Eagle’s perch removed during work for project
A bald eagle’s favored perch was removed as part of a treeclearing operation for a proposed car dealership.
A bald eagle’s favored perch was removed as part of a tree-clearing operation for a proposed Romeo KIA dealership on U.S. Route 9W. The tree-clearing had taken place Friday, March 20, as the proposed project awaited an environmental review by the Ulster Town Board, which had declared itself lead agency for that review under the State Environmental Quality Review Act. The lead agency declaration had just been made at a Town Board meeting Thursday. At the time, town officials said the state Department of Environmental Conservation would be consulted in accordance with the federal Threatened and Endangered Species Act. Town Supervisor James Quigley said Romeo KIA had received town Planning Board approval for limited site work and tree-clearing on Wednesday. However, the Town Board was still awaiting submission of a completed Environmental Assessment Form that would have explained how that work would have affected the eagle habitat. Romeo Kia attorney Lucia Romeo, in a telephone interview on Friday, did say the trees were expected to be taken down, but she did not mention that the work had already begun. Asked about the project being reviewed under the Endangered Species Act, she said that had been recommended by the town planner.
“We are part of the community and we want to do things right,” she said. “We are just starting the process now and want to make sure ... that we take the steps we’re supposed to.”
According to its application, Romeo KIA proposed to construct an 18,991-square-foot dealership at 1670 Ulster Avenue/ U.S. Route 9W, across the highway from the Romeo Chevrolet dealership and adjacent to the QuickChek gas station and convenience store. The undeveloped property is currently used to store cars for the Chevrolet dealership.
The bald eagles’ nest, which has been active for the past two years and fledged at least one eaglet last year, is about 400 feet from the proposed Romeo KIA dealership.
The mated eagles share in incubating their eggs; when the parents switch duties, a tall dead tree overlooking the undeveloped property had been a perch site where one eagle typically stood watch.
An eagle apparently laid an egg or eggs around Valentine’s Day Feb. 14 after mating in the tree that was taken down, and the eagles had been in that tree on a daily basis since then. A state Conservation Plan for Bald Eagles refers to the period between mating and
nesting as a “very sensitive” period, when it is “critical” to avoid disturbing the nest.
Guidelines the state adopted in 2016 for local projects included establishing a minimum 330-foot buffer zone for all activity around eagles’ nests, unless the birds have demonstrated a tolerance for people and machines.
The guidelines also state: “Construction of new buildings, roads, utilities or other permanent structures should not occur within a quarter mile, or 1,320 feet, of an eagle nest if there is no visual buffer. If a visual buffer exists and the activity/feature is not visible from the nest, such activities should not occur within 660 feet of the nest site.”
State Department of Environmental Conservation officials have touted the growth in the state’s bald eagle population as a success story. They report that in 1979, there were only 41 sighted in New York state during the winter, but a combination of relocating some eagles from Alaska, stronger environmental laws, and enforcement of rules that protect the birds led to a count of 658 by 2010.
Romeo said the site was proposed to relocate the current KIA dealership on Schwenk Drive in Kingston, where her father purchased the business in 1999. Sales and service for Chevrolet moved to Route 9W in 2011; the Schwenk Drive building was converted for
KIA sales in 2012.
Romeo said that among problems with the Schwenk Drive location was the inability of tractor-trailers to enter the property when delivering new inventory.
As of Sunday, the eagles had not abandoned the nest.