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Debbie Miller @HooootOwl
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Beverly Saltonstall
Burrowing Owls Evicted In Dubious Tumbleweed Scheme
And just when one thought the burrowing owl dilemma in the East San Francisco Bay Area could not get any more incredible, a series of shady events unfolded during the last two weeks. I held off reporting some of these facts because I have been in direct contact with and awaiting responses from the Department of Fish and Game (CDFG), but I could do so no longer. As I huddled in the shadow of the Heidelberg castle in Germany amidst a light snowfall last week, I discovered via a text message that an owl occupied burrow had been blocked by numerous tumbleweeds.
These magic tumbleweeds managed to crawl up a retaining wall and settle on top of a burrow entrance. And without any wind to propel the rolling plant and a locked chain link fence keeping out unauthorized personnel, I can only surmise that the culprits must have had a key to this patch of land. And all of this occurred just days after the CDFG issued Monk & Associates a notice to remove all one-way eviction doors and refrain from collapsing any more burrows on the property. Perhaps the CDFG should have been more specific in their request, but then again I could not have imagined such a crafty solution for evicting burrowing owls.
And after my tumultuous return from Germany and rush to address the Burrowing Owl Consortium last weekend, I visited the project site for the first time in a week. To my surprise the tumbleweeds were gone, but unfortunately so was the owl. It was then that I realized my victory was just as short-lived as the burrowing owls’ stay of execution. By the way, I am still waiting for answers from the CDFG.
Yet the saga continued and the unexplained events were not limited to the prior week. During a few stolen minutes from lunch on Monday , I witnessed tumbleweeds being collected and strategically positioned on a slope. Had I not encountered a previous tumbleweed scheme, I may not have been so leery of the situation that unfolded before my eyes. And so I waited for the day to end and the activity to fade. And just before sunset I returned with a telephoto lens to capture evidence of an eviction door behind a wall of tumbleweeds. No comments necessary! Phone calls to the CDFG were not returned, and my emails were returned with zero information pertaining to the events.
So the tale of Antioch’s Blue Ridge burrowing owls continues to twist in directions that I could never had imagined. I am looking forward to some revelations next week that may in fact define our next steps.
About The Author
I don’t even know what to say. Only “bleep” words come to mind. I may write another letter – this cannot continue!
Amber Coakley´s last blog ..Before the Snow, There Was Rain
You said it! I actually said those bleeps outloud while sitting alone in my hotel room in Germany. Needless to say I was bent out of shape all week and I fired off numerous emails trying to get immediate action and protection. I am glad my wife was able to keep some tabs on the situation while I was out that week. The situation gets more incredible as time goes on.
I actually did write a letter because of these events and copied media, DFG Directors, Attorney General, Governor, etc. No response from DFG but I did get calls from the media. I was told to expect a reply from the lead Attorney at the AG’s office this week…apparently just returned from vacation. I’ll keep my finger’s crossed and will still keep the fight going.
Sounds like you’ve covered all of the bases. I (belatedly) returned Catherine Portman’s call over the weekend, but missed her. How expensive could it be for the state of CA to adopt an active relocation approach? Could any costs be offset my commitments from non-profit organizations (who could utilize volunteers)? See where I’m going with this? Maybe too late for these particular owls, but I fear that this situation is just one of what will be many…
Amber Coakley´s last blog ..Beetle Collection for Inaugural Edition of “An Inordinate Fondness”
Hi Amber,
You are correct in that this is not the only situation. I have been alerted to a few other local project sites that may be on the verge of an eviction. The problem is that DFG management (director level) are more involved in the politics than in the conservation…and species suffer.
Catherine and I are headed to the CA state Assembly tomorrow to have a meeting with legislators and discuss the very things you mention. I’ll let you know how it goes.
Excellent! I look forward to hearing how this goes. I will help however I am able.
Amber Coakley´s last blog ..Beetle Collection for Inaugural Edition of “An Inordinate Fondness”
I hope you reported this to the news and CDFG and everyone you can think of, Scott. It’s preposterous and pathetic–yet somewhere deep inside me it’s not a surprise. Horrible, yes, but not unexpected. Which says something terrible about people in general…
I reported the details directly to the senior environmental scientist and Game Warden that issued the cease and desist to Monk & Associates. I happened to just arrive in Germany when I received the news about the tumbleweed eviction and was left speechless. Even after several emails that week, I did not receive a reply until I returned to the States. And yet the reply contained no useful information as to who allowed these activities to persist (i.e. DFG) or if they were done by the consultant/developer alone. Let’s just say I have some suspicions that it was all of them.
By the way, I have yet to receive a response or acknowledgement to any letters/emails I sent to DFG management…silence speaks a thousand words as does their lack of action.