branch, CESWG-PE-RB U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
P.O. Box 1229
Galveston, Texas 77553-1229
409-766-3108 Phone
409-766-6301 Fax
Subject: Another piece of nature buried under concrete!
Dear Mr. Hudson,
It has come to my attention that a permit has been submitted for a development immediately adjacent to a sensitive area enjoyed by thousands of people every year as one of the few places left for wintering and migrating shorebirds that is not tainted by building development and all of the accommodating changes that they bring. I am merely echoing what is written on the Houston Audubon site, as it states the issues I and any conscientious human being should have with this proposal. I’ve listed them below with additional points that were obviously overlooked.
“List of On-site Wetland Concerns:
* Project would violate Section 404 (b)(1) Guidelines for the Clean Water Act as it is not a "water dependent" development.
* Storm water runoff from the proposed development will flow into sanctuary wetlands. This runoff may contain herbicides, automobile petroleum products, insecticides, fertilizers and pet waste leading to contamination of sanctuary wetlands and decreasing wetland productivity.
* Buildings, paving of streets and sidewalks will increase the amount and speed of storm water draining into sanctuary wetlands.
* The 6.02 acres of wetlands to be filled on site are part of the dune/swale complex which provides a clean freshwater supply for wildlife. The availability of clean freshwater in coastal systems is extremely difficult to replace.
* There is great potential that invasive exotics could be introduced into the construction site and then escape into the adjacent wildlife sanctuary.
* Placing the infrastructure along Rettilon Road will impact wetlands adjacent to road. These shallow wetlands are important wildlife habitat.
* Use of mosquito control chemicals in development would damage sanctuary wetland productivity eliminating food for birds.
Secondary Impacts of Development: Endangered Species
* The Sanctuary beach has been designated as critical habitat for endangered over wintering Piping Plovers. Increased traffic on the beach (golf carts, dogs, and people) will result in increased disturbance of Piping Plovers and the thousands of other birds that use the beach.
* Endangered Kemp's Ridley Turtles have nested on the Bolivar Peninsula. Increased beach traffic and development lighting have the potential to negatively impact turtle nesting.
Sanctuary and Wildlife
* Rettilon Rd is bordered by wetlands and regularly floods during extreme high tides and storm events. Development residents will find this inconvenient and ask that the road be elevated. Road construction will negatively impact adjacent wetlands.
* Wetlands wildlife frequently crosses Rettilon Rd. Heavy traffic will cause additional road kills.”
Your permit states “THREATENED AND ENDANGERED SPECIES: Preliminary indications are that no known threatened and/or endangered species or their critical habitat will be affected by the proposed work.”
Let me provide you with a little information about the threatened or endangered species that use the area that “won’t” be affected. To name a few:
Eastern Brown Pelican – endangered
Reddish Egret – threatened
Swallow-tailed Kite – threatened
Peregrine Falcon – endangered
Least Tern – endangered
Piping Plover – threatened
Kemp Ridley Sea Turtle – endangered (as noted above) and highly sensitive to development lighting and unleashed dogs of the new residents.
How is it that when one of these surveys is done. This information, that is easily found on the TPWD website, among others, doesn’t seem to have made it into your survey.
As a nature photographer, I’ve seen the damage these low impact developments can do, regardless of the intentions of the developer. The traffic increase alone will necessitate unnecessary road improvements that will destroy habitat where myself and others have witnessed Clapper Rails, Soras, Willets, various sparrow species, among others raise their young. I’ve witnessed young Reddish Egrets learning to hunt and Swallowtail Kites, Red-tailed Hawks, Northern Harriers, American Kestrels, Peregrine Falcons, and Merlin hunting the very area you are considering destroying.
I’ve watched Roseate Spoonbills sifting for food in the shallows of the flats and Black Skimmers and countless Terns feeding their young on the beaches. The noise, increased traffic, loose pets, and garbage that will follow this development into the area will inevitably affect these natural residents.
Now, consider the revenues that come in every year from visitors from around the globe that come this wonderful area to experience coastal nature. I’m sure that revenues that are brought in by local and international visitors won’t be missed at all.
And what happens when the next tropical storm or hurricane blows in and litters the sanctuary with the scraps of damaged housing that will be scattered across the land. Remember the environmental damage from “Rita” in 2005. We can only forget our past at the risk of repeating our mistakes in the future.
Please, please search your conscience and reconsider your actions before the damage is done.
Sincerely,
Wayne Nicholas
Nature Photographer
WN
cc: Houston Audubon Society; Everyone I know.
********
Posted by Jim Erhardt on October 24, 2007 at 8:02 AM
Wayne, thanks for posting this!
Posted by Bill Chambers on October 31, 2007 at 9:19 AM
Wayne, you mentioned you sent this letter via email. Do you have the email address for Jayson Hudson? Time is running short, and I'm concerned about a letter making it through the bureaucratic maze to Mr. Hudson before Nov. 5.
Discussion
6 repliesI have enclosed a link to Houston Audubon's site explaining a very real threat to our beloved Bolivar Flats Sanctuary.
http://www.houstonaudubon.org/index.cfm?act=Newsletter.cfm&category=News&newsletterid=1045&menugroup=Reference
I have included the letter I am sending for anyone that needs an idea on what is involved here.
