[TN-Bird] Re: MUST READ FOR BIRDERS
- From: "Charles P. Nicholson" <cpnichol@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <jwcoffey@xxxxxxxxxx>, "'TN-birds'" <tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 28 Mar 2005 21:07:42 -0500
Wallace,
Thanks for posting this. There are some important lessons in this =
ongoing
dialog for all of us, since security at some of our favorite birding =
places
in Tennessee (e.g., TVA steam plants, TVA and Corps of Engineers dams,
Sharp's Ridge in Knoxville) has been increased in the last 3 years. =
While
we haven't permanently lost access to many areas in TN that were =
previously
open to the public, knowing how this issue is being addressed elsewhere =
can
help us if we face similar situations here.
Chuck Nicholson
Norris, TN =20
-----Original Message-----
From: tn-bird-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:tn-bird-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] =
On
Behalf Of Wallace Coffey
Sent: Friday, March 25, 2005 1:52 PM
To: TN-birds
Subject: [TN-Bird] MUST READ FOR BIRDERS
TN-Birders:
The following is a report on today's meeting in Eastern Virginia dealing
with countinued birding access at the Chesapeake Bay-Bridge Tunnel. The
three most important birding islands are proposed for closure to birders =
and
others June 1 in response to homeland defense security issues. =20
This is more than an eye-opener of what is on the horizon for all of us =
one
way or another. The birding community has pulled togehter an impressive
effort. Individual self-serving agendas have been set aside so strong =
and
objective solutions may be found. =20
The Virginia people are handling a challenge openly and in a strong and
structured way. Thye are demonstrating public communication skills.
This speaks well for teamwork, unselfishness, focus and understanding
everyone's rights to know and to have abundant information. =20
------------------ BEGIN FORWARD------------------------------
From: VA-Bird listserv
The hour-and-a-half initial meeting this morning between representatives =
of=20
the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel Commission (Chair Kellam; Commissioner=20
Collins; Commissioner Buckle), CBBT Security (Chief Pruitt), CBBT Public
Relations=20
(Ms. Smith), and five birding/conservation groups (CVWO: Bob Ake; VSO: =
Teta=20
Kain; CCB: Mitchell Byrd; VDGIF: David Whitehurst; ABA: myself) went
smoothly. It=20
was designed as a small meeting purposely, so that everyone would have a =
chance to air views and ideas about how birders might continue to enjoy =
the=20
privilege of birding the three northern islands but within a new
dispensation that=20
would satisfy concerns about security. The old method - to present a =
letter
or=20
fax, with license and registration of the driver only - is clearly off =
the=20
table. If a protocol for continued access is possible, it will =
apparently
not=20
be as flawed, from a security standpoint, as that one.
The bird/conservation group, after listening to the genesis of the =
decision=20
to rescind the privilege made last month from Chief Pruitt and Chair =
Kellam,
presented a page-long list of ideas specifically designed to satisfy
concerns=20
about security but also to continue daily access to the full perimeter =
of
the=20
islands, such as we enjoy now. Many of these ideas came from =
contributors
via=20
this listserve (many thanks); others came from highly placed officials =
in=20
Homeland Security, the State Department, the private security sector, =
and
the=20
Transportation Safety Administration (thanks to those people as well). =
The=20
Northern Virginia crowd really has an impressive set of connections to =
such
people,=20
as well as to state and national political figures and their aids; =
thanks to
all of you who pulled strings quietly to raise this matter, which =
Governor=20
Warner and other key figures are now aware of.
It was heartening that both Commissioner Buckle and Commissioner Collins =
asked clear, helpful questions about what specifically we like to do on =
the=20
islands and what value it has for us, both as hobbyists and as
conservationists. Dav id Whitehurst also enlightened them about the
ecotouristic context as well. =20
Both commissioners seemed very much to understand our interests here by =
the=20
end of the meeting. In coming weeks, we need to make sure that all =
other=20
commissioners do as well.
The meeting concluded at about 11:40, and the next meeting of this group =
is=20
set for 21 April. =20
In the mean time, the CBBT people will be interviewing security people =
at=20
other sensitive facilities in Virginia about their procedures for =
permitting
access. For our part, the bird/conservation people are charged with
presenting,=20
in advance of the next meeting, a written plan for access, or set of =
plans,=20
that we believe would satisfy the imperative of security on the northern
three=20
islands.
We have already made great headway in defining, in general terms, what =
the=20
procedures in such a plan might be, with the help in particular of =
Homeland=20
Security people, who are most familiar with threat scenarios for the
northern=20
three islands. What we will have to do now is to flesh out our outline =
with
concrete suggestions: computer software used in identifying people or
maintaining a=20
database of permitees; hardware/software used in communicating with =
officers
in the field; search procedures and the equipment and training required =
for=20
their implementation; and so forth.
This task will require more discussion with local law enforcement=20
representatives, military security personnel, and airport security
specialists, who will=20
have the most up-to-date information on how to administer a program that =
oversees access to sensitive areas. =20
We do not yet see a light at the end of this tunnel, as it were, but we =
were
given no reason to assume that the CBBT people have ruled out the
possibility=20
of our maintaining some form of access past 1 June 2005 (the official =
end of
the birding program as of today). The next full Commission meeting is =
11
May,=20
at which time it's expected that there will be a vote on the matter. If =
anyone reading this works in the technical end of law enforcement, or is
friendly=20
with someone who does and who might be willing to advise a group of
bird/CBBT=20
people on both methods and technology, we'd love to hear from them!
Our mood is still optimistic. While I believe that it's possible to =
craft a
solution we're all happy with, our challenge is to convince Security =
folks=20
that it will be both efficient and effective. To that end, I would ask,
humbly=20
and with no authority whatsoever, on the part of the people working on =
this=20
problem that we as a birding community refrain from side-conversations =
with=20
Security personnel about this matter for the next six weeks or so. This =
is
simply=20
so that the people working to formulate a plan for all of us that would
permit=20
the greatest amount of security AND freedom for birding not be =
undermined. =20
It is easy in particular for lower-ranking officers to confuse what they
hear=20
from birders on the CBBT with what they're hearing from superiors and =
around
water coolers, and at this critical time we do not want to send mixed
messages. =20
It's fine to keep birding as we've always done, for now, but it's best =
not
to=20
try to sell dozens of different versions of access scenarios in an=20
uncoordinated fashion - this cannot but muddy the waters.
Thanks again to all for helping out. We'll post on this again after the
next=20
meeting. =20
Best
Ned Brinkley
Cape Charles, VA
--------------------------------END FORWARD-------------------------- =
posted
to TN-Birds by Wallace Coffey Bristol, TN, Sullivan Co.
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To post to this mailing list, simply send email to: =
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TN-Bird Net is owned by the Tennessee Ornithological Society=20
Neither the society(TOS) nor its moderator(s)
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=20
Moderator: Wallace Coffey, Bristol, TN
wallace@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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=================NOTES TO SUBSCRIBER=====================
The TN-Bird Net requires you to sign your messages with
first and last name, city (town) and state abbreviation.
-----------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------
To post to this mailing list, simply send email to:
tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
-----------------------------------------------------
To unsubscribe, send email to:
tn-bird-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
with 'unsubscribe' in the Subject field.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
TN-Bird Net is owned by the Tennessee Ornithological Society
Neither the society(TOS) nor its moderator(s)
endorse the views or opinions expressed
by the members of this discussion group.
Moderator: Wallace Coffey, Bristol, TN
wallace@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Visit the Tennessee Ornithological Society
web site at http://www.tnbirds.org
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Topographical Maps located at http://topozone.com/find.asp
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
========================================================
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