Hummingbird Nest Halts Upgrades On Richmond-San Rafael Bridge [Bay Area, CA]

CBS SF Bay Area ^ | January 30, 2017 7:54 PM | Phil Matier

[Olog-hai]

A little bird could become a big hold up for important upgrades on the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge. A path on the upper deck will enable bike riders to get across in both directions and a third traffic lane on the lower deck will ease congestion for drivers heading eastbound.

The backhoes are waiting — the safety barriers are lined to go up — but thanks to a little winged friend, work on a key part of the $70 million Richmond-San Rafael Bridge Bridge re-do has been put on hold.

Randy Rentschler, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission said, “In this particular case a bird’s nest was found.” Not just any bird — but a protected bird — and one with an egg waiting to hatch.

Rentschler said, “Hummingbirds are on the list, so the followed the rules.” …

[Olog-hai]

Well, the MBTA does specify that nobody can even take away the nest without the federal government issuing a permit. Part of the old Wilsonian power grab 99 years ago. Even says you can’t even move a feather without the feds’ say-so.

[Teacher317]

Part of the insanity is that hummingbirds are NOT rare. They're plentiful everywhere. But this one genetic variant is rare, and thus holds up untold millions of dollars (billions?), all to preserve a tiny genetic difference. Our great-grandchildren and their great-grandchildren, will all see hummingbirds... but maybe not one with a red belly or yellow eye or third stripe on its back or some other insignificant difference... that is not such a great loss to the environment or our heritage or to our great x 6 grandchildren... and yet we allow that tiny variation to cost us vast fortunes, because of the endless efforts of the emotionally crippled voters.

I'm all for making sure that species survive... but tiny subsets and genetic abnormalities, costing us billions? That has to stop.

[Attention Surplus Disorder]

You go over that bridge, which is a marvel albeit a 1940’s marvel.....

If that bridge was lost in a quake it would take YEARS to replace. And $20 billion.

[tumblindice]

California: where Dr. Suess is in the non-fiction dept along with the NYT.

[Olog-hai]

As far as monetary losses go, the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge is a toll bridge, so it ought to be self-sufficient with the MBTA issue aside.

[TruthInThoughtWordAndDeed]

I’ve got one word for this kind of crap.

Flamethrower.

[The Westerner]

Odd that a bird which is found in abundance is “endangered”.

[JimRed]

Nothing against the cute little birdies, but...shoot, shovel, shut up. For the cost of a day or two delay you could breed hundreds of the little buggers to release to the wild.

[FamiliarFace]

The list is quite extensive, and has many birds that are prolific where I live. I can’t believe so many are on this list!
https://www.fws.gov/birds/management/managed-species/migratory-bird-treaty-act-protected-species.php

[FamiliarFace]

I’m guessing that they haven’t purged the list since it started.

[The Westerner]

I’m guessing that the environazis prefer to place every species on that list until man exists no more on this earth. I learned this from reading Atlas Shrugged during Version 2.1 “Ecology and Overpopulation”. Since then it’s been reworked many times. Current V.8.3 “Climate Change”.