Judge May Halt Project to Protect Bird

AP ^ | 2/6/6

[SmithL]

Jonesboro, Ark. -- A federal judge heard arguments Monday over whether a vast irrigation project intended to help farmers in eastern Arkansas will harm the rare ivory-billed woodpecker.

U.S. District Judge William R. Wilson was asked by environmentalists to temporarily stop the Grand Prairie Irrigation Project and order the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to conduct more environmental studies on the bird's habitat.

The judge said he would rule as soon as possible and might have a telephone conference with the lawyers before making a decision.

Work began on the $320 million project last summer with construction of a pump station. The station is expected to be complete, if allowed to proceed, in two years. The project would draw 158 billion gallons per year from the White River. Farmers have been using underground aquifers but their continued use threatens to deplete that natural resource.

Attorneys for the National Wildlife Federation and the Arkansas Wildlife Federation argued Monday that the project will kill off trees and its noise will stress the bird.

[SmithL]

Your tax dollars at work.

[Hodar]

Isn't the final state of evolution 'extinction'? When a species is unable to adapt to a change in it's surroundings, it must either adapt or extinguish itself.

[1FASTGLOCK45]

Hodar wrote:
Isn't the final state of evolution 'extinction'? When a species is unable to adapt to a change in it's surroundings, it must either adapt or extinguish itself.


--I like your way of thinking :)

[annelizly]

woodpeckers destroy trees! Aren't these people tree lovers?
Why do they always put peoples lives second to animals?

I had to kill one of the damned things yesterday! Pecked a huge hole in my 100 year old maple tree! Probably killed the tree! (the one I killed wasn't on the endangered species list)

[TheHound]

The Ivory billed woodpecker has been extinct for at least 60 years. Some group that has been looking for it for the same period of time, purports to have video of one from Arkansas, in a refuge about sixty mile from this project. One must wonder about the coincidence of it.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

They found a way to use the ESA to steal private property in the name of an extinct bird by suddenly pretending it is no longer extinct, despite any concrete evidence.

Amazing.

[thelastvirgil]

Oh, he'll stop the project, alright. The looney toons from the great northeast, university ornithology professors and departments, environmental watchdog groups, and every other weirdo in the country are out to save an already extinct bird.

The tree-huggers are pinning all their efforts on a miraculous "sighting" of one bird -- about four years ago -- by some idiot with an axe to grind.

One of the bigname wildlife groups has already spent almost $16 million in attempts to find that elusive bird. They have put listening devices and cameras all over the swamp, in the Clarendon area, and, to date; not a peep or a feather out of the little rascal.

No skin off anyone's arse if these folks want to blow all that time, effort, and dough, but they should get the hell out of the way of the project.

[sergeantdave]

I saw a wooly mammoth taking a bath in Lake Superior and have a recording of him honking out a pretty good version of "Yankee Doodle Dandy."

All shipping on the Great Lakes must stop now.

[fat city]

"They have put listening devices and cameras all over the swamp, in the Clarendon area, and, to date; not a peep or a feather out of the little rascal."

Ivory-Billed woodpeckers were huge- even larger than their cousins, the Pileated woodpeckers- and when those things peck, you can hear it for miles.

[John O]

(the one I killed wasn't on the endangered species list)

It wouldn't matter if it was. It's a bird for crying out loud. Shoot, Shovel, Shut up

[girlangler]

Wouldn't be admitting that too freely if I was you. Unless there is a hunting season on woodpeckers in your state (doubtful), you could be in violation of state laws (not condemning you, just letting you know).

I was in my yard a few days ago and heard a very loud pecking, looked up and a HUGE woodpecker was in a tree quite a ways away. I was mad that I didn't have my binoculars. I laughingly told myself he might be an Ivory billed pecker. Boy, if he was I'd never let anyone know it. I'm not in Arkansas so probably wasn't.

[Smokin' Joe]

Better check your tree, there is a good chance it has problems--and not from the woodpecker. They don't like to live in 'live'(sappy) wood and otherwise are after bugs in the tree.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

Cue Woody Woodpecker's laugh.

[John O]

Wouldn't be admitting that too freely if I was you.

If I had disposed of an unwelcome intruder on my property no one would ever hear of it. Shoot, Shovel, Shut up.

Always practice the three S's