US Army Corps of Engineers Declares War on Trees

Topics and issues of interest to cavers which are not related to caving. No political or religious discussions, please.

Moderator: Moderators

US Army Corps of Engineers Declares War on Trees

Postby NZcaver » Jun 10, 2009 12:07 am

After discussing the feds and drastic WNS precautions, check this out...

Army Corps orders thousands of trees chopped down

By CAIN BURDEAU, Associated Press Writer – Tue Jun 9, 6:24 pm ET

COLUMBIA, La. – The Army Corps of Engineers is on a mission to chop down every tree in the country that grows within 15 feet of a levee — including oaks and sycamores in Louisiana, willows in Oklahoma and cottonwoods in California.

The corps is concerned that the trees' roots could undermine barriers meant to protect low-lying communities from catastrophic floods like the ones caused by Hurricane Katrina. An Associated Press survey of levee projects nationwide shows that the agency wants to eliminate all trees along more than 100,000 miles of levees. But environmentalists and some civil engineers insist the trees pose little or no risk and actually help stabilize levee soil.

Thousands of trees have been felled already, though corps officials did not have a precise number of how many will be cut. The corps has "this body of decades of experience that says you shouldn't have trees on your levees," said Eric Halpin, the agency's special assistant for dam and levee safety.

The saws are buzzing despite the outcry from people who say the trees are an essential part of fragile river and wetland ecosystems.


Full story here
User avatar
NZcaver
Global Moderator
 
Posts: 6367
Joined: Sep 7, 2005 2:05 am
Location: Anchorage, Alaska
Name: Jansen
NSS #: 50665RL
  

Re: US Army Corps of Engineers Declares War on Trees

Postby shibumi » Jun 10, 2009 6:32 am

It's the levees that are not a natural part of the wetlands ecosystem. How about this, we stop
building places that need to be protected from flooding in places that flood?
shibumi
NSS Hall Of Fame Poster
 
Posts: 505
Joined: Sep 26, 2006 9:26 pm
  


Return to Open Talk Forum

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users