 |
| Royal Tern (file photo) |
Traditions of America, a developer of high-end adult housing for people aged 55 and older, wants to build 191 single-family houses and 74 town houses on land that includes the birding site.
The marsh, which consists of a pond and adjoining wetlands and farm fields along Green Pond Road in Bethlehem Township, has attracted 162 different species of birds in recent years, according to a website maintained by Dave DeReamus, who runs Eastern PA Birdline, a project of the Lehigh Valley Audubon Society.
Eight of the bird species that have been sighted at Green Pond Marsh are listed as either "endangered" or "threatened" species in Pennsylvania.
The Audubon Society describes Green Pond Marsh as an "Important Bird Area."
In the spring, especially after heavy rains, water levels rise along Green Pond Road. The water remains for extended periods, which draws migratory shorebirds that otherwise are rarely seen in the Lehigh Valley. The shorebirds stay for several days, fueling up on small invertebrates and other organisms before resuming their journey to their Arctic or sub-arctic breeding grounds.
The marsh is among the largest staging areas of Lesser Black-backed Gulls in North America, with counts in excess of 200 individuals having been reported. Numerous gulls visit the marsh, and terns are seen occasionally after storms. The marsh plays host to breeding neotropical birds such as Eastern Kingbirds, Warbling Vireos, Yellow Warblers, Baltimore Orioles and Orchard Orioles.
Over the years, certain birds have been seen at Green Pond Marsh that have never been seen elsewhere in the Lehigh Valley. For instance, on one occasion, a Royal Tern was sighted at the marsh. That's the only time the bird was reported in Northampton County and only a few times the one has been seen in Pennsylvania. Other rare sightings include Glossy Ibis, American Avocet, Wilson's Phalarope and Red-necked Phalarope.
The group Save Green Pond Marsh (savegreenpond.yolasite.com) is trying to gain public support for protecting the marsh as an undisturbed wetland. Even relatively minor changes to the landscape, such as the resurfacing of Green Pond Road, modified the bird and aquatic environment, the group points out.
According to The Express-Times, the developer has left some of the seasonal wetland untouched. But it also proposes to create a public parking area for visiting the wetlands an asphalt trail through the property. The president of the township Board of Commissioners, D. Martin Zawarski, was quoted as calling the developer's plan "absolutely the best plan and the best use" for the property while being "the most respectful of all the issues they have to deal with."
At Monday evening's meeting, the township planning commission will review the developer's sketch plan.
The issue then goes before the Board of Commissioners the following week, on August 4.
The public is welcome to attend Monday's meeting of the planning commission. The meeting begins at 7 p.m. at the Bethlehem Township Municipal Building, which is located at 4225 Easton Avenue in Bethlehem Township.
Eight of the bird species that have been sighted at Green Pond Marsh are listed as either "endangered" or "threatened" species in Pennsylvania.
The Audubon Society describes Green Pond Marsh as an "Important Bird Area."
In the spring, especially after heavy rains, water levels rise along Green Pond Road. The water remains for extended periods, which draws migratory shorebirds that otherwise are rarely seen in the Lehigh Valley. The shorebirds stay for several days, fueling up on small invertebrates and other organisms before resuming their journey to their Arctic or sub-arctic breeding grounds.
 |
| Green Pond Marsh (photo by Dave DeReamus) |
Over the years, certain birds have been seen at Green Pond Marsh that have never been seen elsewhere in the Lehigh Valley. For instance, on one occasion, a Royal Tern was sighted at the marsh. That's the only time the bird was reported in Northampton County and only a few times the one has been seen in Pennsylvania. Other rare sightings include Glossy Ibis, American Avocet, Wilson's Phalarope and Red-necked Phalarope.
The group Save Green Pond Marsh (savegreenpond.yolasite.com) is trying to gain public support for protecting the marsh as an undisturbed wetland. Even relatively minor changes to the landscape, such as the resurfacing of Green Pond Road, modified the bird and aquatic environment, the group points out.
 |
| Glossy Ibis (file photo) |
At Monday evening's meeting, the township planning commission will review the developer's sketch plan.
The issue then goes before the Board of Commissioners the following week, on August 4.
The public is welcome to attend Monday's meeting of the planning commission. The meeting begins at 7 p.m. at the Bethlehem Township Municipal Building, which is located at 4225 Easton Avenue in Bethlehem Township.
No comments:
Post a Comment