O/T This was NOT how I wanted to start my day! (rant)

[m.e.]

Let me just preface this...

Next door to us, there is a pond. It'sbeen there since our family moved in 15 years ago; I was 5. It's notour pond, but we've always had an attachment to it. I would dress uplike Tom Sawyer and try to catch frogs, at dusk we'd watch the batsswoop down and skim the water for bugs, and every summer night we fellasleep to the sound of bullfrogs and peepers.

In just the past few years, the pondhas really begun to flourish. It's surrounded by thick, healthycattails, has a healthy bird population (we even have our annual visitsfrom a Mallard couple and a Great Blue Heron), loads of frogs, and evena small stock of fish. It's a thriving little ecosystem that'sconstantly abuzz with activity. And it's one of the prettiest things inthe neighborhood.

And then our neighbors moved in.

He set up shop with his foundationbusiness, built a huge building out back, and has a steadystream of really, really big deisel trucks careening down our small,25-mph road:X One of his guys caved in a shoulder of the roadtrying to take a corner too fast...

So they're okay neighbors, we've certainly had a lot worse.

But from the beginning, they hated thepond (which was now theirs). They hated having to mow around it, hatedthe cattails, hated everything. They can't even see the pond from theirhouse! Their driveway goes past the pond, but their house is back inthe woods. We're the ones who have to look at the pondeveryday.

(you're probably thinking, where's the rant? Well here it is )

I woke up this morning, and there was a backhoe ripping the cattails out :shock:

:growl:

It's gone. They've killed the pond. :disgust:

And if you think that's too strong aword, consider that they have destroyed several nests with baby birdsin them (and hearing the cries of the adult birds isheartwrenching ) and along with the cattails they haveremoved God-only-knows how many frog eggs. Frogs that keep the bugpopulation down, frogs that are probably the main reason we don't havea great deal of mosquitos. As the frog population has grown, ourmosquito population has decreased. Now what?!

The cattails are what kept the pondclean. Nature's filters. They prevented a lot of gross stuff fromwashing into the pond. Now what?!

Our neighbor's haven't been around longenough to remember what the pond use to be like. Completely barren. Andthe smell of it would make your eyes water. It was dead, andthey're killing it again:nonono:

Why, why, why?! They'vedestroyed an ecosystem. Where will our birds go? Where will the frogsgo?

:sad:

And you know what they're plan is. Puta cement wall around the pond, and build up grass around it. So theycan mow :X

This is not a filtered pond! How arethey going to prevent it from becoming a reeking, mosquito-housingcesspool?!
I'm so upset, I don't know whether to cry or to scream. This is horrible :tears2:

 

OK Now is the time to get Bitchy :

get on the phone to the Town ?city ordenence. find out dothey have a dredge and fill permit!The pond is concidered wetlandsthis you should have known, NOONE can Alter wetlands with out special permits ,some come from the statesome come from the city, Cause a big oldSTINK get them finedwhatever it takes to preserve that pondand wildlife.

Heck they fined us because woodchips fell into a tiny areaof wetlands here 2 hyears ago!!!

 

[Nuneen]

Try contacting the local environmentalprotection office. There are many laws re: protection ofwetlands -- that's why builder's have to put up that black nettingaround wetlands when they build. I don't know whether you arein ME or NH, but I know in NH there are some (albeit limited)protection laws.

Of course, this will probably cause problems with your relationship to these "neighbors".

Good luck! We have avery small pond in our yard,nesting mallards, tons of frogs (not stream fed, just a low, collectingspot.) It's my favorite part of the property.

 

[ayglnu13]

OMG I am so sorry,I know what you mean! I live in the woods and there is his huge streambehind us and I used to make forts back there by the stream and wewould pretend we were living in the wild. Well this year they arestopping the stream and building a development back there.....6 HUGEhouses! We have a small house and these houses that they are buildingare like 4 times bigger then ours. Right as I speak there is a truckdriving by with PILES of oak trees that are hundreds of years old.

We have this one Oak tree on our lawn andit has got to be like 300 years old and it is the only shade on thelawn and they are taking it down to make the road "wide enough"...theroad is already big enough but they have to make itwider....

~Amy

 

[Bassetluv]

Oh, I'm so sorry to hear this is happening...itseems there is always someone who moves to an area with a thrivingecosystem and then tears it all apart to erect concrete or barriers, oreven just to get rid of it. Some people do not share the sameappreciation for nature and beauty; and unfortunately in many casesthey will never see it through the eyes of those who do treasure it.

I agree with the others; if you can, find out through your town/city'sordinance if there is something that can be done to stop the neighborsfrom destroying such a wonderful habitat. It may be their land, butthat doesn't necessarily mean they have the right to plow it allunder.

 

[naturestee]

Another suggestion: the local Department ofNatural Resources office. Sometimes these ponds are built withgovernment assistance to help marsh bird populations and such. Iinterned in a program like this. When the government helps pay forstuff like this, a contract is usually signed stating what can and cannot be done to the pond. Some of these contracts are permanent andcarry over when the property is sold. If this is the case, they willtake action over this. Either way, construction in wetlands isrestricted and permits do need to be optained. Like gypsy said, thismight be dealt with by the local government (city, town, or county) orthe DNR.

Good luck!

 

[dootsmom]

m.e., Here, in NJ it is illegal to mess aroundwith the cattails and/or marsh grasses. I would be on the phone,immediately, seeing if this pond was in any way protected. The "swamp"at the end of my street is.

 

[m.e.]

I'm waiting to hear back from the MaineDepartment of Environmental Protection. I tried browsing through theirrules and regulations and it made my head spin, so we'll just see whatthey have to say...

onder:

My dad says he doesn't think that anything they've done has been legal:X. But my parents also don't want to start a war with the neighbors.

The redwinged blackbird is sitting on the piles of cattails and dirt, and he's calling...