Harassing bog turtles

dogg57

Piney
Jan 22, 2007
2,912
379
Southern NJ
southjerseyphotos.com
A Burlington County farmer, one of the largest producers of cut flowers on the East Coast, has pleaded guilty to a federal charge of harassing endangered bog turtles by causing damage to their habitat.
James Durr, deputy mayor of North Hanover Township, acknowledged this month that he cleared several rows of trees on his 140-acre North Hanover farm in 2005, causing soil erosion that may have affected the muddy area where the tiny orange-eared turtles had been known to live.
Durr said he chopped down trees along Turtle Creek, upland from the habitat of the federally protected species, shortly after acquiring the land. The trees were 600 feet from the habitat and he didn't think removing them would affect the turtles, he said.

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/n...r_pleads_guilty_to_harassing_bog_turtles.html
 

Bobbleton

Explorer
Mar 12, 2004
466
46
NJ
not sure I understand the thinking behind these responses . . . this man's actions directly contributed to severe habitat degradation because he didn't want to pay what it costs to go through the proper channels. He knew the turtles were there and still went ahead and cut trees on a creek directly upstream from a FEDERALLY listed wetland species anyway.

How is this in any way related to the parkway construction? They have and continue to go through the proper channels to minimize environmental impact to the letter of the law. He went ahead and did what he wanted. The GSP construction is "worse" because its annoying or unsightly?

Interesting that this forum has so little response to wrecking the habitat of a genuinely imperiled species but gets painfully bent out of shape when news gets out that somebody cut down some pitch pines . . .
 

Teegate

Administrator
Site Administrator
Sep 17, 2002
26,011
8,779
Interesting that this forum has so little response to wrecking the habitat of a genuinely imperiled species but gets painfully bent out of shape when news gets out that somebody cut down some pitch pines . . .

The reason for that is they drive by and see the pine trees cut all the time. The imperiled species are not easily viewed and as you know the location of many of them are kept for the most part to a "need to know " basis. If more people who cared knew where they were you might see a more positive response. However, as you also know it is foolish to tell people because eventually the wrong individuals will then know where they are. So until the wrong individuals never know these location you will continue to wonder why people get bent out of shape for a tree.

Guy
 

freerider

Explorer
Jan 3, 2008
271
11
Meant was sure this guy screwed up and they say he harrassed the turtle or habitat.

Didnt the NJ Turnpike folks harrass much by the widening of the Parkway? Who looks into what the govt does to harrass the natural environment?
 

Bobbleton

Explorer
Mar 12, 2004
466
46
NJ
Btw, this site is now functionally extinct...most of the turtles were buried alive.

So harassment of an endangered species = burying them alive? I certainly hope a natural disaster rolls through and harasses his farm soon.

The reason for that is they drive by and see the pine trees cut all the time. The imperiled species are not easily viewed and as you know the location of many of them are kept for the most part to a "need to know " basis. If more people who cared knew where they were you might see a more positive response. However, as you also know it is foolish to tell people because eventually the wrong individuals will then know where they are. So until the wrong individuals never know these location you will continue to wonder why people get bent out of shape for a tree.
I kind of get your point, Guy . . . but it still doesn't quite make sense to me once the article is read (this thread had like 130 views when i started writing this). It makes clear all those things one would need to know to understand that this was a f'd up scenario . . . not quite sure why you need to know the exact location of any "nature" to give a damn about it.

The area above the site was also dammed to create an irrigation pond.
By the same farmer? On second thought I hope a meteorite "harasses" his farm into oblivion. This guy just BLATANTLY disregards whatever rules inconvenience him . . . then swears it was an accident? So weird that he's in politics.

Meant was sure this guy screwed up and they say he harrassed the turtle or habitat.
Ah, gotcha.
Didnt the NJ Turnpike folks harrass much by the widening of the Parkway? Who looks into what the govt does to harrass the natural environment?
Depends on how you look at it. Most of the potential damage done there would be at wetland crossings, but the turnpike authority (like everyone) is required to comply to Pinelands/CAFRA depending on the situation. Even outside those zones there are regulations they have to follow in regard to all wetlands in NJ, with protocol in place to prevent things like the debacle at Mayor D-Bag's flower farm.

The reason I'm saying the parkway is "low-impact" so to speak is that the parkway itself is the harassment. The GSP is basically a deathtrap for most wildlife. As a result, there's not a ton living on the median. Pre-construction its surveyed for T&E habitat, and during construction a private consulting firm is hired in to provide an environmental monitor to ensure regulations are being followed. I don't necessarily agree with it being done . . . i understand its infrastructure for south jersey to better handle an ever-swelling population (and of course the deforestation that comes with that), but at least they're following the rules. And of course by contrast, the guy being fined knowingly broke an array of local, state, and federal regulations . . . and would likely continue to do so if he hadn't been caught.
 

dragoncjo

Piney
Aug 12, 2005
1,579
307
43
camden county
Gibby i'm good friends with one off the people responsible for study this species. He didnt make mention the damn, does anyone know about this?

Alse the turnpike flat murdered this species, i drive that road to work sometimes and it did a number.
 

oji

Piney
Jan 25, 2008
2,129
549
64
Browns Mills
If you destroy the habitat you get up to 6 months in jail and $25k in fines but if you lie about it you get up to 5 years and $250k in fines. Well I'm glad he lied about it too!
 
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