A Cycling & bikes forum. CycleBanter.com

Go Back   Home » CycleBanter.com forum » rec.bicycles » Mountain Biking
Site Map Home Register Authors List Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read Web Partners

The Bay Trail -- A Disaster for Wildlife



 
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old July 19th 08, 04:45 PM posted to alt.mountain-bike,rec.bicycles.soc,rec.backcountry,ca.environment,sci.environment
Mike Vandeman
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 4,798
Default The Bay Trail -- A Disaster for Wildlife

The Bay Trail -- A Disaster for Wildlife
Michael J. Vandeman, Ph.D., wildlife activist
http://home.pacbell.net/mjvande
September 21, 2003

No wild animal nor plant was invited to any of the public
hearings on plans for the Bay Trail. They are never invited to any
public hearing. Humans frame the discussion, carry it out, and make
the decisions. Even though it is very easy to do, no one takes the
point of view of the wildlife. In this version of "The Emperor's New
Clothes", not even a child notices that the Emperor is buck naked.

The results are predictable: yet another park development for
pleasuring humans. It's a fallacy as old as the Bible: if a piece of
land is not being used by humans, it is going to waste. Roderick Nash,
in Wilderness and the American Mind, described the long evolution
toward the idea of wilderness, where wildlife take priority. But
recently we have regressed, and wilderness is now considered primarily
a human playground.

Most species don't like having us around. There are, of course
a few, like the mosquito, that like us, and a few others that are
willing to tolerate us -- up to a point. But, as every child learns
when he or she tries to get close to an animal, it invariably runs
away. A good summary of research on the impacts of human presence on
wildlife, for example, is Wildlife and Recreationists (Knight and
Gutzwiller, eds.): "Traditionally, observing, feeding, and
photographing wildlife were considered to be 'nonconsumptive'
activities because removal of animals from their natural habitats did
not occur.... nonconsumptive wildlife recreation was considered
relatively benign in terms of its effects on wildlife; today, however,
there is a growing recognition that wildlife-viewing recreation can
have serious negative impacts on wildlife" (p. 257).

So what does the Bay Trail attempt to do? Take 450 miles of
shoreline wildlife habitat and make it more accessible to people!
Humans are suckers for people who tell them what they want to hear,
and the Bay Trail lobbyists tell us that our presence won't negatively
impact the wildlife. (But just to be sure, "studies" will be done.)
Not only will everyone be allowed closer than ever to a lot more
habitat, but long-distance modes of transportation such as roller
blades and bicycles will be accommodated, letting people impact even
more wildlife.

In order to facilitate all these hordes of people, veritable
human "freeways" 8-10 feet wide will be constructed, requiring the
clearing of up to 16 feet of right-of-way (see
http://www.abag.ca.gov/bayarea_info/...railplan.html)! In some
cases, habitat has been destroyed to build these trails, and in other
cases, new pavement has been laid.

The worst excesses (especially paving!) are due to the desire
to accommodate vehicles, such as skateboards, roller blades, and
bicycles -- with the excuse that there are "user groups" that need to
be accommodated. Actually, they are all human, and have the same needs
as everyone else -- which do not include travelling on wheeled
vehicles. Only the disabled can truly be said to have such a need, and
they can be accommodated on much simpler and narrower trails.

Anyone who wants to bicycle has hundreds of miles of paved
roads on which they can do so. If motor vehicles are a problem, then
they should be eliminated. But "solving" that problem by destroying
more wildlife habitat is not acceptable. Wildlife have already lost
some 95% of their habitat, and can't afford to lose any more. Instead
of creating islands of habitat in a sea of humanity, we should be
doing just the opposite: providing continuous wildlife travel
corridors linking adequate wildlife preserves (as described in Saving
Nature's Legacy: Protecting and Restoring Biodiversity, by Reed Noss
and Allen Cooperrider, and as embodied in The Wildlands Project).

It's obvious that we need to experience nature in order to
appreciate it. But it's equally obvious that we need to stay out of
it, if it is to survive. It is the latter that is most often ignored.
The goals of the Bay Trail are good (protection and respect for
nature), but they can be had without the trail!

References:

Boyle, Stephen A. and Fred B. Samson, Nonconsumptive Outdoor
Recreation: An Annotated Bibliography of Human-Wildlife Interactions.
Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife
Service Special Scientific Report -- Wildlife No. 252, 1983.

Ehrlich, Paul R. and Ehrlich, Anne H., Extinction: The Causes and
Consequences of the Disappearances of Species. New York: Random House,
1981.

