Endangered bird threatens quarry

Bobolink known to live in Highlands fields

By Chris Halliday Jun 22, 2011 - 6:02 PM
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Theres a lot of talk concerning the loss of agricultural land and threats to drinking water, but what about the chance those rusty sounding calls of the Bobolink might vanish from The Highland Companies lands in Melancthon. Although the small blackbirds fall lower on the totem pole of the laundry list of environmental concerns brought to the forefront so far, Carl Cosack, vice-chair of the North Dufferin Agricultural Community Taskforce (NDACT), feels the Bobolink could be key in fighting The Highland Companies application to quarry 2,316 acres of its land for limestone in Melancthon. If you look at the big picture, you know that endangered species will trouble the approval process, Cosack said. For those organizations and those people who understand the big ecological picture, the Bobolink is a very important part of that very big ecology. For those unfamiliar with the Bobolink, it is a small blackbird, about 16 to 18 cm long, known to make open grassy fields, especially hay fields, its breeding grounds and habitats. Last September, the Bobolink was listed as threatened under Ontarios Endangered Species Act (ESA) about two years after a 2008 bird breeding survey concluded they were spotted on The Highland Companies proposed aggregate licence area. Michael Daniher, spokesperson for The Highland Companies, explained on June 14 the companys natural environment report filed along with its quarry application, which references that 2008 bird breeding survey, concluded very low numbers of Bobolink were noticed in the proposed licence area and there was no significant habitat relating to the bird. According to the David Suzuki Foundation, which has sent its letter of objection to Highlands quarry application into the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR), that study was done before the Bobolink was listed an endangered species, and

as a result, no real attempt was made to quantify numbers or habitats. We can at least be certain that there is Bobolink habitat in the area, the David Suzuki Foundations letter of objection states. Just how much and where it is located remains to be determined. As a result, the David Suzuki Foundations letter requests The Highland Companies, at a minimum, conduct additional Bobolink breeding surveys in 2011, which Daniher said are already being done. Experts are taking full advantage of this opportunity and are already conducting additional detailed Bobolink studies and site visits, Daniher said. To date, the findings are similar to those of the previous (2008) study. There have been reports, however, Highland employees have been seen clearcutting long grasses on company land recently, which has drawn the ire of local residents and citizen coalition groups. There seems to be no doubt that all the Bobolink habitat is being taken away whether its The Highland Companies intention or not, Cosack said. If it is not the intent of their actions to remove the Bobolink habitat from their properties, then it will certainly be a consequence of it. As Daniher explained though, The Highland Companies is not clear-cutting its land to destroy Bobolink habitats. As part of its ongoing farming practices, Daniher said the company cuts high grasses to control weeds and maintain its fields, and noted the province recently enacted a regulatory amendment to exempt normal farm practices from provisions of the ESA in relation to Bobolinks. Any suggestion that this practice is out of the ordinary, or that it is being done to adversely affect the habitat of any wildlife, is simply untrue, Daniher said.