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August 18, 2006
Plans to protect endangered bird forcing locals to take drastic steps
BOILING SPRING LAKES -- Plans to protect an endangered bird are forcing some local residents and developers to take drastic steps.
Boiling Spring Lakes is finalizing plans with the US Fish and Wildlife service to protect the endangered, red-cockaded woodpecker.
red-cockaded woodpecker
That means preventing damage to the bird's habitat of old, long-leaf pine trees.
So before the move is finalized, developers and landowners in the small town are clear cutting their land.
In the past month alone there have been around 80 requests to clear cut. A normal month sees less than 20.
Some neighbors say they hope the changes get put into place soon and the tree chopping ends.
James Flowers lives by a clear cut area. He said, "May sound a little funny that you're using woodpeckers to keep an area the way it should be. But it's a lot better to look at woods and trees than the bare ground that we're looking at now."
Posted by sue at August 18, 2006 09:59 AM