Ward Excavation Expands Expertise in Land Clearing Services for Residential and Commercial Projects  openPR

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Ward Excavation Expands Expertise in Land Clearing Services for Residential and Commercial Projects - openPR

Discovery on satellite image halts Aussie construction site amid claims of illegal land clearing  Yahoo News Australia

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Discovery on satellite image halts Aussie construction site amid claims of illegal land clearing - Yahoo News Australia

Mundy Township Planning Commission approves tree clearing in area of planned Mega Site  WEYI

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Mundy Township Planning Commission approves tree clearing in area of planned Mega Site - WEYI

Why was that large land parcel cleared along southbound I-5 near Olympia? Heres the answer  The Olympian

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Why was that large land parcel cleared along southbound I-5 near Olympia? Heres the answer - The Olympian

13 Outdoor Upgrades That Will Instantly Increase Home Value  AOL

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13 Outdoor Upgrades That Will Instantly Increase Home Value - AOL

Thousands of hectares of koala habitat are cleared every year, including for renewable energy projects  ABC News

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Thousands of hectares of koala habitat are cleared every year, including for renewable energy projects - ABC News

Opinion: Lets get the real story on vegetation management  Beef Central

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Opinion: Lets get the real story on vegetation management - Beef Central

An average 100 million native animals killed or injured each year from land clearing, mostly for beef farms  RenewEconomy

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An average 100 million native animals killed or injured each year from land clearing, mostly for beef farms - RenewEconomy

An Australian resident landed in deep trouble for damaging a vast portion of national park land.

The unnamed offender was fined almost $22,000 ($14,600 USD) after clearing 0.35 hectares, about 8 acres, of native vegetation and building a structure in Koonyum Range, New South Wales, The Echo reported in January. The sanction included court costs and an $8,000 remediation penalty plus two one-year community corrections orders.

Since the parcel was located in Mount Jerusalem National Park, they were convicted in Mullumbimby Local Court on multiple charges of violating the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974 and National Parks and Wildlife Regulation 2019, per The Echo.

"The seriousness of the offences is reflected in the penalty imposed by the court," the outlet reported, noting the person did not check property boundaries.

Multiple endangered and vulnerable plants and animals live in the park.

"The felling of forest oaks impacts directly on the habitat and food resources of the glossy black cockatoo, a listed vulnerable species known to occur in the area," NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service area manager Jenny Atkins said.

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"Trees are highly valued in the Byron Shire and their removal, without permission, is not tolerated by NPWS, or the broader community."

The beautiful bird juveniles have yellow plumage around their necks and other body parts, and adults feature red tail feathers has suffered from habitat loss since European colonization. Changes to bushfire patterns in the same timeframe as well as predation by feral cats and possums are among its other problems.

Deforestation contributes to the rapid heating of the planet by releasing stored carbon into the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide and other gases envelop the planet like a blanket, trapping heat and creating a positive feedback loop.

This changes ecosystems, damaging some and shrinking habitats, for instance, whereas others are supercharged, allowing pests such as ticks to expand their ranges and increasing disease incidence.

Stiff penalties may have a deterrence effect, educating and warning others about potential pitfalls. But deforestation is increasing worldwide despite conservation efforts.

At least in one corner of southeast Australia, government officials are committed to prevention efforts.

"This sends a strong and very clear message to people that before you clear land or cut down any trees or do any building work, even on your property, you should know where the property boundaries are," Atkins said.

"You should always check with the local council to see what is allowed and what is not."

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Resident faces colossal fine after clearing national park land for illegal building construction: 'This sends a strong and ... - The Cool Down

Tree-clearing on Beacon Island, along the Hudson River and Normans Kill, is among the missteps at proposed turbine manufacturing site. Lets pursue wind energy without collateral damage to the local environment.

As our society enters the necessary but challenging transition to clean energy to combat climate change, it is important to ensure that we do not cause collateral environmental damage along the way.

New York State has a laudable plan to develop 9,000 megawatts of offshore wind energy by 2035. Riverkeeper supports generating clean, renewable power through wind energy. New York is working quickly to build out its supply chain to create massive wind turbines and is improving existing industrial ports to achieve this goal. The Port of Albany has proposed Beacon Island as one of these sites for the manufacture of offshore wind turbines.

Beacon Island is an 82-acre parcel just south of the Port of Albany on the Hudson Rivers west bank. It is immediately south of a tributary called Normans Kill. The Port of Albany bought the property three years ago for the purpose of developing the property to build components for offshore wind turbines.

A controversy arose in May, when 80 acres of wooded land on the site were suddenly clear cut under a New York State Department of Environmental Conservation permit but before required federal approvals were obtained.

In June and July, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) called out several significant problems with this proposed project.

It appears that potential impacts to anadromous and resident fish that use this section of the Hudson River as migratory, spawning, nursery, resting, and foraging habitat were not fully considered during project planning and design, NOAA stated in comments to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Both the EPA and NOAA recommend that the Army Corps permit for the project not be granted until proper assessment and modifications are made:

The EPA and NOAA state that alternatives, including other locations, must be considered in the proposal.

The project proposes to permanently impact .81 acres of wetland without considering alternatives to avoid and minimize environmental impacts. The proposal does not provide justification for why these locations were chosen.

Proposed in-water construction would fragment habitat, disrupting and damaging a .21-acre bed of important underwater grasses and the many fishes that use this section of the Hudson River as migratory, spawning, nursery, resting, and foraging habitat. Similar to the wetland impacts, there is no justification provided for why construction of a wharf in this location is needed. The EPA and NOAA call for studies of alternatives, and NOAA calls for fish impacts to be properly considered.

As stated by the EPA and NOAA, the projects plan to replace the affected habitat is inadequate, and the project cannot proceed until a proper plan is identified.

The entire site is within the 100-year flood plain of the Hudson River, which leaves it prone to flooding, especially as climate change intensifies.

The tree clearing went beyond the limits of the proposed permit. EPA recommends full restoration of cleared forested wetland areas that are not authorized for impact under the proposed permit, the agency wrote in its June 23 letter to the Corps.

Riverkeeper is a member of the NY Offshore Wind Alliance, and fully supports wind energy development and other alternatives to fossil fuels. Riverkeeper also supports the recommendations by EPA and NOAA concerning local environmental impacts of the proposed project. We call upon the New York DEC and the Town of Bethlehem Planning Board to follow the federal agencies in examining these issues closely, and consider alternative sites and designs to minimize impacts.

In addition, community members have raised concerns about the environmental impacts from the disturbance of 2 million tons of coal ash on the site, and the projects infringement of the Town of Bethlehems zoning code. The coal ash is a waste product from a local coal-fired power plant. Coal ash contains contaminants such as arsenic, lead and mercury. The zoning code requires a 100-foot no-build buffer along the Normans Kill Creek, and prohibits development within the 100-year flood zone of the creek bank. Riverkeeper urges all regulatory entities to seriously consider the local communitys concerns, and uphold the local zoning code.

New York State has failed in its oversight of the Beacon Island site, and must do better. We cannot reach a sustainable future if we disregard our local environments and communities in the process.

More information:

Letter from EPA to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, June 23, 2022

Letter from NOAA to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, July 11, 2022

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EPA and NOAA identify problems with Port of Albany wind energy site - Riverkeeper