SUNDERLAND, MD. Have you herd? Goats will soon be making their way through Maryland and Northern Virginia, as property owners trade machinery and labor crews for hungry, four-legged landscapers ready to decimate any vegetation in their way.

Mary Bowen, owner of Sunderland-based Green Goats and Prosperity Acres farm, will be putting her herd of more than 70 goats to work from May to October, using them to clear overgrown vegetation in various private and public areas across the state.

Unlike traditional land-clearing methods such as herbicide treatments and excavation services, which can have adverse effects on the environment, goats offer an environmentally-friendly alternative.

Poison ivy, poison oak and poison sumac are some of the goats favorite vegetation choices, making the animals perfect for jobs with highly concentrated areas of poisonous plants humans wouldnt dare tackle themselves.

Bowen founded Green Goats three years ago, with the intention of providing a service that would benefit both the environment and the state.

For years, the Bowen family had been showing goats, along with cattle and horses, at local 4-H shows around the state, including the Anne Arundel County Fair in Crownsville and the Maryland State Fair in Timonium.

I wanted to be able to do something with the goats other than showing them. ... I actually wanted to utilize them to do what they naturally do, which is forage, Bowen said.

After linking up with Enrique Escobar, a small ruminant specialist and assistant professor at the University of Maryland, Eastern Shore, Bowen was able to make her plan a reality.

During a workshop in which Escobar recounted past experiences with using goats for land clearing projects in Oklahoma, Bowen saw the potential in bringing the practices to Maryland.

I decided I wanted to be able to develop this business, because I had heard in other states, particularly California, where they use the goats to clear out for firebreaks in the park services ... and that was what I really wanted to be able to start doing, Bowen said. Something that is good for our community ... good for our state.

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Goats to be free landscape labor

Jacqueline Bowen, 14, who helps run the Green Goats business with her mother Mary, holds a baby goat. Jacqueline is in charge of naming every goat born to the family's herd, and says every name is a reflection of each goat's personality. (Capital News Service photo by Patrick Farrell)

By PATRICK FARRELL Capital News Service

SUNDERLAND, Md. -- Have you herd? Goats will soon be making their way through Maryland and Northern Virginia, as property owners trade machinery and labor crews for hungry, four-legged landscapers ready to decimate any vegetation in their way.

Mary Bowen, owner of Sunderland-based Green Goats and Prosperity Acres farm, will be putting her herd of over 70 goats to work from May to October, using them to clear overgrown vegetation in various private and public areas across the state.

Unlike traditional land-clearing methods such as herbicide treatments and excavation services, which can have adverse effects on the environment, goats offer an environmentally-friendly alternative.

Poison ivy, poison oak and poison sumac are some of the goats' favorite vegetation choices, making the animals perfect for jobs with highly concentrated areas of poisonous plants that humans wouldn't dare tackle themselves.

Bowen founded Green Goats three years ago, with the intention of providing a service that would benefit both the environment and the state.

For years the Bowen family had been showing goats, along with cattle and horses, at local 4-H shows around the state, including the Anne Arundel County Fair, in Crownsville, and the Maryland State Fair, in Timonium.

"I wanted to be able to do something with the goats other than showing them I actually wanted to utilize them to do what they naturally do, which is forage," Bowen said.

After linking up with Enrique Escobar, a small ruminant specialist and assistant professor at the University of Maryland, Eastern Shore, Bowen was able to make her plan a reality.

The rest is here:
Goats serve as eco-friendly landscapers in Md., Va.

03 May 2014| last updated at 01:03AM

IPOH: The recent tidal flooding which affected more that 30 households in Kampung Sungai Batu, near here, could have been avoided if repeated warnings against the clearing of mangrove forests along Perak's coastline had not been ignored.

Sahabat Alam Malaysia field officer Meor Razak Meor Abdul Rahman said he had voiced his concern over the issue as early as 2007, where he told Berita Harian that the destruction of mangrove forests would remove a natural barrier against coastal erosion and tidal surges.

"Unfortunately, the land clearing activities continued and it was only a matter of time before high tides flooded the inland areas," said Meor Razak yesterday.

