Development can have a profoundly positive impact on communities by building roofs over our heads, grocery stores in food deserts, and shared community spaces like libraries that enrich our lives. Undoubtedly, though, there will be times when lack of consultation and rushed decisions lead to poorly conceived development with undue impacts to wildlife. Even if all the correct efforts have been taken, it is still understandable to be reactive to new developments near our favorite places and wild spaces. Habitat loss is the main cause of declining biodiversity, and urbanization is a big driver behind it. However, development isn’t going anywhere, so we need to find ways to minimize its impacts when and where we can.
So if a new strip mall is popping up in your neighborhood, or the city is chopping trees down, is there anything you can do? We regularly receive requests from the public to assist in their efforts to protect wildlife by halting development. Although we do not have the capacity to help with these individual requests, we’d like to share what we’ve learned through our experiences over the years. While it is very difficult to block development, you are not without options. We are speaking from our experience in the United States, but some of this may still be applicable to other countries as well.
Before Development Begins
The best way to protect wild spaces is to prevent their development from the start. Your local land trust is your friend. Get to know the individuals leading your local trust, or consider getting involved by volunteering your time or funds. Should you own a plot of land, consider leaving your estate to them for protection. If you see a parcel valuable to wildlife go up for auction, or know of a space that could use protection, inform your local land trust.
That’s exactly how 1,350 acres of prime habitat for Flammulated Owls and other native wildlife were protected from development in Summit County, Utah, in 2017. With support from a broad coalition of non-profits, private individuals, and a vote by the residents of Park City, Bonanza Flats was acquired via a $38 million deal, which placed the land in a conservation easement held by Utah Open Lands.
When Development is Announced or Has Begun
Talk to the People at the Source
Reach out directly to the developer to express your concerns and provide potential solutions for how wildlife and their development can coexist. More often than not, construction will continue, so any effort to minimize impacts is better than none at all. If you are willing to work with them, rather than against them, they may consider delaying work in a certain area or even leave certain spaces alone.
Contact Your Local Government
If you are looking to take things a step further, most towns and cities have a Planning Board, Zoning Board, and/or Conservation Commission that will review development proposals. You can volunteer to sit on these boards, but meetings are typically open to the public and allow for public comments. To make a strong case for wildlife, you need to prove one thing: that this land is more valuable left undeveloped than whatever project is being pitched.
One argument that has proven successful is demonstrating that the area serves as an important wildlife corridor, with no other routes available for wildlife. However, the most common reason development is halted is that the area is home to an at-risk species. If you can rally your community through petitions, online forums, or by attending public government meetings, you may be able to push your local Planning/Zoning Board or Conservation Commission to hire an environmental consultant to conduct a survey of the area. You may think that this is covered by an Environmental Site Assessment, which is typically required for commercial or industrial development. However, this survey does not include efforts to locate Endangered wildlife.
What the Law Says
If you are looking to halt tree cutting to protect birds, there is one way you can temporarily stop the tree removal. Thanks to the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, it is illegal to “take or injure any migratory bird or harass any migratory bird upon its nest or remove any egg or young.” It is important to note that this means you can only pause tree removal if a native bird species is actively nesting in said tree. Unless the bird or animal occupying the tree is an Endangered species, once they have left the nest, tree cutting can continue. That means that even if the same Red-shouldered Hawk returns to the same tree every year, you do not have grounds to prevent the land owner from felling the tree. Bald and Golden Eagles have additional protection under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act. The act includes a specific description of what it means to “take” and “disturb” birds, as well as larger fines for breaking the rules.
Report Illegal Activity
If you know about a nest, let the developer know beforehand and give them the chance to do the right thing. Should you see someone knowingly cut down a tree with an active bird nest, you can report them for committing a wildlife crime to your state’s wildlife agency or the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). Here is the link to the USFWS reporting page: https://www.fws.gov/wildlife-crime-tips
Ways You Can Provide Habitat for Wildlife
Development is inevitable as we humans also make the Earth our home, but what you can control is the land you own or rent, and inspire your neighbors and community to take action. We have a whole blog focused on attracting birds to your yard, including specific tips for raptors. Below are a few tangible actions for wildlife in general…
- Plant Native: Native plant species typically require less fertilization and water supplementation, as they are designed to thrive in your climate. Certain species even depend on native plants for food and reproduction. One famous example is the Monarch Butterfly, which exclusively relies on milkweed for its lifecycle. If you plan your garden so that there are plants blooming and fruiting throughout the year, you may be able to feed the birds without supplementation of a bird feeder!
- Leave the Leaves: Rather than bagging up and disposing of the leaves in your yard, either leave them be, or rake them into plant beds or a tucked-away brush pile so that insects can overwinter in them. Alternatively, you can mulch the leaves, which is less beneficial to overwintering insects, but does at least return some nutrients to the soil.
- Provide Nesting Habitats: Consider adding artificial homes for birds, bats, bees, opossums, squirrels, frogs, and toads that create safe places for animals to nest. Leaving a dead tree, or snag, if it is not at risk of falling on your property or a person, provides a home for cavity-nesting critters.
- Keep Your Cat Inside: Not only do your outdoor cats or dogs face the dangers of predation, car collisions, or being stolen, but they can also harm and even kill wildlife. Make sure to leash or supervise your pets during their outdoor time.
- Build Community: Even pesticides labeled as “eco-friendly alternatives” are still built to kill wildlife, including unintended species like butterflies and bees. Encourage your neighbors to join you in action by following the steps above and avoiding the use of pesticides.
- Support Conservation Organizations: Many fantastic nonprofits are taking important action in your communities to preserve land, restore spaces, build new habitat, and conduct community science efforts to learn more about the plants and animals we share this planet with. A good place to start is the 1% for the Planet directory, which highlights over 7,000 vetted nonprofit organizations in over 100 countries, all dedicated to conservation.
Like most topics, discussions regarding development involve a lot of nuance. But from our experience, finding ways to address development that balances the needs of both humans and wildlife is the most sustainable path forward. We recommend focusing on things you can control, like the habitat in your own backyard, but don’t hesitate to take action when large-scale projects or policy changes will have wide-scale negative impacts.
This blog was written by Sammy Riccio, HWI’s Communications Manager. You can learn more about Sammy here.