Foreman, Dave, Confessions of an Eco-Warrior. New York: Harmony Books,
1991.

Grumbine, R. Edward, Ghost Bears. Washington, DC: Island Press, 1992.

Hammitt, William E. and David N. Cole, Wildland Recreation -- Ecology
and Management. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1987.

Knight, Richard L. and Kevin J. Gutzwiller, eds. Wildlife and
Recreationists. Covelo, California: Island Press, c.1995.

Liddle, Michael, Recreation Ecology. Chapman & Hall: London, c.1997.

Life on the Edge. A Guide to California's Endangered Natural
Resources: Wildlife. Santa Cruz, California: BioSystem Books, 1994.

Myers, Norman, ed., Gaia: An Atlas of Planet Management, Garden City,
NY: Anchor Books, 1984.

Noss, Reed F., "The Ecological Effects of Roads", in "Killing Roads",
Earth First!

Noss, Reed F. and Allen Y. Cooperrider, Saving Nature's Legacy:
Protecting and Restoring Biodiversity. Island Press, Covelo,
California, 1994.

Stone, Christopher D., Should Trees Have Standing? Toward Legal Rights
for Natural Objects. Los Altos, California: William Kaufmann, Inc.,
1973.

Vandeman, Michael J., http://home.pacbell.net/mjvande, especially
"Wildlife and the Ecocity" and "Rethinking the Impacts of Recreation".

Ward, Peter Douglas, The End of Evolution: On Mass Extinctions and the
Preservation of Biodiversity. New York: Bantam Books, 1994.

Weiner, Douglas R., A Little Corner of Freedom. Russian Nature
Protection from Stalin to Gorbachev. Berkeley: University of
California Press, 1999.

"The Wildlands Project", Wild Earth. Richmond, Vermont: The Cenozoic
Society, 1994.

Wilson, Edward O., The Diversity of Life. Cambridge, Massachusetts:
Harvard University Press, 1992.
--
I am working on creating wildlife habitat that is off-limits to
humans ("pure habitat"). Want to help? (I spent the previous 8
years fighting auto dependence and road construction.)

Please don't put a cell phone next to any part of your body that you are fond of!

http://home.pacbell.net/mjvande
Ads
  #2  
Old July 20th 08, 08:54 PM posted to alt.mountain-bike,rec.bicycles.soc,rec.backcountry,ca.environment,sci.environment
Bruce Jensen
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 522
Default The Bay Trail -- A Disaster for Wildlife

On Jul 19, 8:45*am, Mike Vandeman wrote:
The Bay Trail -- A Disaster for Wildlife
Michael J. Vandeman, Ph.D., wildlife activisthttp://home.pacbell.net/mjvande
September 21, 2003


We've had this discussion before. You, and all of your references,
have clearly not paid any attention to the actual situation where the
trail meets the Bayshore, and you have no authority to speak to the
subject. My offer still stands to take you out there and show you
what the biodiversity is really like. Until you go out and observe
the abundance of life out there and understand what is really on the
ground, even with the trails in place, your credibility is zero.

Bruce Jensen
  #3  
Old July 20th 08, 09:15 PM posted to alt.mountain-bike,rec.bicycles.soc,rec.backcountry,ca.environment,sci.environment
Siskuwihane[_2_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 534
Default The Bay Trail -- A Disaster for Wildlife

On Jul 20, 3:54*pm, Bruce Jensen wrote:
On Jul 19, 8:45*am, Mike Vandeman wrote:

The Bay Trail -- A Disaster for Wildlife
Michael J. Vandeman, Ph.D., wildlife activisthttp://home.pacbell.net/mjvande
September 21, 2003


We've had this discussion before. *You, and all of your references,
have clearly not paid any attention to the actual situation where the
trail meets the Bayshore, and you have no authority to speak to the
subject. *My offer still stands to take you out there and show you
what the biodiversity is really like. *Until you go out and observe
the abundance of life out there and understand what is really on the
ground, even with the trails in place, your credibility is zero.

