Thanks, Gary and Greg, for sharing this! I cannot attend tonight's meeting at the Hector Ranger Station regarding the grassland proposal. I just got finished reading the "Scoping Information" details on the website. I fully support the goals of the project to restore the grasslands and improve suitable habitat for grassland obligate birds. My several concerns about the details and proposed implementation of the project are as follows: 1. Timing of herbicide application. In the proposal, the application is scheduled for early spring, just as breeding birds are returning to the area to set up territory. Will this timing interfere with nesting success? Would a late summer or fall application be safer for breeding birds, after dispersal of young? 2. Timing and division of treatment in managed units. The Ahouse complex of grasslands in the Finger Lakes National Forest (known to birders as Dean Road and Lodi Center Road fields), are some of the larger tracts of grassland currently available to grassland obligate birds. The way the proposal is formulated, it seems that these tracts are to be divided internally and treated. Some grassland bird species require large continuous areas of grassland for suitable breeding territories. Would it be less disruptive to treat an entire section (say all of Ahouse West), and leave another large intact area untreated in the interim (e.g. Ahouse South) in order to maintain an area of suitable potential territiories? This may extend the overall timeline of the project, but would possibly help maintain habitat use by the current bird populations.
These grasslands are used both as overwintering sites for Short-eared Owls and Northern Harriers, as well as summer breeding grounds for Grasshopper Sparrow, Eastern Meadowlark, Boblink and other grassland obligate birds. My main concern with the proposal is ensuring that the timing and locations of the proposed actions are carried out in such a way as to not disrupt the current populations of birds that already use these areas. The goals of the project are highly commendable. I'm sure others with more in-depth knowledge of breeding cycles and conservation/restoration projects could raise better points than I have. Thanks, Josh On Fri, Nov 22, 2019 at 8:22 AM <k...@empacc.net> wrote: > Part of the plan is to use glyphosate. > > --- > John and Sue Gregoire > Field Ornithologists > Kestrel Haven Migration Observatory > 5373 Fitzgerald Rd > Burdett, NY 14818 > 42.443508000, -76.758202000 > "Create and Conserve Habitat" > > On 2019-11-22 13:12, Gary Kohlenberg wrote: > > > > Thanks Alicia ! The meeting in today, Friday Nov. 22nd. > > > > Gary > > > > *From:* bounce-124146342-3493...@list.cornell.edu < > bounce-124146342-3493...@list.cornell.edu> *On Behalf Of *Alicia > *Sent:* Friday, November 22, 2019 8:07 AM > *To:* CAYUGABIRDS-L <cayugabird...@list.cornell.edu> > *Subject:* Re: [cayugabirds-l] FLNF Grassland Enhancement Project open > house, 11/22/19, in Hector N.Y. > > > > According to the Scoping Letter (see the link in Gary's email), the open > house is tonight from 6 to 7 pm. > > On 11/22/2019 8:00 AM, Gary Kohlenberg wrote: > > Hi all, > > > > I wanted to let everyone know about an open house that is taking place > tomorrow evening at the Finger Lakes Nation Forest ranger station in > Hector, NY. with Gregory Flood the Hector District Forest Service Wildlife > Biologist. It will give the public an opportunity to discuss a new > grassland enhancement project trying to get underway for this upcoming > summer. Public comments are being accepted. To provide a comment please see > the link below and open the “scoping letter”. Instructions on how to submit > a comment are include in that document. > > > > Hector Ranger Station > > 5218 State Route 414 > Hector, NY 14841 > > > > https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=56961 > > > > Gary Kohlenberg > > > > > > -- > > *Cayugabirds-L List Info:* > > Welcome and Basics <http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME> > > Rules and Information <http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES> > > Subscribe, Configuration and Leave > <http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm> > > *Archives:* > > The Mail Archive > <http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html> > > Surfbirds <http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds> > > BirdingOnThe.Net <http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html> > > *Please submit your observations to eBird > <http://ebird.org/content/ebird/>!* > > -- > > > > -- > > *Cayugabirds-L List Info:* > > Welcome and Basics <http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME> > > Rules and Information <http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES> > > Subscribe, Configuration and Leave > <http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm> > > *Archives:* > > The Mail Archive > <http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html> > > Surfbirds <http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds> > > BirdingOnThe.Net <http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html> > > *Please submit your observations to eBird > <http://ebird.org/content/ebird/>!* > > -- > -- > *Cayugabirds-L List Info:* > Welcome and Basics <http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME> > Rules and Information <http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES> > Subscribe, Configuration and Leave > <http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm> > *Archives:* > The Mail Archive > <http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html> > Surfbirds <http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds> > BirdingOnThe.Net <http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html> > *Please submit your observations to eBird > <http://ebird.org/content/ebird/>!* > -- > > -- > *Cayugabirds-L List Info:* > Welcome and Basics <http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME> > Rules and Information <http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES> > Subscribe, Configuration and Leave > <http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm> > *Archives:* > The Mail Archive > <http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html> > Surfbirds <http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds> > BirdingOnThe.Net <http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html> > *Please submit your observations to eBird > <http://ebird.org/content/ebird/>!* > -- > -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
