BOYCOTT MARCO ISLAND
 

Critical Piping Plover Habitat Denied By Marco Island Residents...Bad for the Economy! <BR> <BR>Dead bird jewelry pushes antiplover message, taste``Let's just say it's gotten a little heated,'' Richard Alan, a localgoldsmith, said of the controversy that erupted this year when the federalgovernment announced its plan to designate seven miles of Marco beachescritical plover habitat. There, the antiplover sentiment crystalized in 14-karat animosity this month when one resident commissioned Alan to craft agold pin depicting a dead plover. The curious piece of jewelry, a macabredesign of a prostrate bird with cartoonish X's for eyes and its feet boundwith rope, quickly became a local best seller.(Tampa Tribune / Naples News / Associated Press, 12/26/00)

Sounds like progress to me.

Is that close to Boca Grande? I say, boycott Florida!

BRAVO to Richard Alan!!!

You neglected to mention that the article went on to say Alan has also crafted a live Plover pin, which which has become equally popular.

Tacky!

The Piping Plover nests along the shores of Lk MI.....some of the most beautiful beaches in Michigan...the residnets actually take time to "Plover Sit" until the nesting is over. <BR>Why is Marco Island so negative towards this temporary inconvenience?????

Dolphindancer: <BR>Federal designation as critical habitat is not "temporary". It is almost defacto permanent and year round, regardless of the seasonal migratory patterns of the bird. <BR> I do not know the facts of this story, so I can't judge anyone's actions. I will say, however, that the Endangered Species Act is a heavy handed tool that has set many property owners and users against the environmental community. Just ask most of Florida's boaters about what they think of laws designed to protect the Manatee!

Larry <BR>Believe me...I am very familiar with the Fed End Species Act.....it is not as heavy handed as you suspect...check out the mitigation that is required by developers...almost non-existent. <BR>Do you have any idea how much money eco-tourism brings into the community? Did you know that "Birders" spend more money in a location than almost any other sport/hobby?

Dear Beer/Larry, <BR> <BR>Just ask the rest of the world what they think of fatcat Floridian boaters slicing up the manatees.

Larry, A large percentage of boaters in Florida and elsewhere, do not obey the no wake and slow speed zones where the manatee live. Manatees are slow moving creatures and cannot get out of the way. These "boaters" and I use the term loosely, are irresponsible, have not completed any kind of safe boating course and are on a testosterone high when they turn the key of their "toy." They give a black eye to the real boaters who care about preserving the manatees and co-existing with nature. <BR> <BR>I also might add, jet skis do more damage to the enviroment, dump more gas into our waterways than boats. <BR> <BR>As for the plovers, the Florida enviroment has been raped by greedy developers who care more about their pockets than the enviroment. Florida and the rest of the U.S., has a responsibility to preserve habitat and land for future generations to use.

^

Hmmm - really starting off as a slow news year in the Sunshine State. Time to hit the beach, get a little sun, enjoy the fresh air. Too much time indoors, I would think, watching the recount. C

Jim and I once wrestled a manatee. Quite an exhilrating experience. Of course we had no obvious reason to wrestle it, but that's what Jim and I do.

Marlin, get some help...this entire thread is a bit wacky....Whew...I'm outta here.... <BR>

10 to 1, not another poster on this thread REMEMBERS Marlin Perkins... <BR> <BR>that aside, however, I'm wondering.... <BR>Weren't the manatees here first? And no doubt the plovers, as well? <BR> <BR>How often do the "environment be damned" folks stop to look in the mirror in the morning and ponder what kind of an earth they are bequeathing their grandchildren?

Zooparader, how much would you be willing to wager on that assertion of yours? Now, lets go a bit further and see if you can recall Marlin and Jim's commerial sponsor. I shall never forget that as Marlin got older, it was always Jim out in the field in the midst of the action while Marlin stayed in the flatbed. Wise decision - Marlin was no fool ... oops, watch out for that hippo.

Marlin and Jim's commerial sponsor - Mutual of Omaha, right? <BR> <BR>I think I was 5 when I last saw the show, and that still sticks in my mind.

Mutual of Omaha - correctomundo.

<BR>Marlin Perkins: "While Jim wrestles the ferocious aligator, I sit safely in the Land Rover." <BR> <BR>(At my house it's "the husband out blowing snow while I sit in the warm house.") <BR> <BR> <BR>

What a sad and lonely world it will be when there are just humans, cars, concrete and Wall Street left.

The Flagler County (FL) Audubon Society has asked our membership to boycott Marco Island as a vacation destination and we hope others do the same because of the anti-nature, anti-bird sentiment of a vocal group of its residents. We are ashamed that Marco Island is a part of Florida.

Until the 1950's Marco Island was one huge natural preserve of nature. Then the big developers came in, dredged it all, created a concrete city, and took over nature at its best. What would anyone suspect now but that the entire place is anti-nature. Would you expect them to convert the place back to a nature preserve with a concrete jungle in the middle of it? The best reason to boycott Marco Island is because it is ugly and overbuilt, but isn't that true of most of Florida?

There are still 7 miles of beach that have not been paved over....the Plovers are "at home" there...too bad they are not welcome.