Many
other species start with a diet of small lizards or frogs, not rodents. The
Maryland Department of Natural Resources is holding a public meeting on the
proposed experimental reintroduction of northern pine snakes to the
The public meeting will be held at
The reintroduction is a small part of a statewide effort to restore the
landscape to what it was during Johns Smithıs days more than 400 years ago,
said Salisbury Zoological Park Director Jim Rapp.
''Itıs our duty,'' Rapp said. ''If we can reclaim one little patch of it, it
makes a difference. This project is very meaningful to me.''
The
''It doesnıt look anything like the original forest, but itıs as close as weıre
going to get at the present time,'' he said of the more than 14,000 acres of
forest protected in Worcester County between Snow Hill and Pocomoke City.
''Weıre trying to reestablish the local flora and fauna as much as we can.''
The snakes are white with dark blotches and have wedged,
anvil-like heads so they can burrow underground. They are thought to be native
species in
The snakes became extirpated, or locally extinct, because their habitats were
destroyed as forests were cut down to make room for farmland, he said. Pine
snakes arenıt the only native species that no longer exist in the state, he
said.
Public comments on the proposed project will be accepted until
For more information:
Call 410-260-8540 or toll free in
customerservice@dnr.state.md.us
kcrowell@dmg.gannett.com
410-845-4655
Pine snake may return to
forest in Pocomoke
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is
holding a public meeting on the proposed experimental reintroduction of
northern pine snakes to the
The reintroduction is a small part of a statewide
effort to restore the landscape to what it was during Capt. John Smith's days
more than 400 years ago, said Salisbury Zoological Park Director Jim Rapp.
"It's our duty," Rapp said. "If we
can reclaim one little patch of it, it makes a difference."
The
"It doesn't look anything like the original
forest, but it's as close as we're going to get at the present time," he
said of the more than 14,000 acres of forest protected in
The snakes are white with dark blotches and have wedged, anvil-like heads so they can burrow underground.
The snakes became locally extinct because their
habitats were destroyed as forests were cut down to make room for farmland, he
said. Pine snakes aren't the only native species that no longer exist in the
state, he said.
Snakes
in a forest?
A public hearing on this effort will be held
Saturday at
In addition to pine snakes, bison, elk, wolves and
bears also lived in
Do we really need more snakes in
Pine snake restoration
is good stewardship
RE: "Our View: Snakes in the forest,"
March 1
On Thursday, The Daily Times presented its view of
the Maryland Department of Natural Resource's interest in re-introducing the
northern pine snake to the
The opinion stated that there is a statewide
effort to restore the landscape to what it was when Captain John Smith explored
the
For 300 years following Smith's arrival, wildlife
and wild places were exploited. Some species were lost forever, including the
The majority of Americans value and appreciate
wildlife, and we do not believe bison, elk, wolves and bears should become
extinct. It is therefore worth noting and celebrating the landowners,
conservationists and biologists who work together to keep these animals on the
American landscape. If they are not going to live with us on Delmarva, then we
should thank those who are working to keep bison on the grasslands of the
Dakotas, elk in the forests of western
Wildlife conservation was born out of a powerful
desire to put animals back on the land and in the water. A hundred years ago,
many of our native Delmarva animals had disappeared due to unregulated hunting,
toxic pollution and habitat destruction. Much of the credit for returning
animals to the wild is due to hunters and anglers who worked together with
wildlife biologists to restore our own populations of deer, turkey, ducks and
fish. Many organizations, such as Ducks Unlimited and the National Wild Turkey
Federation, continue working today to protect habitat for these species. Other
organizations, such as the Audubon Society and National Wildlife Federation,
worked with state and federal agencies to ban harmful pesticides and save bald
eagles, peregrine falcons and brown pelicans.
Our nation, and our
As for the conservation of pine snakes, the Times
opinion asks: Why?
To rephrase the question: Which animals are worthy
of conservation?
Not all animals in need of conservation fall into
the categories of the "hook and bullet" species or possess the
powerful symbolism of the bald eagle and peregrine falcon. In fact, our
wildlife diversity most at risk are found in the small, secretive species that
live in habitats severely compromised by our consumption of natural resources
and open space.
In
Why conserve pine snakes? We are replacing one
missing element of the short-leaf pine forest ecosystem in the
Jim Rapp is director of The Salisbury Zoo.