He said the mangrove forests acted as a buffer that "absorb" incoming tidal waves, effectively stopping the tidal floods from coming inland.

"Their roots, which are spread out over a large area, dissipate the energy of the waves while the excess tidal floodwaters flow into the wetlands.

"However, after the mangrove forests are cleared, only a dry expanse of land is left and it is unable to effectively absorb the tidal floodwater."

The New Straits Times reported yesterday that Kampung Sungai Batu, which is located one kilometre from the seaside, had been inundated after 80ha of mangrove forest was removed to make way for a housing project.

Meor Razak said this expanse included two compartments of the Tanjung Burung forest reserve, which had been de-gazetted before the project began in 2011.

Land clearing activities had also been carried out in Compartment 114, north of Pantai Remis.

Original post:
'Clearing of mangroves caused floods'

Excavator Burying stumps
the cheapest way to get rid of stumps on a land clearing job, no worry the land is unusable for building.

By: letsdig18

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Excavator Burying stumps - Video

Brown Brontosaurus EVO Forestry Mower Head - Clearing Trees and Brush
Just a quick video of the Brown Bronto Mower Head clearing hardwood in Florida. Reclaiming some canals, they were so over grown you could no longer see the path. This was more than just brush...

By: Brown Bronto

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Brown Brontosaurus EVO Forestry Mower Head - Clearing Trees and Brush - Video

ALBANY -- The city this week continued a cleanup of campsites at the Albany Bulb, one week after a settlement was reached with a group of residents at the homeless encampment who had sued over plans to remove them from the property.

Early this week, 25 of the 28 people who agreed to the settlement had received their payment of $3,000 in relocation fees, according to City Clerk Nicole Almaguer. She added that 27 of the 28 had left the Bulb and that the last one was expected to move out that afternoon.

Thirty people were eligible to take the settlement, either as part of the lawsuit or because they had requested accommodations with the city under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Amber Whitson and Phillip Lewis were the only two eligible for the settlement who declined to sign on. Whitson has been a de facto spokeswoman for the campers, speaking at several City Council and Planning and Zoning Commission meetings.

A camper who was not eligible for the settlement despite being one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit was Katherine Cody. She was arrested at the Bulb for drug possession shortly before the settlement agreement was reached.

In return for accepting the payment, the campers agree to stay off the Bulb, even during daylight hours, for one year. They also agreed to stay off the Neck, the Albany Hill area and city-owned property on Pierce Street.

The city also promised to work with the Alameda County Superior Court to dismiss any curfew or camping violations filed against those who agreed to the settlement.

It's unknown exactly how many people remain on the property. Whitson last week told KQED that there were 36 people still living on the Bulb at the time of the settlement and that eight would remain.

Last year, the city estimated that 60 people were living on the property. Thirteen of those have found housing through a city-funded program facilitated by local nonprofit organizations.

The city has been working for the past year to remove the homeless population from the Bulb so the land can be turned over to the East Bay Regional Park District as part of the Sylvia McLaughlin Eastshore State Park.

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Albany clearing Bulb after settlement with campers

Employer:

Iocca Corp.

Updated: Apr292014

Job posting bookmarked!

The regional land manager manages a district's land functions including supervising company personnel and contract land personnel, establishing communications and working with other departments within the district and corporate levels. Oversees all functions of land activity as it relates to the company's drilling programs.

Responsibilities include the following: Manages all land functions related to drilling of new wells, existing wells, land and lease assets and infrastructure operation and maintenance in a geographic region; Supervises and leads Company personnel and contract landmen toward Company goals; Serves as a liaison between land, Drilling, Production and Midstream departments; Participates as a member of the Development Team for geographic region; Works closely with oil and gas lessors, coal companies, land companies and governmental agencies in order to maximize drillable locations; Maintains tracking system for all wells to ensure work is being performed timely for all functions of the well clearing process to meet drilling program requirements and department goals; and Handles settlement negotiations and high level damage claims.

