Commenting on a previous series of postings excerpted below. The "Putnam trail" is the old Putnam railroad right-of-way. It is a former railroad bed, covered originally with a substantial layer of traprock, crushed limestone. Steve Walter seems to have suggested that paving it will be hazardous to the future of a butterfly. The question is whether the existing trail, a relatively thin weedy base on a thicker layer of crushed stone, supports the plant hosts for the butterfly. If it does, then his argument is to the point. If it doesn't, then there is simply the general question of whether paving over that substantially artificially created right-of-way will do any major damage to the park at all. It may theoretically have positive effects.
"Finally, walking along the Putnam Trail yesterday at Van Cortlandt Park, was a very poignant moment for me as I thought of the trees and habitat loss that will take place if and when the Putnam Trail, is paved over with asphalt. Areas along the path that I learned about and became familiar with, that hosted nesting Blue Gray Gnatcatchers, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, Red-bellied Woodpeckers, Yellow Warblers, Orchard Orioles and Baltimore Orioles to name a few will all be lost. We are indeed a SELFISH species!! If you are interested and want to voice your opinion against the paving of the trail, you may visit and sign the petition at http://www.savetheputnamtrail.com/petition/"; -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