Bruce Jensen


Looks like Michael J. Vandeman has been outed as a fraud, again.
  #4  
Old July 21st 08, 03:49 AM posted to alt.mountain-bike,rec.bicycles.soc,rec.backcountry,ca.environment,sci.environment
Mike Vandeman
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 4,798
Default The Bay Trail -- A Disaster for Wildlife

On Sun, 20 Jul 2008 12:54:41 -0700 (PDT), Bruce Jensen
wrote:

On Jul 19, 8:45*am, Mike Vandeman wrote:
The Bay Trail -- A Disaster for Wildlife
Michael J. Vandeman, Ph.D., wildlife activisthttp://home.pacbell.net/mjvande
September 21, 2003


We've had this discussion before. You, and all of your references,
have clearly not paid any attention to the actual situation where the
trail meets the Bayshore, and you have no authority to speak to the
subject. My offer still stands to take you out there and show you
what the biodiversity is really like. Until you go out and observe
the abundance of life out there and understand what is really on the
ground, even with the trails in place, your credibility is zero.

Bruce Jensen


That's irrelevant. The issues are (1) the Bay Trail destroying habitat
and (2) increasing human presence making the existing habitat less
useful to the wildlife.
--
I am working on creating wildlife habitat that is off-limits to
humans ("pure habitat"). Want to help? (I spent the previous 8
years fighting auto dependence and road construction.)

Please don't put a cell phone next to any part of your body that you are fond of!

http://home.pacbell.net/mjvande
  #5  
Old July 21st 08, 03:49 AM posted to alt.mountain-bike,rec.bicycles.soc,rec.backcountry,ca.environment,sci.environment
Mike Vandeman
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 4,798
Default The Bay Trail -- A Disaster for Wildlife

On Sun, 20 Jul 2008 13:15:29 -0700 (PDT), Siskuwihane
wrote:

On Jul 20, 3:54*pm, Bruce Jensen wrote:
On Jul 19, 8:45*am, Mike Vandeman wrote:

The Bay Trail -- A Disaster for Wildlife
Michael J. Vandeman, Ph.D., wildlife activisthttp://home.pacbell.net/mjvande
September 21, 2003


We've had this discussion before. *You, and all of your references,
have clearly not paid any attention to the actual situation where the
trail meets the Bayshore, and you have no authority to speak to the
subject. *My offer still stands to take you out there and show you
what the biodiversity is really like. *Until you go out and observe
the abundance of life out there and understand what is really on the
ground, even with the trails in place, your credibility is zero.

Bruce Jensen


Looks like Michael J. Vandeman has been outed as a fraud, again.


Not even close.
--
I am working on creating wildlife habitat that is off-limits to
humans ("pure habitat"). Want to help? (I spent the previous 8
years fighting auto dependence and road construction.)

Please don't put a cell phone next to any part of your body that you are fond of!

http://home.pacbell.net/mjvande
  #6  
Old July 21st 08, 01:08 PM posted to alt.mountain-bike,rec.bicycles.soc,rec.backcountry,ca.environment,sci.environment
Siskuwihane[_2_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 534
Default The Bay Trail -- A Disaster for Wildlife

On Jul 20, 10:49*pm, Mike Vandeman wrote:
On Sun, 20 Jul 2008 13:15:29 -0700 (PDT), Siskuwihane





wrote:
On Jul 20, 3:54*pm, Bruce Jensen wrote:
On Jul 19, 8:45*am, Mike Vandeman wrote:


The Bay Trail -- A Disaster for Wildlife
Michael J. Vandeman, Ph.D., wildlife activisthttp://home.pacbell.net/mjvande
September 21, 2003


We've had this discussion before. *You, and all of your references,
have clearly not paid any attention to the actual situation where the
trail meets the Bayshore, and you have no authority to speak to the
subject. *My offer still stands to take you out there and show you
what the biodiversity is really like. *Until you go out and observe
the abundance of life out there and understand what is really on the
ground, even with the trails in place, your credibility is zero.


Bruce Jensen


Looks like Michael J. Vandeman has been outed as a fraud, again.


Not even close.


Sorry, you're right, I forgot you are a liar as well.

  #7  
Old July 21st 08, 07:50 PM posted to alt.mountain-bike,rec.bicycles.soc,rec.backcountry,ca.environment,sci.environment
Bruce Jensen
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 522
Default The Bay Trail -- A Disaster for Wildlife

On Jul 20, 7:49*pm, Mike Vandeman wrote:
On Sun, 20 Jul 2008 12:54:41 -0700 (PDT), Bruce Jensen

wrote:
On Jul 19, 8:45*am, Mike Vandeman wrote:
The Bay Trail -- A Disaster for Wildlife
Michael J. Vandeman, Ph.D., wildlife activisthttp://home.pacbell.net/mjvande
September 21, 2003


We've had this discussion before. *You, and all of your references,
have clearly not paid any attention to the actual situation where the
trail meets the Bayshore, and you have no authority to speak to the
subject. *My offer still stands to take you out there and show you
what the biodiversity is really like. *Until you go out and observe
the abundance of life out there and understand what is really on the
ground, even with the trails in place, your credibility is zero.