Required Skills Ability to use Word, Excel and Power Point Demonstrated leadership ability Solid knowledge of oil and gas documents Demonstrated ability to navigate the courthouse and title system Ability to work effectively with departments outside of land Demonstrated mapping skills Knowledge of PDM and Enertia preferred

Required Experience Bachelor's degree in energy management, professional land management, law or a closely related field At least 10 years of related experience necessary to demonstrate a working knowledge of all land functions, including title, acquisitions, ROW, damage settlements, joint ventures, permitting processes with governmental agencies An equivalent combination of education and experience

In order to apply for this position, applicants MUST meet the following criteria. If your resume does not match these criteria, you will not be able to apply for this position.

Location: North America

Excerpt from:
Regional Land Manager

KUANTAN, April 29 (Bernama) -- The Pahang government has underlined three key areas to be focused on in a bid to further develop the state and the people.

Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Adnan Yaakob said the three key areas were in the construction of affordable homes for targeted group, in strengthening the state's financial ability, and in tackling illegal land clearing issues.

Right now, he said the state government was in the midst of increasing affordable home ownership among the people, especially for household earning less than RM5,000 a month.

"Before the last general election, we promised that 15,000 houses will be built within five years, but I was informed by the state secretary that a total of 10,200 affordable house have been built in the state so far," he said when winding up debate at the State Assembly sitting here Tuesday.

In strengthening the state government's financial ability, Adnan said the state government would work closely with its agencies to prevent the state from having a deficit budget.

"With financial aid from the various government agencies and subsidiaries, we will be able to prevent a deficit budget," he said.

In tackling issues of illegal land clearing, Adnan said the issues would be discussed with the relevant assemblymen as it involved humanitarian factor and the source of income of the people.

"On humanitarian factor, there are too many aspects that will be taken into account, such as the fact that the land was cleared to find a new source of income," he said.

The Assembly sitting was then adjourned sine die.

-- BERNAMA

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Pahang Government To Focus On Three Areas To Further Develop State, People

As preliminary work begins on the site earmarked for the construction of a refinery by the Dangote Group as well as the springing up of other business ventures in the Lekki Free Trade Zone, prices of land in the area have drastically increased, MAUREEN AZUH writes

The prices of land in Ibeju-Lekki area of Lagos State have risen considerably since the Dangote Group indicated interest in building a refinery in the area.

Although preliminary work, including clearing of the site, has barely begun, the prices of land in the areas surrounding the Lekki Free Trade Zone have gone up by over 900 per cent.

The Chairman, Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, had in 2013 disclosed plans to build a 400,000-barrel-per-day crude oil refinery, and subsequently awarded the contract to an Indian company, Engineers India Limited.

Notwithstanding the presence of other companies in the area, such as Raffle Oil LFTZ Enterprises, Obat Oil, Progress Marine Limited, a shipping company that has also bought hundreds of hectares of land in the area for its tank farm development, Eko Resort and a few others, the proposed refinery is expected to signal the commencement of the multi-billion naira investment in the zone.

At the groundbreaking of the refinery, Governor Babatunde Fashola had said the LFTZ was beginning to take shape with the coming of investors.

Tank farms and major refineries are springing up to service the demands of the country and make room for export. The refineries create a major selling point and release of the opportunities that lie ahead in this zone, create opportunities for the local people and the potential for Lagos and the Nigerian economy, the governor had said.

According to findings by our correspondent, the current opportunity for the local people is coming in the form of the soaring land prices.

Some of the residents said over 3,000 plots of land, stretching from the access road towards the lagoon, were acquired for the Dangote refinery.

An indigene of the area and a resident of Okuraye, Mr. Daniel Adeyanju, who spoke with our correspondent on the development, said some plots of land that were selling between N200,000 and N300,000 before the advent of the refinery, were now going for as much as N3m.

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Dangotes refinery raises LFTZ land value by 900%

Surgical Land Clearing-drone footage of Headland, Al. mulching
Phantom Vision 2 video-Terex PT 110 / Loftness G3 mulcher devouring volunteer oaks and sweet gums.

By: John Pierce

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Surgical Land Clearing-drone footage of Headland, Al. mulching - Video