Leash Lawlessnes

In May 2oo7, to the delight of Manhattan’s dog owners, Commissioner Adrian Benepe declared that dogs can legally be off their leashes in Central Park every day from 9 pm until 9 am. While this has been a boon to Manhattan’s dog owners it has been a disaster for Central Park wildlife. Dogs are not permitted off leash in the “Forever Wild” areas of the Ramble and North Woods but these restrictions have been pretty much ignored as every day more and more dogs tear through the underbrush of these protected areas, their owners undeterred by the threat of a ticket and fine.

That’s because the threat of receiving a ticket for having a dog off the leash in these areas is nearly non-existent. I have rarely, if ever, seen a Park Enforcement Officer in these areas. The PEP boys (and girls) do not patrol areas where their vehicles will not got. Unfortunately the only way to patrol these areas is on foot so the leash laws go unenforced.

Where there are dogs tearing through the underbrush there are no birds. Birds scatter as quickly as leaves in the wind when Fido comes bounding through. For the first time in recent memory I found no Woodcocks in the North Woods this spring, most probably because these birds are serious ground feeders that don't stand a chance against leashless dogs. On my daily search for birds to photograph I am constantly forced to stop and wait until the birds return (if they ever do at all) after a dog has run leashless through the area.

I wish that dog owners had the good sense to observe the law but as I must sadly report, I counted over 15 leashless dogs in the Ravine and North Woods last Sunday morning. These are areas where dogs must always be on a leash (at least according to the written rules.) I have also observed that dog owners get seriously confrontational when you ask them to leash their dogs in the Forever Wild areas. Many have said to me the don't have to because the law says their dogs can run free from 9 pm to 9 am.

Central Park was once considered one of the top ten birding spots in the country. If the city does not start enforcing the leash laws in Central Park’s protected areas, the park’s reputation as a serious spot for birding will rapidly decline. I don't think I am asking forall that much. Central Park is over 800 acres and all I am asking of dog owners is to give us a small percentage of that for the birds.

Lest you think I am some sort of dog hater, nothing could be further from the truth. I like dogs. I like cats, too. I had dogs growing-up and I have three cats I rescued from the street now sharing my apartment.

I agree with former Poet Laurate Billy Collins that dogs are probably smarter than humans:

The Revenant by Billy Collins

I am the dog you put to sleep,
as you like to call the needle of oblivion,
come back to tell you this simple thing:
I never liked you--not one bit.

When I licked your face,
I thought of biting off your nose.
When I watched you toweling yourself dry,
I wanted to leap and unman you with a snap.

I resented the way you moved,
your lack of animal grace,
the way you would sit in a chair and eat,
a napkin on your lap, knife in your hand.

I would have run away,
but I was too weak, a trick you taught me
while I was learning to sit and heel,
and--greatest of insults--shake hands without a hand.

I admit the sight of the leash
would excite me
but only because it meant I was about
to smell things you had never touched.

You do not want to believe this,
but I have no reason to lie.
I hated the car, the rubber toys,
disliked your friends and, worse, your relatives.

The jingling of my tags drove me mad.
You always scratched me in the wrong place.
All I ever wanted from you
was food and fresh water in my metal bowls.

While you slept, I watched you breathe
as the moon rose in the sky.
It took all my strength
not to raise my head and howl.

Now I am free of the collar,
the yellow raincoat, monogrammed sweater,
the absurdity of your lawn,
and that is all you need to know about this place

except what you already supposed
and are glad it did not happen sooner--
that everyone here can read and write,
the dogs in poetry, the cats and the others in prose.

Oceanside Trees win Reprieve

Dear Cal Vornberger,

Thank you for your recent communication regarding your concerns about tree removal at the Oceanside Marine Nature Study Area.

You will be pleased to know that the Town of Hempstead does NOT cut down trees unless there is a safety issue or the tree is diseased or dead. Where staff does find disease or death, the tree will be removed and a new one will replace it. Please be advised, additionally, that the greenery along the fencelines of the homes abutting the preserve will be pruned. However, no trees will be removed.