Bruce Jensen


That's irrelevant. The issues are (1) the Bay Trail destroying habitat
and (2) increasing human presence making the existing habitat less
useful to the wildlife.
--
I am working on creating wildlife habitat that is off-limits to
humans ("pure habitat"). Want to help? (I spent the previous 8
years fighting auto dependence and road construction.)

Please don't put a cell phone next to any part of your body that you are fond of!

http://home.pacbell.net/mjvande


Both of which are substantially incorrect and red herrings.

Bruce Jensen
  #8  
Old July 23rd 08, 01:22 AM posted to alt.mountain-bike,rec.bicycles.soc,rec.backcountry,ca.environment,sci.environment
Mike Vandeman
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 4,798
Default The Bay Trail -- A Disaster for Wildlife

On Mon, 21 Jul 2008 11:50:34 -0700 (PDT), Bruce Jensen
wrote:

On Jul 20, 7:49*pm, Mike Vandeman wrote:
On Sun, 20 Jul 2008 12:54:41 -0700 (PDT), Bruce Jensen

wrote:
On Jul 19, 8:45*am, Mike Vandeman wrote:
The Bay Trail -- A Disaster for Wildlife
Michael J. Vandeman, Ph.D., wildlife activisthttp://home.pacbell.net/mjvande
September 21, 2003


We've had this discussion before. *You, and all of your references,
have clearly not paid any attention to the actual situation where the
trail meets the Bayshore, and you have no authority to speak to the
subject. *My offer still stands to take you out there and show you
what the biodiversity is really like. *Until you go out and observe
the abundance of life out there and understand what is really on the
ground, even with the trails in place, your credibility is zero.


Bruce Jensen


That's irrelevant. The issues are (1) the Bay Trail destroying habitat
and (2) increasing human presence making the existing habitat less
useful to the wildlife.
--
I am working on creating wildlife habitat that is off-limits to
humans ("pure habitat"). Want to help? (I spent the previous 8
years fighting auto dependence and road construction.)

Please don't put a cell phone next to any part of your body that you are fond of!

http://home.pacbell.net/mjvande


Both of which are substantially incorrect and red herrings.


BS. The Bay Trail and Ridge Trail have been created partly by paving
over or otherwise damaging natural areas (i.e., wildlife habitat). And
they facilitate increased human presence, which is known to be harmful
to wildlife. The fact that you give no details is a good indication
that you have nothing to back up your statement.

Bruce Jensen

--
I am working on creating wildlife habitat that is off-limits to
humans ("pure habitat"). Want to help? (I spent the previous 8
years fighting auto dependence and road construction.)

Please don't put a cell phone next to any part of your body that you are fond of!

http://home.pacbell.net/mjvande
  #9  
Old July 23rd 08, 08:10 PM posted to alt.mountain-bike,rec.bicycles.soc,rec.backcountry,ca.environment,sci.environment
Bruce Jensen
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 522
Default The Bay Trail -- A Disaster for Wildlife

On Jul 22, 5:22*pm, Mike Vandeman wrote:
On Mon, 21 Jul 2008 11:50:34 -0700 (PDT), Bruce Jensen





wrote:
On Jul 20, 7:49*pm, Mike Vandeman wrote:
On Sun, 20 Jul 2008 12:54:41 -0700 (PDT), Bruce Jensen


wrote:
On Jul 19, 8:45*am, Mike Vandeman wrote:
The Bay Trail -- A Disaster for Wildlife
Michael J. Vandeman, Ph.D., wildlife activisthttp://home.pacbell.net/mjvande
September 21, 2003


We've had this discussion before. *You, and all of your references,
have clearly not paid any attention to the actual situation where the
trail meets the Bayshore, and you have no authority to speak to the
subject. *My offer still stands to take you out there and show you
what the biodiversity is really like. *Until you go out and observe
the abundance of life out there and understand what is really on the
ground, even with the trails in place, your credibility is zero.


Bruce Jensen


That's irrelevant. The issues are (1) the Bay Trail destroying habitat
and (2) increasing human presence making the existing habitat less
useful to the wildlife.
--
I am working on creating wildlife habitat that is off-limits to
humans ("pure habitat"). Want to help? (I spent the previous 8
years fighting auto dependence and road construction.)


