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For the last year we have
been working with the City of Edgewater Director of Parks and Recreation,
Jack Corder, to get the city to fulfill its responsibilities to preserve
the small Scrub Jay habitat there. They agreed to preserve it as part
of a mitigation agreement when the YMCA was built but they failed
to live up to the agreement. Their neglect and the failure of the
US Fish and Wildlife Service and Corps of Engineers to enforce the
terms of the federal mandate resulted in the deterioration of the
habitat and the loss of the Scrub Jays that once lived there.
7.97 acres of scrub jay habitat were mitigated by the City in return
for destruction of ~ 1 acre of the habitat. The City took on the contractual
responsibility for protection of remaining habitat and annual monitoring.
Since then, on-site survey reports 6/01, 6/02 and 10/06 indicate a
loss of all three birds initially found on site. The Scrub Jay Habitat
Management and Restoration Plan is unsigned and undated, but documents
within in indicate the mitigation process began as early as 10/98.
The initial biological survey was reported 11/99.
03/08
Kathy is heading a group of volunteer members to survey the Scrub Jay
habitat behind the Edgewater YMCA for use as a field trip opportunity
for local schools. They identified and tagged trees and plants and
discussed best ways for presenting the information to elementary and
middle school students. This is a first step in what we hope will
become a valuable resource for schools in environmental education.
Perhaps the City of Edgewater will be encouraged to restore the scrub
jay habitat. If you are interested in helping, please contact Kathy.
06/05
County Environmental representative and Paula Sisson from the US
Fish and Wildlife have visited the habitat. Ms. Sisson’s opinion
is that the City of Edgewater, who is the caretaker of the property
and is responsible for monitoring and maintaining the habitat since
1998, is not in compliance and she was going to investigate what
had been done and not done in regards to monitoring and compliance
with the mitigation contract. Ms. Sisson said the habitat needed
a controlled burn due to overgrowth, particularly on the front side;
the back side was in better shape.
06/07/11
A copy of the biological survey completed November 1999 by biologist
Joe Young of Biological Consulting Services was obtained from Mr.
Corder. The survey found a family of 3-4 scrub jays on the ~ 8 acres
and advised mechanical removal of tall trees, which was done (?),
followed with a prescribed burn expected before nesting began in
2000.
06/09/06
Kathy Booth, Conservation Chair, and Co-Chairs, Gail and Richard
Domroski, met with Mr. Jack Corder, Director of Parks and Leisure
for the City of Edgewater and Mr. Young, both parties conceded that
the management plan has not been followed. No burn has ever taken
place. Captain Cousins from the Edgewater Fire Dept says they are
ready to do a burn as soon as the US Fish and Wildlife approves
it. According to Mr. Young, since 7+ years have past, the habitat
is in need of mechanical removal of tall trees again. He also said,
“This project will not be stalled again”. Ironically,
according to Mr. Corder, the City has budgeted for the maintenance
of this property every year since 1998.
Subsequent monitoring of the habitat by SEVAS begun almost weekly.
One lone banded male jay remaining of the family.
06/10/03
Per phone call with biologist, Mr. Young, he did see one scrub jay
yesterday since started survey in October 1st. He will have to redo
the map and burn cells since aerial views do not match original
mapping of where trails were to be placed. Will send survey report
to County and then start burn cycle beginning January or February.
Will re-survey after first burn at beginning of nesting season.
07/03/21
lone scrub jay last seen
07/05/30
Several SEVAS members met with Mr. Corder, Director City of Edgewater
Parks and Leisure Services again. In 30-45 days the City should
be able to remove trees since baseball season is over. Excuses again
as to why haven’t burned. Gil Miller described the concept
of an environmental learning center (or as Richard says, wildlife
refuge) with spots of interest identified on self guided map. Gil
said if birds get people to the Habitat, then people will see it
and want to preserve it. Community and schools will accept it. YMCA
could hold after school program.
07/06/09
County representative emphatic that County has NO enforcement authority
to make City of Edgewater honor mitigation contract.
07/06/06
Letter to City and biologist from Linda Walker, USFW, summarizing
neglect of habitat resulting in overgrowth from lack of fire; requesting
a copy of revised burn cell plan and recommending a prescribed burn
ASAP. No mention of penalties for failure to comply over the years
or recent delays.
07/06/21
E-mail from Mr. Corder, Director Parks and Leisure: playing phone
tag with biologist, Joe
Young. The USFW official has informed me that we need to continue
with our maintenance program for the area and would like us to provide
them with a revised burn plan. Trying to set up a meeting with biologist
and local fire officials, so we can move forward with this project.
On another note, city staff are being scheduled to start topping
some of the trees within the next couple of weeks.
June-December 2007
Regular monitoring by SEVAS volunteers has noted no scrub jay, maybe
a dozen trees topped in only one section of the habitat, continual
over mowing so that the trails are wider than the areas of habitat,
and no prescribed burn. The County has declined to take over management
of the habitat.
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| Young people are the key
to the future of our country. It is their inheritance we are
spending and they need to care about how carefully we are stewarding
it. They have a great stake in it. Please help us with your
financial support. |
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Audubon Adventures
provides classrooms with environmental education prrograms.
They cost about $50.00 per class. Will you sponsor a class?
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| Books to Schools.
We are providing environment oriented books to four schools
in the area this year at a cost of $350.00 per school. Will
you help? |
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| Volunteers.
Your help with any of our activities is needed. The more
volunteers we have, the less each of us has to do. |
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| Join us!Check
out this page for an application. |
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