[MPWG] addendum Re: Saving Plants That Save Lives

[Olivia Kwong]

From: kathyschlosser at triad.rr.com

Ed has some excellent points - I especially like the idea of focusing on
ways to encourage/provide incentives and recognition for developers who 
will allow not only rescue of plant material, but perhaps even a review of 
site plans with an eye to keeping a few trees, shrubs and herbaceous 
plants on sites slated for development.


Kathy Schlosser
NC Native Plant Society


On Fri, 4 Jan 2008, Edward J Fletcher wrote:

> Well Said Bob "laws don't protect plants", but in some instances we do
> need them.
> 
> Example, I made an observation years ago while we were doing a plant
> rescue project where a housing development was going in. They allowed us
> to come in and rescue the plants on the lots as they were sold before
> dozing them under. This particular day there were 4 people on the rescue.
> We dug the plants within the marked boundary and we dug for a little
> over 4 hours, collecting over 16 different species of plants and yes some
> were considered protected.
> Then a bulldozer came in and dozed the same area in less than one hour,
> leaving nothing and devastating everything to the point of no
> possibility of regrow!
> So simple calculation showed me that a bull dozer can destroy more in one
> hour that a man can dig in a whole day. And the digging material usually
> gives it a chance for regrowth! Dozing does not!
> 
> My point is, there are no laws to cause "construction" to allow plant
> rescues before "destroying" the whole environment! Neither are there
> incentives for those few companies that do work to preserve as much of
> our natural landscape as possible. There Should Be.
> 
> WE must be heard. Again it comes down to US,the people, speaking up....
> any way we can... and it may start here in this little forum called the
> 'list serve'.
> 
> Edward J. Fletcher