Pine Snake Monitoring
- Thread starter james ungehajer
- Start date
Those fences attract too much attention, just like the ones at the sanctuary. Hopefully they have the same signs that are at the sanctuary which impose a heavy fine for tresspassing. All those snakes are going to die eventually there anyway.
Nice article except for the fact that pine snakes aren't endangered.
They're not? That's news to me. Where did you hear that?
Oh, wait a minute. You are correct. They are just threatened, right?
This relocating nonsense was a terrible precedent to allow. Most on this forum have some degree of understanding of wildlife ecology, but the general public does not and will think this is an acceptable solution elsewhere. The reason most T&E animals have had population declines in the first place is destruction or degradation of their habitat, not something happening to individuals of the species. Destroying their habitat and trying to stockpile the individuals someplace else will not help the overall problem, just make it worse.
Since it's private property and they can do what they want... there is no other alternative... or is there?
Relocation is better than nothing I suppose.
Relocation is better than nothing I suppose.
Thay can't exactly do whatever they want..........sort of. Development on endangered and threatened species habitat can be regulated, but the regulations are spotty and inconsistent, depending on where in the state the development is taking place. The freshwater wetland laws can come into play if it is a wetland species (which the pine snake isn't). If a listed species is found in a wetland on or near the tract, the required upland buffer zone is increased in size. At times, this has resulted in not enough buildable upland left for the proposed project. Upland species can be protected in zones requireing either a Pinelands or CAFRA permit, which can be denied due to a listed species present. But they can also grant the permit if a compromise is reached, such as relocating, building tunnels under roads (another joke), or some other mitigation. I think Jack Cervetto's tract in Warren Grove was a purchase funded by a developer that was made in exchange for allowing the deveopment behind the WAWA on Rt. 539 in Little Egg Harbor, which was pine snake habitat.
The laws are complicated and I'm still trying to figure them out, in order to go beyond the common "how do they allow then to do that?" and become involved in some more effective measures. One thing we can do is express our concerns to the governor and our representatives, asking for more teeth to be put in the endangered species laws, as to provide more uniform protection for documented habitat.
Correct. With the habitat loss going at the rate it is I'm sure being endangered is only around the corner.