Posted on 06/23/2005 9:52:11 AM PDT by Irontank
It's not exactly San Juan Capistrano, and they're not exactly swallows. They're piping plovers and, for fans of the local fire department's Fourth of July fireworks display, this year the tiny shorebirds' annual return is no cause for celebration.
Plovers build their nests right on the beach, and they are listed as threatened along the Atlantic Coast on the federal endangered species list. That means local officials must fence off any patch of sand where a nest is found, and beachgoers, along with their dogs and four-wheel-drive trucks, are personae non gratae in those spots.
This week, village officials said they had canceled the July 2 fireworks display at Main Beach because there were so many plover nests that they could not find anywhere to launch the fireworks. The tradition, decades old, draws tens of thousands of fireworks fans to the beach. Many homeowners whose backyards are nearby give parties that climax with the long and spectacular display.
Jerry Della Femina, an advertising executive and restaurateur, and his wife, Judy Licht, a photographer and writer, have played host to a Fourth of July celebration for at least 10 summers. The gregarious Mr. Della Femina was first at an uncharacteristic loss for words when a reporter told him the display had been canceled this year. He quickly recovered....
Federal regulations impose a fine of up to $10,000 for disturbing the tiny birds and prohibit launching fireworks within three-quarters of a mile of a nest....
The village police chief, Gerard Larsen Jr., said the fireworks had been a tradition for him for nearly all of his 40 years, but he believed this was the first time they had ever been canceled. "It's unfortunate, but it's something we can't control," he said.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Time to reassess the Plight of the Piping Plover.
perfect. The east coast liberals have been dictating policies like this for years that has been biting us West coasters for decades, it's about time they suffer from their stupid laws too. Maybe now we can make some of the oppressive species protection laws go away.
It's tragic that the police chief considers himself a subject rather than a citizen.
It never occured to him to question why the crummy bird has not been bothered for the last 40 years.
After all, controlling twits are empowered when they get absolute control over others.
One word:
That is how Chicago's massive displays are launched. Given their is enough firepower unleashed to start the Second Chicago Fire barges are a great idea.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.