http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/index.php?sty=6747

Tribune Editorials

If bird must move, the world's not going to end tomorrow
Tribune Editorial

Michelle Harrington of the Southwest Center for Biological Diversity provides a telling glimpse on the following page of the junk science that drives extremist environmental groups like hers.
In her screed about the hoops her own and other environmental groups are making Salt River Project jump through to accommodate a few dozen Southwestern willow flycatchers in and around SRP's reservoirs, Harrington claims that “endangered species are our ‘canaries in the coal mine’ or our environmental dashboard warning lights.”

This claptrap has been repeated so many times by pseudo-ecologists that it's unfortunately widely believed by a gullible public. Yet it has no basis in science. Indeed, it is so obviously bogus we marvel at its shelf-life.

Species have been evolving into and out of existence for eons. The process predates humans by millions of years. Species extinction is a complex process that indeed usually results from changes in the ecosystem, but typically those changes are perfectly “natural.” Weather patterns change or predators migrate into a new area. Sometimes a species is unable to adapt to a changing environment.

Harrington correctly points out that damming of the Salt and Verde rivers has profoundly altered the ecosystems in those areas. But her unspoken assumption is that those changes are harmful, presumably because they were caused by humans. Not necessarily so.

First, humans are part of nature. We have the same survival instincts as other successful species. Second, homo sapiens has been an incredibly successful specie largely because it has been able to adapt to different environments, and even alter the environment to enhance its own survival. And third, the changes humans have made in and around the Salt and Verde rivers to enhance survivability in the Sonoran desert haven't only destroyed habitat; they also have created habitat.

Like other extremist groups of its ilk, the Southwest Center for Biological Diversity is attempting — with remarkable success so far — to use voodoo environmentalism to put SRP in a Catch 22. SRP's dwindling reservoirs have created rich new habitat for flycatchers and other flora and fauna. But when SRP wants to capture runoff in those nearly empty reservoirs, the center screams about “canaries in the mine” to force SRP to duplicate the habitat nearby, at water ratepayers' expense.

Certainly we don't want to willy-nilly destroy natural habitat. And to the extent that saving the flycatcher is affordable, we should at least make an attempt.

But Harrington does the public no service, and undermines what little credibility her own organization may have had, by warning of catastrophe if the Southwestern willow flycatcher makes its home someplace else.

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

I live in phoenix and go to the lakes regularly so I know what this is about.

basically our resevoirs were at capacity aka no habitat for the flycatcher. Well the lakes dry up making great habitat for the bird. Now SRP want to make a plan to get water into the lakes and thus into Phoenix. So if the lakes go back to capacity (which is highly unlikely in the near future) the place where they now make their home will be underwater.

So do these enviro-kooks want save a handfull of birds over getting water to hundreds of thousand in the vally.

Now thats some funny do-doo.

Those birds nest on the waters edge. If the water goes back up, they will nest there. The only problem would be to raise the water levels after the bird nests.

I always wonder what happens to these birds when the natural habitat floods? Animals are more resilient than the eco-wackos admit. The birds will nest on the waters edge, they don't care where the edge is.

On another note, the eco-wackos are starting another campaign to drain Lake Powell since the lake is down about 100 feet. The lake is more helpful to all animals in the area and has created a new, unique habitat in the area. Draining the lake would be harmful to the new "wetlands" habitat.

This just proves that the eco-freaks care less about animals and habitat and their main goal is to keep control of us and keep us in the cities. These eco-wackos are anti-human, not pro-environment.

why is this topic even on this Glamis board?

Oh yeah. Any effort to protect the environment might lead to restricted access for motorized vehicle rec (because of the obvious heavy impacts and related negative effects on the land).

Therefore all OHV riders are encouraged to challenge any and all efforts to protect the earth's dwindling natural areas.

I'll bet you would be happy to have most of the land open for riding and just a few areas closed off as "natural areas".

Bluesky is an Internet Troll.

http://www.intwg.com/trolls.htm

[quote]The only way to deal with trolls is to limit your reaction to reminding others not to respond to trolls.

When you try to reason with a troll, he wins. When you insult a troll, he wins. When you scream at a troll, he wins. The only thing that trolls can't handle is being ignored.[/quote]

They say, "birds of a feather, flock together." I guess that applies to gooney birds as well. How many of these self proclaimed do gooders have actually spent time improving the habitat of the named imperiled species? off-roaders have spent many collective hours of cleanup at the dunes; how many volunteer hours have the eco types spent doing anything that would rival what we off-roaders have done?

[quote]how many volunteer hours have the eco types spent doing anything that would rival what we off-roaders have done?[/quote]

Eco types spend lots of time studying nature. In books, online and even in the desert and sand dunes. We are committed to using the expanding developments in science to further our understanding of the earth we all live in including its plants and animals. We do this for free, though the experts like Ileene Anderson do get a small fee for their highly skilled work for which they paid $ to university for their education.

I read GD all the time. I never read about anyone's interest in animals or plants--certainly not enough to demostrate any knowledge of the subject.

You can do all the clean-ups you want. This is the barest minimum you can do to keep your rec areas nice for you and the other riders. Have you ever done a trail reclamation? Replaced any damaged plants? Donated money to those that do?

Off-roaders jump on the "wise use" bandwagon whenever anyone tries to restrain the wholesale destruction of our natural areas. They always try to sound like they know what they are talking about with their observations of wildlife behavior or the impacts their "sport"makes on it.

You and I know that off-roaders are interested in their rides, their ICDBs and the notoriety that goes with having a new toy. I have never read a thread or heard a conversation (except for Slappy) about how cool nature is. Small wonder that those who are pushing the hardest for repealing the few rules we have protecting nature are those who stand to profit from it.



[img]http://wfosports.homestead.com/files/Kirby.gif[/img]

Bluesky is an Internet Troll.

http://www.intwg.com/trolls.htm

[quote]The only way to deal with trolls is to limit your reaction to reminding others not to respond to trolls.

When you try to reason with a troll, he wins. When you insult a troll, he wins. When you scream at a troll, he wins. The only thing that trolls can't handle is being ignored. [/quote]

[quote]You can do all the clean-ups you want. This is the barest minimum you can do to keep your rec areas nice for you and the other riders. Have you ever done a trail reclamation? Replaced any damaged plants? Donated money to those that do? [/quote]

YES!