Posted on 07/20/2006 12:57:20 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - A federal judge halted a $320 million irrigation project Thursday for fear it could disturb the habitat of a woodpecker that may or may not be extinct.
The dispute involves the ivory-billed woodpecker. The last confirmed sighting of the bird in North America was in 1944, and scientists had thought the species was extinct until 2004, when a kayaker claimed to have spotted one in the area. But scientists have been unable to confirm the sighting.
Still, U.S. District Judge William R. Wilson said that for purposes of the lawsuit brought by environmental groups, he had to assume the woodpecker exists in the area. And he ruled that federal agencies may have violated the Endangered Species Act by not studying the risks fully.
"When an endangered species is allegedly jeopardized, the balance of hardships and public interest tips in favor of the protected species. Here there is evidence" that the ivory-billed woodpecker may be jeopardized, he said.
The National Wildlife Federation and the Arkansas Wildlife Federation had sued the Army Corps of Engineers, arguing that the project to build a pumping station that would draw water from the White River would kill trees that house the birds and that noise from the station would cause the woodpeckers stress.
The judge said the Corps and the Interior Department must conduct further studies before proceeding.
The Corps began building the Grand Prairie Irrigation Project last year, about 14 miles from where the bird was supposedly spotted. It suspended work in mid-March to keep from exceeding its budget and is scheduled to resume construction in October with the start of a new fiscal year.
About $80 million has been spent so far. The project is scheduled to begin delivering water to farmers in 2010 or 2011.
The kayaker's claim to have seen an ivory-billed woodpecker in the woods near the White River caused a sensation in scientific circles. But more than 100 volunteers and researchers who spent weeks last winter trying to find conclusive evidence of the bird's existence came back empty-handed.
The Corps had conducted a study showing the project would not significantly harm the woodpecker's habitat, but environmental groups said the study was too narrow.
Under the judge's order, the agencies must evaluate any ivory-bill nests and forage sites within 2 1/2 miles of the construction project.
The pumping station would draw 158 billion gallons from the White River per year. Authorities said it is needed because the main aquifer beneath eastern Arkansas's soybean, cotton and rice fields is running out of water and could run out by 2015, causing economic hardship.
A Justice Department lawyer said this year that a one-month delay would cost the Corps as much as $264,000, and a six-month wait $3 million.
Now how would they know? Have they consulted with the woodpecker? Did the woodpecker come to them and express concern about the project? I want to know what the bird thinks! This is a one sided opinion.
Yes, they have: Ivory-billed Woodpecker (Campephilus principalis) Persists in Continental North America
Yes seeing the Ivory Bill would be awesome.
No luck on 'Morning Wood' ,, this is definitely in the general White Water river area however ,,
I'm not too upset about the environmentalists delaying another federally subsidized project for rice farmers, but I don't see how anyone can do much of an impact study on such an elusive creature.
Yes I Know I was lucky to get so close.
And it was every day for months during the winter. The suet was right of the deck hanging in the tree, about 10 feet from my living room window.
But because they always announced themselves, I could get to the window fast. As long as I didn't move, they didn't detect me.
It was really exciting.
The really cool thing is that my husband and I are going to build a great room off the back of our house. The deck will extend off that right to a cedar tree. Since the ground slopes, the room and the deck will be level with the foliage part of the tree. So I will have exactly the same conditions as before.
Now that's really rare. So much that it calls for new legislation. In the name of protecting our environment from all threats whatsoever (imagined or yet to be imagined) I hereby propose passage of The Engendered Specious Act.
Stop everything. Now.
Good. But I'm thinking we should also have tax incentives for buggies, mud huts and medical leeches.
Ironies nested within ironies; the government's petard hard up against the ivoried bill of a lowly will o the wisp playing cheshire cat in the America's heartland, fairy tales created before our very eyes.
I don't think they have they audio tapes yet. They have suspended microphones in the area but last I heard no confirmed Ivory calls.
It the birds are out there, then they should be able to hear them, and they should be able to record them.
Read the paper that was linked in post #42. It states that researchers have recorded drumming of Ivorybilled Peckers. It also has (blurry) stills from the video with an analysis.
Wooly mammoths are extinct. Every child knows that. But Bigfoot is not and he is listed on the international CITES Endangered Species list. I saw one last winter in the woods near that terrible river project. It was eating an ivory billed woodpecker.
Pileated are pests on the west coast of Fl. They wake me up in the morning with their infernal racket. I have literall seen dozens, large bird, funny swooping flight, inane cluck. We are also plagued by bald eagles.
Nothin special about these birds.
"Brinkley is located near the Cache River National Wildlife Refuge, where in February 2004 the ivory-billed woodpecker was purportedly rediscovered after having thought to be extinct for over 60 years.
Brinkley has attempted to capitalize on its good fortune of being the largest city near the Refuge and the rediscovery of the woodpecker:
A billboard on eastbound Interstate 40 proclaims Brinkley as "The Home of the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker"
One motel has changed its name to "The Ivory-Billed Inn"
A local resident has opened a shop, "The Ivory-Billed Nest", devoted exclusively to ivory-billed paraphernalia.
One local barbershop offers an "ivory-billed" haircut (a variation of the mohawk complete with red tinting)
Gene's Restaurant and Barbeque, a popular local restaurant, offers an "ivory-billed burger" and an "ivory-billed salad" on its menu; in addition, two of the initial rediscoverers of the ivory-billed woodpecker have written a children's book which mentions Gene's.
In addition to the ivory-billed sightings, since July 2005 at least two confirmed reports of bald eagle nests have been found in the Monroe County area.
Further, the swamps of the Cache River are believed to contain among the oldest cypress trees in the United States.
Brinkley opened a convention center in 1996 which can seat up to 600 people; in February 2006 the center hosted a conference commemorating the second anniversary of the ivory-billed woodpecker's rediscovery.
Now, I've seen some great examples of the Cypress Wood for sale at Flea markets there. Really cool..
sw
I'm still holding out for the woolly mammoth. Your big-foot is just a holdover hippy from the 60s. :->
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