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Mississippi sarracenia site in trouble

Ozzy

SirKristoff is a poopiehead
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Rumor has it that the Trent Lott International Airport (Pascagoula, Mississippi) is trying to expand at the expense of 255 acres of Sarracenia habitat. Does anyone here know of legal protection status---state laws, etc.---that might afford protection of plants in Mississippi. These plants are not protected by any Federal laws, but I'm looking for state protection laws...
Cheers
Barry



I just read this post by Barry Rice on the CP listserv, I don't know anything about it other than what I've posted here. Is there anybody in that area know anything about this?
 
I did a search online to see if I could find any plans of construction at the Trent Lott airport. I found something that really shocked me. I'll get to that later. First I found this, I don't know if it's related, but here's the website:

http://www.co.jackson.ms.us/GIPages/GICSOC_2003.html

And here what it say's about the airport:

Six new hangars were constructed at Trent Lott International Airport to enhance this facility?s function as a public service and as an economic development asset. FAA grant funds have been obtained to add a 1.8 million dollar control tower.
 

Now for the shocker.
I found the airport's website:

http://www.co.jackson.ms.us/DS/Airport.html

There's nothing there about any future construction. I looked for the contact info because I plan to call tomorrow and ask if there are any plans if so what they are.
Here's the shocker.
I found the address to the airport.
Location:
8301 Saracennia Road, Box 1
Moss Point, MS 39563

I was floored when I saw the address. I bet most of the people there don't even know what it means.

I'll keep you informed on anything else I find and what their response is tomorrow.
 
Ozzy,
Keep us in the loop! Aren't wetlands protected habitats all over the country? Or am I missinformed?
confused.gif
 
Wetlands are a major protected natural habitat...or should be at least. But in the south down a road where no one knows about anything....good luck...same for us up here....my god does our Environmental Conservation SUCK or what?
mad.gif
 
I didn't make very much progress today but I'll report what I've found out.
I called the Trent Lott airport and talkd to a very nice man. I asked him about the airport expansion. He first told me that he didn't know anything about it. HE told me that all he knew about was the plan to built two new hangers, but he knew no plans for an expansion. I told him that I had heard there was going to be a 225 acre expansion. He then told me that I must be talking about the plans to build an industrial park. He told me that I need to contact the  Jackson County Economic Development Foundation. He gave me the mans name and number that I need to talk to. I called and of course he was "on another line". I asked the receptionist some questions about the project but she knew nothing. I left my name and number, he's going to call me back (hopefully). If not I'll call again tomorrow.

I did a search of the  Jackson County Economic Development Foundation, and I now have his email and the email of other members. I'm going to wait to see if I get to talk to him first before I start contacting the other members.

I still can't find any info online about this project, but I did find an article in a newspaper there. Here's some exerpts about the  Jackson County Economic Development Foundation.

""We're really just getting things off the ground," said George Freeland of the Jackson County Economic Development Foundation."

"Our intention is to market the six-county area to industry and business prospects," said Freeland. The aim is "a higher level of prospect activity."

Freeland points out that there's an old adage that says a rising tide floats all the boats. That's what they intend to do with the alliance.

Their immediate goal is to build an identifiable image for the six-county region and to target specific markets, said Freeland.

None of that really means anything, but it does show that their intent is to bring in alot of industries and I'm sure that he plans to build most of them at the airport site, and at the expense of hundreds or thousands of saracennias.

Please nobody contact any of these people yet, wait until I talk to them. The last thing we need is to get these people defensive. It's always best to work with them instead of fighting them. I'll post the names, numbers and email later if needed.
 
