The clearing of an area has doubled as a forced relocation for wild felines.

The process started Monday on a plot of land behind the Sunoco gas station on U.S. 70. The owner of the land who wished to remain anonymous plans to either sell the land or place a business on the spot. While the land was full of trees and shrubbery, a colony of feral cats made homes there.

On Tuesday, Lenoir County SPCA President Jerry Henderson released a statement which said It has come to the attention of the SPCA that an urban lot, which is home to a colony of feral cats, is being bulldozed. The feral cats will lose their home and some may even lose their lives. This is a disheartening and tragic situation. There are people that willblame the firm hired to clear the property and some that will blame the SPCA. The demolition firm is doing what they were hired to do. People may ask how the SPCA can let this happen and we wish there were something we could do, however the SPCA has no enforcement authority and our role is to provide humane care for the companion animals brought to the shelter.Feral cats that become a nuisance are trapped by the local animal control officers, who are employees of the city or county, and taken to local veterinarians where they are euthanized after a three days unless reclaimed by an owner. Feral cats do not come to the SPCA shelter at all. This is a problem managed totally by the local governments.

The tragedy is that, in the absence of any spay and neuter regulations, unwanted cats have to forage for food and hide from predators. Their life is not easy and some local groups do what they can to make their life better. The answer is the elimination of feral cats by progressive education and regulatory programs that ultimately match the cat population to the community needs. One organization, Save-A-Cat, has been caring for the cats, along with trying to get them spayed, neutered, trained and sent to receive rabies shots. Sharon Houston, vice president of the organization, said there wasnt enough notification time to move the felines.

The cats had been living there for several years, Houston said. We were trying to relocate them but they scattered when the bulldozers came. All of the cats were tame or were getting tame, so now we have to try to get them back to feeling comfortable around people. We werent notified until Thursday afternoon, so we tried to figure out what to do.

Lynn Everett, owner of Everetts Clearing and Grading, said he tried to do everything he could to help the cats while still doing his job.

When I found out we were going to do the job last Wednesday, I called my sister who does a lot with animals, contacted animal control and contacted (Houston) and let them know we were clearing the lot, Everett said. We were out (Monday) morning trying to help with cats and have done everything we can not to hurt them.

I cant sit here all day and chase cats, but weve checked the area while taking trees down and if (Houston) says there are cats in the area, we try to be real careful. I wouldnt ever run over one deliberately and I dont want to hurt them.

Houston said the workers have been helpful during the time, as well as other residents.

The construction workers have been cooperative, Houston said. Its their job to go out and clear the area, so its understandable. Weve had people come by and try to find kittens, so there have been some good people helping out.

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Cats found on construction site

BJP on Tuesday termed the Haryana government's approval to the land deal between Robert Vadra and DLF as its "parting gift" to the Gandhi family and questioned the Bhupinder Singh Hooda dispensation for displaying "haste" in clearing it.The party also attacked the state government for "shying away" from moving the high court and instead "indulging in breach of hierarchy" in clearing the deal."We see it as a parting gift to the Gandhi family before the Haryana government of Congress loses it out," BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra told reporters.

He said before losing the government in Haryana, it is a parting gift to the Gandhi family "from one syndicate to another syndicate".Questioning the state government's haste in clearing the Vadra land deal, he asked, "Why did the government of Haryana shy away from going to the higher appealing authority, the high court in this case. Why was the government in an absolute haste to solve the problem before a particular date even when the two parties involved had no grievance." Citing a similar case where the Punjab and Haryana High Court had questioned the state government why there should not be a CBI probe into all the land deals, the BJP leader said the case was withdrawn by the petitioner allegedly "under pressure" from the state government.

The BJP leader alleged that in the present case, Gurgaon Deputy Commissioner had issued orders on July 16 not to follow the instructions issued by the Director General Consolidation, who had cancelled the mutation of Vadra's land for which he had struck the deal with DLF, and is the higher appealing authority under the law.The DC, he alleged, instead of moving the high court which is the appellate authority, issued orders terming the DG Consolidation of Land's letter as "illegal, void and without any jurisdiction"."This is akin to a lower court saying that the higher court's jurisdiction should not be followed and that the higher court's orders are erred and invalid...," Patra said.

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Land deal nod Hooda government's parting gift to Gandhi family: BJP

Hisar (Har), Oct 6 (PTI) :Prime Minister Narendra Modi today asked the Election Commission to take serious note of Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda clearing the land deal between Robert Vadra and DLF, alleging that it was done hastily as the Congress faced "certain defeat" in the October 15 Haryana Assembly polls.

"They (Hooda government) know that after the elections, the son-in-law (Vadra) will not get any clearances for illegal deals. So, in between the election process, they have dared to take such a decision," Modi said at an election rally here.

