> It is just heartbreaking when I see sites such as last winter I visited
> one of the last stands of S. oreophila in Northern Georgia, watching
> bulldozers less than 500 feet away clearing trees from a housing
> development that would most likely destroy the water table of the
> habitat and lead to the eventual demise of this stand.
That is the point most critics of CITES are making. The trade of
wild collected specimens of this (and other) species is illegal,
but building houses on their habitat is legal!!! Where is the
logic.?? But those making a living on CITES interpret this criticism
as criticism of conservation.
It is time that people start to understand that CITES has NOTHING TO
DO with Conservation (maybe I should take that back, they do conserve
their highly overpaid jobs).
> I also hear of lowland Heliamphora sites in Venezuela that are being
> poached or destroyed by development. I am sure others on this list
> could share dozens of such horror stories. I'd encourage others to
> share this information, for such stories, I believe, will help encourage
> more people to take action to stop the destruction of natural sites.
We will have difficulties stopping such destruction. Having been an
ecologist and taxonomist for many years and having visited all kinds
of plant sites for over 20 years now, I am certain that Homo sapiens
(I prefer to refer to that species in my university lectures as 'Homo
stupidum') will never stop destroying its habitat and thus the
habitat of plants and animals. But at least, the plants of sites that
are to be destroyed should be salvaged. But that is forbidden by some
stupid regulations such as CITES.
> I'd encourage any CPers who have the means to either donate to the
> Nature Conservancy (and specify that the donations go specifically to
> the purchase of wetlands containing CP) or perhaps purchase or donate
> land yourself.
That has been tried before and may work in some areas. It does most
definately not work in areas where prices are being offered for land
that no 'normal' person can pay (Japan, Certain Other parts of
Asia, Europe). And with the population growing as it is that will be
so in the entire world within the next 50 years. If prices for a
simple agricultural field go up to US $ 2000 per square meter, who
the H.. is going to raise those funds other than construction
companies that have a lobby and does can override certain
'conservation' laws. And the US is a very good example of that.
By the way, a few km from my house there is a small wet meadow,
belonging to an allready quite weathy farmer. On the meadow there was
a fairly good population of a protected plant (an orchid). As the meadow
was not being used, some of us got together, raised money and
offered the farmer to purchase his meadow and thus to protect it. He
smiled and asked us to come back the next day to settle the deal.
That same night he poured hundreds of kilos of fertilizer on the
meadow. Asked why, he simply said: 'I am not going to ruin my chances
to sell the lands around that meadow because there are a few plant on
it.'
> Those interested in helping the North Carolina Nature Conservancy (a
> group VERY devoted the protection of CP) should contact:
> Katherine Skinner, Executive Director (919) 403-8558 or fax (919)
> 403-0379
> Mail: Katherine Skinner, Nature Conservancy, 4011 University Dr., Suite
> 201, Durham, NC 27707
Although, I am pessimistic, I honestly wish this Nature Conservancy,
and all the others, all the best.
Guido