I finally got to talk to somebody. I found out some info but there is alot more that they are "withholding from the public". That's their words not mine. I don't understand what the secrecy is all about.
Here's what I found out. The good news is they are in the very beginning planning stages, no permits have been issued. That means we have time to at least do something. Does anybody have any ideas? We need all the brain power we can get on this one.
Here's my idea, I don't think we should jump into this with all our guns blazing. That area in Miss. needs the economic growth, and the area needs jobs. I think it'll be very hard to convince the citizens of Jackson County that they need some plants more than they need jobs. I'm a very realistic person and I'm not a person that thinks all growth and construction needs to be stopped. My idea is to talk to them civilized. Tell them that they have something special there. The road that this is being built on is named after the plants that are going to be destroyed. Whoever named that road knew how special they are, and I'm sure that they wouldn't like to see them destroyed. I think that the best we can expect from this is to have an area set aside for these plants and to move the ones that are in the way of the project to that area.
If this is a success is there any volunteers ready to go to Miss. and relocate some plants?
Let me know what you guys think about this and what you think our next move should be. I can't do this alone, I'll need your help.
 
We need your ideas on what to do next. I welcome any idea, we are in the brainstroming phase of this and we can use all the ideas we can get.
Thanks
 
I wish I could help, but what's a CPer up in NY going to do? Reading this makes me wish I could just hug all of the Sarracenia's down there right now.
sad.gif
 
If we could come up with a way to make that cp site a money maker for them, they would surely listen. I don't know how realistic that is for an airport, though.
confused.gif


At the very least, maybe we could convince them to give us a certain amount of time (assuming they get the building permits) to relocate the endagered flora. Granted, that would be a MASSIVE project...I'll mark my calendar....
 
  • #11
Is there any new news on this? The last posting is from Feb 2003.
 
  • #12
Good question. The wetlands may not be protected if the presedents planned rollback of the clean water act sucsedes- a great great amount of wetlands will lose protection if this occurs
 
  • #13
I don't the know the intricacies regarding planning permission in America but over here such a large expansion might require a council comittee to which the public are able to attend. There is also the opportunity to object once planning permission has been granted.
It might also be worth contacting the local media if things start to go ahead - the prospect of interesting plants being destroyed will probably appeal to Joe Public and create some bad publicity.
What kind of sarras are in trouble by the way? Leucophylla?
 
  • #14
They would be S. alata, purpurea and psittacina.
 
  • #15
In many parts in the UK the government owns land that it uses for bombing practice etc. and these surprisingly have prooved popular with wildlife - mainly because the public is excluded, and the areas disrupted are statistically small. (bear with me I will get there...)
Perhaps the answer is to persuade the airport to build in a low damage manner, and section off the rest of the site carefully so that the wildlife is protected, including the cps. The public would be kept out, the perimeter would be entire and the plants would probably survive a bit of noise and pollution.
 
  • #16
Hey I just saw this. I know of the site (well someone who is concerned about it). Email Barry to ask the emial of whoever it si he knows that will do a plant rescue. It is some organisation like meadowview. I emailed them but never got a response. Maybe my email is messed up (It probibly is.)
Tre Bond
Treaqum@yahoo.com (If you cannot contact Barry)
 
  • #17
Hey Folks,

In about a week I'll be in Mississippi on holiday; while there I intend to talk to some conservation staff who work there. I'll see if I can find some skinny about airport expansions, etc.

Later

Barry
 
  • #18
Thanks, Barry. We can always count on your help.
 
  • #19
A Californian said "I'll be in Mississippi on holiday" and I can hear the presses firing up at the Mississippi Tourism Commission already.  We last took a vacation seven years ago and it was to Mississippi, while my parents still lived there.  Friends and coworkers would say, "You're going where?"

It's too bad they don't realize what they've been missing.  But the development pressure in the coastal Sarracenia habitats is downright scary and much of it is driven by the tourism and retirement community industries.  It's a depressing world where we have to rely on highly secured airport buffers or military lands for habitat preservation.
 
  • #20
Hey Folks,

On vacation in Mississippi, I stopped in and talked to some local folks who work there in conservation. They verified that yes, there is scheduled expansion of the airport.

HOWEVER, my contacts told me that the conservation organization is indeed trying to work with the airport exansion, to help with a mitigation project to minimize some of the inevitable damage that will occur. So....all is not lost in this respect.

However, this is perhaps slightly hollow news. All you have to do is drive along hwy 90 from Gulfport to Moss Point, and you'll observe site after site of S. alata, S. psittacina, P. lutea, various Drosera, and Utricularia, all bearing realty signs. The plants there are "Dead men walking."  Alas.

Barry
 
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