Please help. November 5th is the last day comments will be heard. If there is no voice, there will be much less of the sanctuary left. Especially as time goes on.
The letter:
Here is the body of the letter I sent. Sorry, I copied the original from an email i sent.
********
October 22, 2007
RE: Permit SWG-2007-321
Jayson Hudson
Regulatory Branch, CESWG-PE-RB U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
P.O. Box 1229
Galveston, Texas 77553-1229
409-766-3108 Phone
409-766-6301 Fax
Subject: Another piece of nature buried under concrete!
Dear Mr. Hudson,
It has come to my attention that a permit has been submitted for a development immediately adjacent to a sensitive area enjoyed by thousands of people every year as one of the few places left for wintering and migrating shorebirds that is not tainted by building development and all of the accommodating changes that they bring. I am merely echoing what is written on the Houston Audubon site, as it states the issues I and any conscientious human being should have with this proposal. I’ve listed them below with additional points that were obviously overlooked.
“List of On-site Wetland Concerns:
* Project would violate Section 404 (b)(1) Guidelines for the Clean Water Act as it is not a "water dependent" development.
* Storm water runoff from the proposed development will flow into sanctuary wetlands. This runoff may contain herbicides, automobile petroleum products, insecticides, fertilizers and pet waste leading to contamination of sanctuary wetlands and decreasing wetland productivity.
* Buildings, paving of streets and sidewalks will increase the amount and speed of storm water draining into sanctuary wetlands.
* The 6.02 acres of wetlands to be filled on site are part of the dune/swale complex which provides a clean freshwater supply for wildlife. The availability of clean freshwater in coastal systems is extremely difficult to replace.
* There is great potential that invasive exotics could be introduced into the construction site and then escape into the adjacent wildlife sanctuary.
* Placing the infrastructure along Rettilon Road will impact wetlands adjacent to road. These shallow wetlands are important wildlife habitat.
* Use of mosquito control chemicals in development would damage sanctuary wetland productivity eliminating food for birds.
Secondary Impacts of Development: Endangered Species
* The Sanctuary beach has been designated as critical habitat for endangered over wintering Piping Plovers. Increased traffic on the beach (golf carts, dogs, and people) will result in increased disturbance of Piping Plovers and the thousands of other birds that use the beach.
* Endangered Kemp's Ridley Turtles have nested on the Bolivar Peninsula. Increased beach traffic and development lighting have the potential to negatively impact turtle nesting.
Sanctuary and Wildlife
* Rettilon Rd is bordered by wetlands and regularly floods during extreme high tides and storm events. Development residents will find this inconvenient and ask that the road be elevated. Road construction will negatively impact adjacent wetlands.
* Wetlands wildlife frequently crosses Rettilon Rd. Heavy traffic will cause additional road kills.”
Your permit states “THREATENED AND ENDANGERED SPECIES: Preliminary indications are that no known threatened and/or endangered species or their critical habitat will be affected by the proposed work.”
Let me provide you with a little information about the threatened or endangered species that use the area that “won’t” be affected. To name a few:
Eastern Brown Pelican – endangered
Reddish Egret – threatened
Swallow-tailed Kite – threatened
Peregrine Falcon – endangered
Least Tern – endangered
Piping Plover – threatened
Kemp Ridley Sea Turtle – endangered (as noted above) and highly sensitive to development lighting and unleashed dogs of the new residents.
How is it that when one of these surveys is done. This information, that is easily found on the TPWD website, among others, doesn’t seem to have made it into your survey.
As a nature photographer, I’ve seen the damage these low impact developments can do, regardless of the intentions of the developer. The traffic increase alone will necessitate unnecessary road improvements that will destroy habitat where myself and others have witnessed Clapper Rails, Soras, Willets, various sparrow species, among others raise their young. I’ve witnessed young Reddish Egrets learning to hunt and Swallowtail Kites, Red-tailed Hawks, Northern Harriers, American Kestrels, Peregrine Falcons, and Merlin hunting the very area you are considering destroying.
I’ve watched Roseate Spoonbills sifting for food in the shallows of the flats and Black Skimmers and countless Terns feeding their young on the beaches. The noise, increased traffic, loose pets, and garbage that will follow this development into the area will inevitably affect these natural residents.
Now, consider the revenues that come in every year from visitors from around the globe that come this wonderful area to experience coastal nature. I’m sure that revenues that are brought in by local and international visitors won’t be missed at all.
And what happens when the next tropical storm or hurricane blows in and litters the sanctuary with the scraps of damaged housing that will be scattered across the land. Remember the environmental damage from “Rita” in 2005. We can only forget our past at the risk of repeating our mistakes in the future.
Please, please search your conscience and reconsider your actions before the damage is done.
Sincerely,
Wayne Nicholas
Nature Photographer
WN
cc: Houston Audubon Society; Everyone I know.
********
RE: Permit SWG-2007-321
Jayson Hudson
Regulatory Branch, CESWG-PE-RB U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
P.O. Box 1229
Galveston, Texas 77553-1229
409-766-3108 Phone
409-766-6301 Fax
Thanks for taking the time to respond.