"I think Hooda was pressurised from the top (Congress leadership) to take such a decision," he said.

The Election Commission, the Prime Minister hoped, would take "serious note" of the state government's decision.

"I hope they will take appropriate action for any violation of the Model Code of Conduct," he said raking up the alleged land deal involving Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law.

The Hooda Government had reportedly legitimised the land deal while holding as illegal the order of the state's former Director General (Consolidation) Ashok Khemka who had cancelled the mutation of the land in Gurgaon.

"It is clear from this decision of the shameless Hooda government that both he and the Congress party have already accepted defeat in Haryana," Modi said. Modi also hit out at former Chief Minister and INLD leader Om Prakash Chautala, saying some people are dreaming of taking oath as Haryana's Chief Minister from jail. "I don't need support from jail. I don't need support of goons who are in jail," he said, adding that some people are spreading lies by showing his old photos with them. The Prime Minister said that his government enjoys the support of 1.25 billion people of the nation.

Noting that dynasty politics has ruined Haryana, Modi asked BJP workers to fight against the leaders who have worked only for their kins.

"The Haryana ministers are running the government only for their kith and kin. Unless this is stopped the pride of Haryana won't be restored," he said.

"The state of Haryana never been free of dynasty politics. Vote out dynasty politics," he said and stated that the BJP has made a tea-seller as the Prime Minister of the country. Expressing confidence that the BJP will win the assembly elections, Modi said that his party will bring development in Haryana.

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EC should probe Hooda govt's clearance to Vadra land deal:Modi

Land disputes: Govt urged to step in, carry out reforms

KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah Government needs to intervene in land disputes involving all native customary rights and at the same time carry out land reforms to make land administration, particularly land alienation, fair, transparent and with integrity.

Star Sabah Chief Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan, who is also Bingkor Assemblyman, however, said while it is to be lauded that the elected representatives from Ranau and Kundasang and the Director of Land and Survey have met and come out with statements, the land dispute remained unresolved.

Urging the State Government to intervene soonest and resolve the ongoing land dispute and standoff in Kg Malinsau, Wayan and Sinurai, Ulu Sugut, Ranau, he said the land dispute needed to be seen from the right perspective. "If the villagers/native inhabitants did not form a human barricade with the aid of volunteers of SSPR, an NGO from Ranau, the disputed land would have been totally cleared and destroyed by now.

"Moreover, according to the native villagers, there were no ground surveys and no boundary markers in the disputed land as alleged by the authorities that a proper survey was done," he said.

Dr Jeffrey said that even then it did not stop the cutting down of about 300 rubber trees by the intruding mob with more than 100 foreigners and watched by the police with their vehicles and lorries ready to arrest and cart away the native villagers. "It was not just a case of clearing land for their proposed site office as allegedly reported.

"Luckily, there were no untoward incidents and eventually good sense prevailed and the destruction was stopped pending further negotiations. "Hopefully, a final resolution can be achieved with the native villagers getting to keep their lands and rubber trees that are not destroyed," he said in a statement here Saturday.

Dr Jeffrey said to resolve the land mess in Ulu Sugut, Ranau, and in many similar cases, the Government must intervene to resolve the land dispute and it is hoped that the Government will do so for the rights and welfare of the native villagers.

At the same time, he proposed that the State Government implement land reforms, including respecting and acknowledging native land rights by establishing clear-cut provisions for safeguarding of NCR and other land rights; mandatory provisions for ground survey/inspection and inquiry before land applications are considered; establishing of a Land Tribunal and if possible a Land and NCR Commission and a Native Land Foundation; making provisions for court proceedings to be allowed to challenge disputable decisions of the Director of Land and Survey and Collector of Land Revenue; widen the scope of land use of Native Titles so that the natives get better valuations on their lands and for development without sacrificing native lands to be converted to country leases.

"I hope to propose some suggestions at the next State Assembly sitting in November and hope that land administration to safeguard native customary rights can be further strengthened," he said.

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Land disputes: Govt urged to step in, carry out reforms

Land clearing: The Caterpillar arrives
First Day of clearing. Paul arrives with his Caterpillar.

By: Carol Peckham

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Land clearing: The Caterpillar arrives - Video

Land clearing: our drone joins in
The drone arrived to keep an eye on the dig.

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Land clearing: our drone joins in - Video

Land clearing: here comes the bulldozer
The bulldozer is driven by Evan. His father Paul has the Caterpillar.

By: Carol Peckham

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Land clearing: here comes the bulldozer - Video

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Bobcat Mini Excavator Digging Small Stumps
On a recent job we did some small land clearing. We had to rip up some of the stumps for a pad for a shed and new lawn. Just a quick clip of me ripping out t...

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Bobcat Mini Excavator Digging Small Stumps - Video