Fayette County’s natural environment just took another hit from organizations you might hope would be protectors of nature.
I was into my 9th year of research into the Eastern Box Turtle at the Ridge Nature Area when Southern Conservation Trust (SCT), on behalf of the city of Fayetteville, have forced me to cease all further research efforts.
I say “forced” even though the final decision to end my research was mine since I was unwilling to agree to new terms set forth.
SCT and the city have expressed anger (or worse I suppose) over a number of articles I published in the Fayette Citizen newspaper. On May 17, SCT implemented a new Best Management Practices policy for research on their owned or managed properties, including The Ridge. This policy requires me to sign a research agreement, most of which was not a problem, but they included conditions that, in my opinion, were outrageous.
Any of you that are or have been involved with research understand that there are a number of relevant factors regarding how research data is handled and especially how it is released and who has a right to acquire that data.
If a company or government of any sort initiates and funds a research program, clearly they are the owners of the data and products produced. In this case, neither Fayetteville nor SCT have been involved, in any way, with my research on The Ridge Nature Area. I began in 2008 with the blessing of Fayetteville with the single requirement of a liability waiver, which I provided. On my own, I prepared summary reports each year for whatever purpose the city wished.
There are two significant issues with their conditions. First they demand: “Data Sharing Expectations: Reports, locality information, specimen deposition site and museum catalogue numbers, GPS point, GIS layers, publications, theses and dissertations may be required as per the data sharing expectations acknowledged in this agreement with SCT.” “Please acknowledge SCT for access and assistance as appropriate, and provide SCT with copies of results, publications, and other deliverables as specified.” The bolding and underline are by SCT.
Some of the above makes sense and I offered to continue with my usual summary reports. They refused to consider that offer. The language is open to their interpretation as to what they want from me and it was beyond what I was willing to consider.
The second issue was more troublesome to me. The last two sentences prior to the signature line reads: “I understand professional communication is expected at all times. I agree to maintain respectful, mutually beneficial communication and understand unacceptable professionalism by myself or assistants will be grounds for permit revocation.” That may sound benign to you, but it is a fully loaded threat that any further negative comments I make about the city or SCT will not be tolerated.
Everything, and I mean everything, I have said about the Fayetteville and SCT has a basis in fact regarding negative impacts on the environment by one or both of those entities. The Ridge Nature Area has lost sensitive plants, valuable wildlife food plants of many types, nesting grounds for the box turtles and invaluable native Indian artifacts. All these and more are, or were, their fault/responsibility.
Failure to install silt fences until I threatened to file formal complaints meant that SCT and the city were in violation of the Georgia Sediment and Erosion Control Act. Failure to protect the Indian artifacts — recently stolen — is a violation of their responsibilities under Georgia and national laws established to save such archaeological resources. They even had a project where they cut dozens of young red oaks, water oaks and red oaks to plant seedling white oaks.
By refusing to comply with basic environmental laws and intentional destruction of seed-producing oaks to plant seedlings were topics that I had to publicize with the hope they would get their act together and become a real “conservation” organization rather than their current pretense of caring for the environment.
Their action of “sign this document or else” to force me into silence should tell you a lot about both the city and SCT. I could not continue under such conditions. Also troubling about all of this is that the box turtle population is suffering and SCT doesn’t care. They just wanted the thorn in their side, me, silenced or out. So, thousands of volunteer hours and thousands of dollars (my money) to protect the Eastern Box Turtle are gone.
Meanwhile, SCT smugly continues to proclaim their organization cares about the environment.
Dennis Chase
Fayetteville, Ga.
