All,
I agree with John's post. I didn't find anything offensive in his
original post.
It's obvious that we are all living in a post 9-11 world, and I don't
blame the CBBT for taking a closer look at its own threat assessment,
risk profile, and security requirements.
There are some things I do not like about the new CBBT policy, though
it is very clear to me that this policy was negotiated in good faith by
all of the involved parties. Over time, I do hope this policy can be
amended in ways that most of us can live with. The better our
relationship with the CBBT, the more likely this is to happen.
If I had been the CBBT Director, shortly after 9/11, without so much
as a by-your-leave, I would have immediately closed the CBBT to birders
altogether, pending the completion of a new CBBT threat assessment and
a through review of the CBBT's schedule of protection. I would have
undertaken a new CBBT security audit; reviewed the CBBT physical
security requirements, including its schedule of protection for
lighting, fencing, and CCTV applications; identified required security
upgrades to critical infrastructure, and reviewed the CBBT's entire
patrol, critical incident, emergency response, incident command, and
tactical communication protocols. Believe me, no one would be birding
the CBBT while this work was being performed. But, I would also have
been using this time to open up a dialog with the birding community and
other CBBT constituencies.
Clearly, the days of getting an annual CBBT permission letter and
birding the CBBT whenever we care to are over. I don't see why the CBBT
should be charging birders $50 an hour to bird the CBBT. There is no
good reason to be turning the islands into a revenue stream simply to
defray the costs associated with patrolling the islands. The CBBT has
to be patrolled whether or not birders are on the islands, period.
In my opinion, if the CBBT is serious about wanting to make the
islands available to birders, it should be thinking about reducing the
size of its birding footprint and working on a policy to vet CBBT
birders. For instance, the CBBT might decide that birding will be
permitted on the islands on a certain number of days per month and then
during certain daylight hours only. The number of open CBBT birding
days and hours could be negotiated by the CBBT security/birding
committee.
Reducing the size of the CBBT birding foot print will make it easier
for the CBBT to check birders into and out of the facility. It will
allow the CBBT to schedule, manage, and deploy its law enforcement
assetts on days when the islands are open to birders in a much more
targeted way. Perhaps a few local CBBT birders might be recruited to
act as volunteers on days when the CBBT is open to birders. Birders
should be physically checked into the CBBT, and when leaving the CBBT
we should be required to phone ourselves out of the facility at a
minimum.
Birders wanting to bird the CBBT should have to apply for an annual
permit of some type. Among other things, the permit application should
require applicants to furnish proper photo identification, vehicle
identification, proof of residency, and contact information. A standard
consent to search waiver should be included in the permit application
packet along with a list of CBBT rules and regulations. The permit
application should specifically state that the CBBT reserves the right
to deny or revoke both applications and permits without comment.
Birders applying for a CBBT permit should be required to pay a
non-refundable application fee intended to underwrite the costs
associated with conducting background investigations and maintaining
the permitting program. No CBBT permit should be issued without benefit
of a completed background investigation, and the CBBT should have 45
business days to issue or deny a permit from the data an application is
received.
The CBBT should publish its open birding dates. Birders with valid
CBBT permits should obtain a trip reservation 7 business days in
advance of visiting the CBBT. The CBBT should limit the number of
reservations it accepts for any given day. It should reserve the right
to cancel reservations and or close the CBBT to birders without notice
or comment. In order of priority, reservations should be given to
persons performing legitimate avian research, bird club trips, and
individuals. Your cost to bird the CBBT should be limited to the permit
application fee.
There all all kinds of ways to limit access to ventilation shafts and
air handlers and to secure and monitor this critical infrastructure
too. This is something that is routinely done at many public or
quasi-public venues. Honestly, I don't see any reason why a more
reasonable CBBT birding program can't be negotiated over time,
especially if the CBBT really wants to see birders on the islands. This
is not a criticism of the fine work that has already been done in this
area. If you are working on this issue, please keep up the good work.
If all else fails, perhaps the islands could one day be designated a
public refuge of some kind.
Regards,
Paul Kane
Falls Church, VA
-----Original Message-----
From: jfox <jjfoxfox@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: va-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx <va-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Wed, 04 Jan 2006 22:02:21 -0500
Subject: [va-bird] Fwd: CBBT: Please send positive comments to new
Executive Director
Va Birders
It was not my intention to insult the CBBT staff with my post. I meant
to insult the Bush administration. Sorry for any confusion.
Ned's point about the other bridge/tunnels is well taken. The CBBT
should get credit for the freedom they embraced for so long. It is just
that sense of freedom that I tried to appeal to.
It's the loss of spontaneity that is the biggest disappointment to me.
I thought several times last year about going out on my own , but the
requirement to apply in advance, put up $100 or more and spend the day
in the company of a police officer, was daunting. How many hours of
bird observation were lost last year, do you think? I know they don't
care, but that's not the point; we care.
It seems that the fences are reasonable protection of the shipping and
the ventilation shafts. It's hard to imagine how a human could damage
the islands themselves. Even with the gates locked you would have a
decent chance to find what's out there, if you had the time.
Lastly, I really don't feel that I disparaged Mitchell Byrd's efforts;
I've said before that they were appreciated, and I'll say it again. If
the CBBT is being shortsighted or unreasonable, asking them to do
better is not the same as criticizing Mr. Byrd.
John Fox
Arlington
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