Please don't put a cell phone next to any part of your body that you are fond of!


http://home.pacbell.net/mjvande


Both of which are substantially incorrect and red herrings.


BS. The Bay Trail and Ridge Trail have been created partly by paving
over or otherwise damaging natural areas (i.e., wildlife habitat). And
they facilitate increased human presence, which is known to be harmful
to wildlife. The fact that you give no details is a good indication
that you have nothing to back up your statement.

Bruce Jensen


--
I am working on creating wildlife habitat that is off-limits to
humans ("pure habitat"). Want to help? (I spent the previous 8
years fighting auto dependence and road construction.)

Please don't put a cell phone next to any part of your body that you are fond of!

http://home.pacbell.net/mjvande- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -


I offer, again, to give you detail first hand. Take it or leave it,
coward.

Bruce Jensen
  #10  
Old July 24th 08, 04:32 AM posted to alt.mountain-bike,rec.bicycles.soc,rec.backcountry,ca.environment,sci.environment
Mike Vandeman
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 4,798
Default The Bay Trail -- A Disaster for Wildlife

On Wed, 23 Jul 2008 12:10:43 -0700 (PDT), Bruce Jensen
wrote:

On Jul 22, 5:22*pm, Mike Vandeman wrote:
On Mon, 21 Jul 2008 11:50:34 -0700 (PDT), Bruce Jensen





wrote:
On Jul 20, 7:49*pm, Mike Vandeman wrote:
On Sun, 20 Jul 2008 12:54:41 -0700 (PDT), Bruce Jensen


wrote:
On Jul 19, 8:45*am, Mike Vandeman wrote:
The Bay Trail -- A Disaster for Wildlife
Michael J. Vandeman, Ph.D., wildlife activisthttp://home.pacbell.net/mjvande
September 21, 2003


We've had this discussion before. *You, and all of your references,
have clearly not paid any attention to the actual situation where the
trail meets the Bayshore, and you have no authority to speak to the
subject. *My offer still stands to take you out there and show you
what the biodiversity is really like. *Until you go out and observe
the abundance of life out there and understand what is really on the
ground, even with the trails in place, your credibility is zero.


Bruce Jensen


That's irrelevant. The issues are (1) the Bay Trail destroying habitat
and (2) increasing human presence making the existing habitat less
useful to the wildlife.
--
I am working on creating wildlife habitat that is off-limits to
humans ("pure habitat"). Want to help? (I spent the previous 8
years fighting auto dependence and road construction.)


Please don't put a cell phone next to any part of your body that you are fond of!


http://home.pacbell.net/mjvande


Both of which are substantially incorrect and red herrings.


BS. The Bay Trail and Ridge Trail have been created partly by paving
over or otherwise damaging natural areas (i.e., wildlife habitat). And
they facilitate increased human presence, which is known to be harmful
to wildlife. The fact that you give no details is a good indication
that you have nothing to back up your statement.

Bruce Jensen


--
I am working on creating wildlife habitat that is off-limits to
humans ("pure habitat"). Want to help? (I spent the previous 8
years fighting auto dependence and road construction.)

Please don't put a cell phone next to any part of your body that you are fond of!

http://home.pacbell.net/mjvande- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -


I offer, again, to give you detail first hand. Take it or leave it,
coward.


Irrelevant. You would have to refute my statement. Finding one bird
doesn't do that.

Bruce Jensen

--
I am working on creating wildlife habitat that is off-limits to
humans ("pure habitat"). Want to help? (I spent the previous 8
years fighting auto dependence and road construction.)

Please don't put a cell phone next to any part of your body that you are fond of!

http://home.pacbell.net/mjvande
 




Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
The Bay Trail -- A Disaster for Wildlife Mike Vandeman Mountain Biking 118 May 10th 07 04:33 PM
The Bay Trail -- A Disaster for Wildlife Mike Vandeman Social Issues 114 May 10th 07 04:33 PM
Mountain Bikers Enjoy Destroying Wildlife Habitat! (was BCT Trail Work Day) Mike Vandeman Social Issues 28 March 14th 07 01:31 PM
The Bay Trail -- A Disaster for Wildlife Mike Vandeman Mountain Biking 16 October 4th 03 01:51 PM
The Bay Trail -- A Disaster for Wildlife Mike Vandeman Social Issues 1 October 4th 03 08:54 AM


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 03:29 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.6.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2004-2024 CycleBanter.com.
The comments are property of their posters.