Has anyone heard anything about this? My understanding was the
Minneapolis Park Board was in charge of Roberts now.
If I am overstepping the purpose of the list I apologize.
Sysliene Turpin
Minneapolis MN
FYIz;
Friends of Roberts Bird Sanctuary FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 02/03/14
Matt Johnson, President
612.298.5509
[email protected]
Treasured Minneapolis Bird Sanctuary in Peril
Friends of rare urban nature area oppose devastation to habitat and vegetation
Minneapolis, MN – The Friends of Roberts Bird Sanctuary (FRBS) announced today
that it opposes the current plan to rehabilitate the 100-year-old sewer line
running through the Sanctuary and called on the Metropolitan Council to adjust
its plan for work inside the Sanctuary. According to FRBS President Matt
Johnson, “While everyone understands the necessity of upgrading the sewer line,
the Met Council’s current plan ignores the fact that this area is a bird
sanctuary and would result in unnecessary devastation and loss of habitat that
would last for decades.”
According to the Friends, key aspects of the rehabilitation plan have changed drastically since the Met Council conducted meetings and open houses to inform the public. For example, the width of the work zone through the Sanctuary has increased from 10 feet to 60 feet since the project was announced. Such a wide zone of destruction will result in the loss of many more trees important for nesting owls and other birds. Despite earlier assurances that work would not occur during bird migration periods, work is now likely to start during Fall migration. Normally migrant birds use the sanctuary as a stopover to rest; however, the current plan will eliminate this option for birds. MPRB is also planning to use a crude oil aggregate, bitumen, as a surface material inside the Sanctuary, which will certainly pollute the Sanctuary’s fragile wetland environment.
Audubon Minnesota and two local Audubon chapters have joined with the Friends
of Roberts and with organizations representing the two neighborhoods in which
the Sanctuary is located (East Harriet-Farmstead Neighborhood Association and
the Linden Hills Neighborhood Council) to oppose the Met Council’s current
plan. All six organizations signed a letter urging the Met Council to meet with
them to resolve concerns before finalizing the plan for the sewer work inside
the bird sanctuary. To date both the Met Council and MPRB have refused to
address these critical concerns.
The letter states, “We are very concerned about the lack of an explicit mitigation
plan that acknowledges and accommodates the value and fragility of the bird
sanctuary, and with the lack of transparency over the past few months as the Met
Council met with the Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board staff to finalize
plans.”
Take Action to Protect the Sanctuary
FRBS encourages people to contact the Met Council, MPRB Commissioners and MPRB
Superintendent urging full transparency and modifications to the work plan that
will ensure a strong, detailed and contractual commitment to minimize the
disruption and damage to the Sanctuary.
About Roberts Bird Sanctuary
The Thomas Sadler Roberts Bird Sanctuary is a 31-acre undeveloped natural area
located in Lyndale Park near the Peace Garden in southwest Minneapolis. One of
only two bird sanctuaries in the Minneapolis park system, Roberts Bird
Sanctuary is part of the Minneapolis Chain of Lakes Important Bird Area (IBA),
which is recognized as a globally important habitat for the conservation of
bird populations, both migrating and resident. Hundreds of species visit the
Sanctuary during migration.
About the Friends of Roberts Bird Sanctuary
The Friends of Roberts Bird Sanctuary, Inc. is a Minnesota non-profit
corporation formed in 2013 whose purpose is to protect, preserve, and enhance
the Sanctuary as a sustainable and thriving habitat and sanctuary for birds and
other native wildlife; to safeguard the integrity of the Sanctuary as an
undeveloped natural area connecting people with nature; to enhance through
education visitors' appreciation and understanding of Minnesota's birds and
native wildlife and their natural environments as part of an intricate and
balanced web of life; to promote and to assist in the implementation of
management techniques in and near the Sanctuary that protect and enhance water
quality and wildlife habitat.
Lara Norkus-Crampton RN
East Calhoun, Mpls
About/contact Lara Norkus-Crampton RN:
http://forums.e-democracy.org/p/383LTn6HAtgT0MMBJKTBJ7
View full topic:
http://forums.e-democracy.org/r/topic/2IlpGUhTlEDPd5YHsY4bir
* Shape our online redesign - http://e-democracy.org/design
* Draft design coming soon. Get out your arrows and praise.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Post: [email protected] or "Reply-to-All" to comment.
Get digest or leave: Put "digest on" or "unsubscribe" in Subject (no quotes)
Forum Home: http://forums.e-democracy.org/groups/mpls
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Need help? http://e-democracy.org/support Hosting: http://OnlineGroups.Net
#mpls13 - Election 2013 - http://e-democracy.org/mpls13
1. Be civil! Please read the rules at http://e-democracy.org/rules.
If you think a member is in violation, contact the forum manager at
[email protected] before continuing it on the list.
2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait.
----
Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net
Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
