Sample letter supporting designation of the
Kittatinny-Shawangunk Ridge and Corridor
as National Raptor Migration Corridor
Name of Person or Organization Letterhead
Postal Mailing Address
00 Month 2008
To Whom It May Concern:
I am writing to ask the federal government to designate the
Kittatinny-Shawangunk Ridge and Corridor that crosses parts of Pennsylvania,
New Jersey, and New York as the Kittatinny-Shawangunk National Raptor
Migration Corridor. The corridor consists of the Kittatinny-Shawangunk
Ridge, plus land extending out five miles from the north and south bases of
the ridge. This 256-mile-long area is internationally famous and important
as a raptor migration flight-lines and corridor-part of the Appalachian
Raptor Migration Flyway.
But some unwise land use activities continue to be proposed
and/or used along the ridge and within the corridor. In Pennsylvania, for
example, a sports car race track may be constructed on the north slope of
the ridge near the Appalachian Trail some miles upridge from Hawk Mountain
and Bake Oven Knob, and a large ski resort with condominiums just was
withdrawn near the proposed sports car race track. Both the Appalachian
Trail, and north forested slope of the ridge, are/were at major risk at both
locations. Housing developments, shopping malls, quarrying, logging, and
other land development activities also are being placed in some sensitive
environmental locations that are stopover habitats for migrating raptors,
declining populations of some Neotropical, migratory, forest interior
songbirds, and bats.
Therefore, some important reasons why the federal government
should designate this area the Kittatinny-Shawangunk National Raptor
Migration Corridor include:
- Federal designation for the corridor will provide national
attention, increased appreciation, and enhanced prestige to the area.
- There will be virtually no expenses involved in making such a
federal designation.
- There will be no legal changes in existing land use laws and
regulations within the corridor.
- There will be no required changes in private land ownership within
the corridor.
Nevertheless, having federal designation for a Kittatinny-Shawangunk
National Raptor Migration Corridor will provide important benefits similar
to those already existing for important historic sites and buildings listed
on the National Register of Historic Places (but without having the
financial incentives provided for owners of buildings or sites included on
the National Register), and having important habitats listed as National
Natural Landmarks.
- Federal designation for the Corridor may help strengthen NEPA legal
actions (law suits).
- Having federal designation for a Kittatinny-Shawangunk National
Raptor Migration Corridor will encourage local and regional governmental
officials and planning commissions to think twice before allowing unwise or
inappropriate land use activities in sensitive ecological or environmental
locations within the corridor.
- Having the federal designation also might encourage some local,
county, and even state governments to enact new and stronger land use laws
and regulations to help protect and preserve the most important ecologically
and environmentally sensitive locations within the corridor.
- Currently there are no National Raptor Migration Corridors in the
USA. Therefore, federal designation for the Kittatinny-Shawangunk Ridge and
Corridor will be innovative and create new conservation and land use
planning precedents. It will be a unique model for creation of similar
migration corridors at appropriate locations elsewhere in the USA and even
overseas.
That is why I endorse having the federal government designate
this internationally important ridge and corridor as the
Kittatinny-Shawangunk National Raptor Migration Corridor.
Thank you very much for very seriously considering this
request.
Sincerely yours,
Write Your Signature Here
Print Your Name Here
|
