[mou] Re: [mnbird] Request From Sax Zim Community

[Val/Roger]

Hello, Sharon:
Don't keep us in suspense: what groups were represented in this meeting?
Val Cunningham
St. Paul, Minn.

on 12/15/04 9:21 PM, Sharon Stiteler at sharonks@mn.rr.com wrote:

> I attended a very exciting meeting today that's part of an effort on several
> groups to make the Sax Zim Bog area more birder friendly.  One of the issues
> that has been brought up, especially for this year are some of the dangerous
> viewing situations that are happening on the roads.  People that work and
> live in the community are asking birders to pull off completely to the sides
> of roads.  There have been a few instances in the last month of more than
> one vehicle stopped in the middle of the streets blocking traffic both ways.
> There was also a day when several cars were stopped just on the other side
> of a hill and oncoming traffic couldn't see the birders until they were on
> top of the hill and very close to hitting them.
> 
> This has been a problem with vehicles with Minnesota plates as well as out
> of state plates.  As many of us have websites promoting the owls and where
> to see them, and we are getting posts from people watching our lists from
> out of state, perhaps we can give them friendly reminders to practice
> vehicular and pedestrian safety.  Maybe we can even include a friendly
> reminder on the Duluth and State Wide Hot Lines.  Locals also pointed out
> that some people who live in the area travel very fast down the roads and
> with the icy conditions and accident is more likely to occur.
> 
> Another request for this year is that since so many owls are being seen all
> over the area, avoid stopping and pulling over on 133 and 52 as these are
> the roads used most often by locals.  There are some pull off and parking
> areas on theses roads and locals assure that many great grays can be seen
> from these parking areas.  Also please avoid setting up scopes in the middle
> of these particular roads.  The trees really are dripping with owls so you
> will see them on some of the less traveled roads.
> 
> Of course we saw 19 great grays in the area, 1 northern hawk owl and 1
> barred owl and a flock of pine grosbeaks.