We hope this information is helpful to you. Please feel free to contact us if we can be of further assistance.

Sincerely,

Kate Murray

Supervisor

Dogs Given the Run of Central Park

While out photographing last Sunday morning in the Loch/Ravine area I was shocked to see how many dogs were running off the leash in these protected areas. This is a serious problem and will eventually lead to the a loss of bird species in the Park.

The Ramble, North Woods, Loch, Ravine, and Wildflower Meadow are all off limits to dogs off the leash at any time however, most dog owners know that enforcement is lax and they are never going to receive a summons. And, what better way to not have to clean up after your dog than to let him relieve himself in a "Forever Wild" area.

I have complained until I am hoarse and have gotten nothing but lip service from park officials. If they were really serious about the problem they would step-up enforcement, but of course, they never will.

So if I yell at you because your mutt is running around the underbrush in the Ravine, at least know you know why. You can also take heart from the fact that I have probably called PEP (Park Enforcement Police) and that they never dispatch anyone in response to my calls.

If you want a good laugh take a look at the pamphlet prepared by PAWS and the Central Park Conservancy: http://www.centralparknyc.org/site/DocServer?docID=154

Sad Day in Hemstead

The residents adjacent to the Oceanside Marine Study Area have convinced the Hemstead City Council that the trees in the preserve are blocking their vista and causing their property values to fall. I have never heard of anything so outrageous.

Here is one resident's response:

When is a Preserve No Longer Preserved?
by anonymous visitor

When is a preserve no longer preserved? This is a question we must ask ourselves. Since the early 70’s individuals and organizations have promoted the preservation of open space. They encouraged the protection of habitat and the establishment of laws that will ensure their future protection.

When an area set aside and protected from development becomes too “naturey” and begins to interfere with neighboring residents should it be controlled? Well some say yes. The neighbor takes precedence over a protected nature area. Some of these neighbors, who
don’t even visit or use the preserve that borders their own property,
who don’t even know which municipality owns and operates the preserve
due to there own ignorance and laziness. These are the individuals who
feel they have a right to manipulate nature to fit their desires. They
fail to realize that it’s not their nature… it’s our nature. The
good of the many out weigh the good of the few. The people that enjoy
the preserve, who appreciate it for the purpose it was designed for, to
be a last hold out and sanctuary from urban sprawl for the various
numbers of animals, which include migratory birds that nest in the
spring and summer months. In the winter, the brush and scrub act as
protective and safe roasting areas for all those beautiful birds that
come to our bird feeders.

Well my readers, this is not a general statement on activities that we
see in the news, out in the Pine Barrens or something in the Arctic
refuge or even in the mid west plains area. This is what’s happening
right here in Nassau County, Town Of Hempstead, in the village of
Oceanside, at this very Marine Nature Study Area.

The individuals are making changes base on opinions rather then science and law. The Northwest Fence-line Coalition has successfully won a major victory. The have succeed in
convincing their political representative that the brush and trees growing along the fence is blocking their expensive “vista” and as a result lowering the value of their homes. One even admitted, in front of the group, Councilman, and Commissioner to trespassing, and vandalizing the property by removing trees in the past. For those regular visitors, those would be the four 30-year-old Eastern Red Cedars, whose berries where the cornerstone for all the neotropical
migrants and other birds that fed on the berries. This same individual then threatened to do it again if action was not taken. Our response to this out rage…nothing.

The trees that will be removed in this current culling will include: Black Cherry, Autumn Olive, Eastern Red Cedar, Pin Oak, with an underbrush of Virginia Rose. This is the wrong precedent to begin. This is only telling those individuals who have a problem with the nature world around them that the Town of Hempstead is so concerned about what a few people think, that they will cave to any and all demands made by the ignorant masses. Is that the type of government and
people you what in charge of your township?

On the lawn of the greenest township on Long Island, there is now a brown spot, where the dog of ignorance peed.

If you would like to make your opinion know contact Kate Murray, the Hemstead County Supervisor at: http://www.townofhempstead.org/content/home/contact.html

The photo above is of a Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrow that breeds at Oceanside Marine Nature Study Area.