Cp site beaing developed

[Ozzy]

Last summer I found a very nice vft and S.flava site growing right next to a main road. Last night I went by and instead of finding woods I found a construction site. If was very dark and I couldn't tell if the construction site was the same as where I found the flava's. I went back today to see if I could find out.
I parked at the construction site and Walked toward where I think the flava's were.

Right in front of the construction site I found hundreds if not thousands of D.brefolia.

When I found the flavas in the summer they were growing beside a huge concrete power pole that runs along the road. So there was about 10 power poles along the woods and the road so I wasn't sure which one the flavas were groing near. There is one pole right in front of the construction site and I hope that is not the one with the flavas. Flava's are a little hard this time of year because they are all dieing back and there is more overgrowth. I din't find the flava's that I saw this summer. I did find one flava in a different place, it's right next to the construction site.

The vft's that I found this summer was way farther down and at the moment safe. I did find some more vft's closer to the construction site.

If you notice in the last two pics there is a snail in one of the dead traps. I guess snails give vft's indigestion.

I checked the paper work at the construction site and I think it's going to be a residential housing development. The permits that are there are only for the construction of the driveway. I have the name, address and phone number of the construction company but not the land owner. I will check NC laws and see if I can get permission to remove the plants from the construction company, since they have complete control of the land until the completion date.
If our current plans do not work we will ask that you guys write "nice" letters to the construction company. Keep watching here for any updates or requests.
I have talked with another member of NASC to see what our next move is. We plan on trying to get permission to rem

 

[nepenthes gracilis]

 

[Ozzy]

Here are the pics I took this summer.

 

[zac]

What's the address for these "nice" letters I'd like to give them a piece of my mind.

Stick it to the man Ozzy,

Zac

 

[Ozzy]

For now we are going to contact the construction company and see if they will just give us permission to remove the plants. If that fails then we will ask for you to write letters.

 

[Copper]

That is why you are Head of Conservation.  You can get it done.  Well done the Great and powerful OZ.

Those that live in the area will need to help if the time to collect comes.

 

[Outsiders71]

I'm not exactly located in NC but if I could provide any help on the outside let me know.

 

[schloaty]

Oz Man,

Count me in. Rose, you suppose we should have out head of PR draft a form letter for us to to forward with our individual signature if Ozzy runs into resistance? That way we could all just put our own signature & sent....AND we'd be sure that it was polite (don't want anyone going off on them yet).

 

[buster1]

I think that a form letter that they can tell has been mass produced - with a signature does not carry as much clout as an individual letter.

 

[*Barracuda_45*]

OMG!! Thats very heart breaking and enough to make me sick and cry, those first pics just get to me. All those poor beautiful plants,

count me in with a letter as well.. What is this toilet bowl of a world we live in comming to..

 

[Copper]

I think that we could draft one from the board, but I have to agree that if everyone sends a form letter it would look bad.  If Ozzy asks for letter we just need to make sure that the membership understands that it is to be polite.  You catch more flies with nectar.

 

[TunaSurprise]

ROAR! LEMME AT 'EM! LEMME AT 'EM! Nobody kills the relatives of my partners in crime! *goes to Ghouse to console VFTs and Sarrs that it will all be okay*

 

[*Barracuda_45*]

Quote[/b] (Copper @ Nov. 07 2005,9:52)]I think that we could draft one from the board, but I have to agree that if everyone sends a form letter it would look bad.  If Ozzy asks for letter we just need to make sure that the membership understands that it is to be polite.  You catch more flies with nectar.

I agree getting nasty in a letter would not help much , now comming from a woman that is outright mean and nasty when i wana be and sometimes ya have to get right down and dirty with things and some people to get things moving in the right derection i think its best to go easy and polite like Copper said see how things go that way but something needs to be done quickly.

 

[kirkwmartin]

Hello Ozzy,
I would be willing to care for some rescued plants
If you are able to get permission from the land-owner (or construction company)

I can reimburse for postage to help.

Hope you can save them....

Kirk
Fitchburg, MA

 

[Copper]

Kirk, you will need to submit your name as a grower to the board. The board shall choose the growers. I believe that your name is already on a list to be submitted.

 

[Ozzy]

I got a little more info about this site today.
I showed up and looked at the paper work again and I think that I have the land owner's name, address and phone number. It's a big development group, so I don't know if that will work in our favor or not. I also look for where the original plants I found last summer was. I found where they were and they are not in immediate danger. If the development is build the way I think it will be, they will be destroyed in the next phase of construction. I think we will have at least a few months before that happens.
Since I'm a construction worker myself, I know how to blend in and look like I belong on a job site. A hard hat will make the other workers think you have official business there. I walked up to a worker and asked who the foreman was. He pointed to a guy in a huge trenching machine. I asked the foreman if he had time to answer a few questions. I asked if the land was going to be a housing development. He said yes. I asked if the development would extend toward a wooded area. (Towards where most of the cp's are) He said he didn't know but he showed me the road that goes to the back of the property and showed me that it went way back into the woods. It's an area that I haven't searched (yet).

I'm planning to make a call to the development group, and asking if they own the property and I may even ask for a meeting. I'll write them a letter and I'll explain our mission, I'll ask for permission to remove the plants, at our expense. I'll agree to sign a waiver that will relive them of any responsibility if I am hurt on their property. I will also ask that I be given permission to look for and remove any plant on their property. I will also ask for a construction schedule, so we will know what our deadlines are. I can't ask or even request that they hold up construction for any reason. That will get us a quick kick right out of the door. We can't make any demands,if we do we'll just blow our only opportunity. We have one chance to get this right, if we fail they will just ignore us. We have no right to any plant they have. They have NO legal obligation to even talk to us. So if they agree with anything we'll have to take it. Even though this site means alot to me, we have to look at the big picture. If we show them that we won't be a burden to them, they are more likely to give more opportunity's in the future with different sites. They can also be a reference with other real estate companies in the future. If we are nice, and do just what we promise we'll do, they could convince another group to let us onto their property. I have other plans but I'll go over them later but my long term goal is to develop a relationship, and get a list of future projects so I can search those before any work is done on them.

I hope this explains why we can't just write a bunch of letters. We have to show them that we are not going to be a burden to them. If it comes to that of course we'll do it as a last resort.

 

[Ozzy]

OH yeah, I had an idea that some may or may not agree with. So I would like some feedback.

We can offer to remove the plants, enter them into our plant banks, and when they are landscaping we can donate the plants back to them. They will be used them as landscaped plants. This will have there benefits. One, it'll give us some plants with location data. Two, it will educate the people that live there on the beauty, importance of cp's and the history of the site. Three, it'll keep the plant's on their original site.

What do you think about this idea?

 

[zac]

Sounds good to me,

Good luck

 

[Copper]

I like that idea Ozzy. Also, you could through in to your letter that they would be mentioned on our site for allowing us to save the plants, thus showing that they are an organization that cares about the future. Something mushy like that. I agree with you that developing the relationship with this group has to be a top goal. Good Luck.

 

[Ozzy]

Here's a satelite pic of the site. Notice the round thing below the site. That is a Carolina Bay. They are indicators of cp's. There are many more Carolina Bays just south of where this pic ends. I have explored these bays and found vft's and D.capilaris and intermedia.
By looking at this sat pic I believe there are more cp's (or was) farther back in the woods that is now being developed.
Well, I guess we'll see what happens.

http://terraservice.net/image.a....798&W=3