If I could cuss here.....

[Frank Fusco]

Folks, I am angry today. Really angry. Wanna hurt somebody. Better back up and tell you why. I live in the Ozarks in north-central Arkansas. Our area is blessed with beautiful lakes, rivers, streams, mountains and all that goes with a clean environment. One of our rivers, Norfork, runs from Lake Norfork only about three miles and joins with the White River. The Norfork River boasts some of the finest trout fishing in the world. No exxageration. Several world record brown and rainbow trout have been taken from it. On any given day, summer or winter, you will seen wading fishermen by the dozens catching (and usually releasing) trout. Not only is it beautiful clear, cold water, it is part of the economic foundation of our county. I could go on. It is one of the State's treasures. But, make that BUT about a year ago, near where the river begins at the dam, a land developer bulldozed all vegatation off of a 4:1 grade slope to the river before starting his building. Now, when we get rain the beautiful clear water turns to mud. Not only is it ugly, it kills trout. Including 30 pound breeding females. And it is killing the fishing there and, consequently killing our economy. I came across the bridge yesterday after a heavy rain and was heartsick at what I saw. The State environment agency is on the developer to take corrective measures but they are not doing enough and the problem continues. The situation is terrible. Sorry for the downer, guys. I had to vent. :mad:

[Joe Pelonio]

You have my sympathy on that. Sounds like your state agency is a little weak. Around here that would have been shut down immediately with a big fine and ordered corrective action. Any grading near a stream or lake, big or small, requires protective barriers. Has this been in the press? I'd take pictures, write a letter and send it to the national press like AP and UPI, plus the major TV networks. If that happens the state's going to start to act a lot faster.

[tod evans]

joe, the political enviornment here in the sticks is still ruled by cash-n-clout and if you have both things are over looked frequently. i was having similar problems with the same contractor, he bought the property adjacent to my shop and i caught his d-9 on my property tearing down my trees in order to clear his property.....to make a long story short a xxxxxx-xx hillbilly with a browning light 12 can turn a d-9 in its path:rolleyes: . needless to say our boundries are now quite clear...02 tod

[Chuck Wintle]

what is it with developers and their lack of social responsibility. It seems the right to make money is a given but it is not necessary to spend on maintaing the environment. Man will be the author of his own demise.

[Chris Barton]

I have fished Goats Bluff and at McCleland's many, many times and it is dishartening to hear of this. This is a real shame.

[Jim King]

Frank: Dont worry about a thing. Just call the WWF. They will be there in a minete and solve this and all the worlds other problems.

[Mark Cothren]

Sounds like your state agency is a little weak.

That gets my vote for understatement of the year!!! :( :mad:

[Don Baer]

Thats a real shame. Coincidentaly the Arizona Republic has been doing a series of articles on the demise of the Rivers here in AZ (yes, there are rivers in the desert). The article talks about what is being done to try to preserve them.

[Frank Fusco]

joe, the political enviornment here in the sticks is still ruled by cash-n-clout and if you have both things are over looked frequently. i was having similar problems with the same contractor, he bought the property adjacent to my shop and i caught his d-9 on my property tearing down my trees in order to clear his property.....to make a long story short a xxxxed-xxx hillbilly with a browning light 12 can turn a d-9 in its path:rolleyes: . needless to say our boundries are now quite clear...02 tod

Wow! Way to go. I've considered the 12 guage solition but the ground is still bare and eroding.

[Frank Fusco]

That gets my vote for understatement of the year!!! :( :mad:

I spent most of the morning on the phone calling TV stations and state agencies. The Department of Environment Quality told me two significant things about situations like this. One: their enforcement is "in progress". :mad: Two: Developers like the one in question find it cheaper to just pay fines than do corrective work. :(
I hate to bring in a tree hugger group but the WWF is an idea I may pursue. Thanks.

[tod evans]

Wow! Way to go. I've considered the 12 guage solition but the ground is still bare and eroding.

setting foot on their property is a big no-no but when they get on yours it`s a whole `nuther ball game. regardless of the part of the country, you can`t tell another man what to do with his land. folks like we`re talking about own senators so trying to fight `em with government just doesn`t work. the only way to get `em off the land is to buy it from them and i don`t have the wherewithall to even look. like the government guy said, they`re making too much money doing what they`re doing to let silly stuff like federal injunctions or epa citations get in the way. heck by the time the lawyers get done with their dance they will have done the dammage and sold the property and be on to bigger-n-more profitable things.......sad but reality....02 tod

[Jim King]

I cant wait to hear the result ( not the reaction on the phone) of the WWF.

[tod evans]

I cant wait to hear the result ( not the reaction on the phone) of the WWF.

what`s a WWF?

[Bill Grumbine]

what`s a WWF?

World Wrestling Federation! He's gonna get Hulk Hogan on the job! :eek: :D :p

Bill

[Frank Fusco]

I cant wait to hear the result ( not the reaction on the phone) of the WWF.

I guess I stepped into it with that one. :o For the record, I do hug trees, but only legally harvested. :rolleyes:

[Frank Fusco]

World Wrestling Federation! He's gonna get Hulk Hogan on the job! :eek: :D :p

Bill

Not a bad idea. ;)

[Jim King]

Maybe there is a chance yet to save the world. Lets get Jesse "The Body" Ventura and Hulk hogan to take over the World Wrestling Federation and the World Wildlife Fund. They certainly have the acting ability to do both.

[Robert Mickley]

Around here they would be fixing it. We had a develpoer clear a bunch of land and had mud in one of the lakes. The DER nailed him for $50,000 a day. needless to say it only took a day to get things under control.

Sounds like your fines are not stiff enough

[Frank Fusco]

Around here they would be fixing it. We had a develpoer clear a bunch of land and had mud in one of the lakes. The DER nailed him for $50,000 a day. needless to say it only took a day to get things under control.

Sounds like your fines are not stiff enough

It's not the fines. It's the mindset of the Dept. of Environmental Quality that goes easy on the developers at the cost of environment. We have a central Arkansas lake that is a bass and crappie fishing heaven. The water has been getting worse each year but DEQ just lowers the 'standards' for what is considered polluted. I tried to get appointed to the DEQ Board several years ago but the outgoing member changed her mind at the last minute and asked for a reappointment. We have an open Governors race this year and I'm hopeful my guy will win. He has a record of being tough on bad guys and is pro-citizen. We can get some good appointments from him.

[Robert Mickley]

We had that problem for years, with all the steel mills and everyone else dumping waste in the rivers. Now they are trying to clean it up and ist biting them in the rear.

They actually give you book up here tell you haw many fish out the creeks and rivers you can safely eat due to the high levels of things like mercury. It's going to be hundreds of years efore its ever safe again :mad:

If they don't open their eyes soon they will be in the same boat

[Frank Fusco]

We had that problem for years, with all the steel mills and everyone else dumping waste in the rivers. Now they are trying to clean it up and ist biting them in the rear.

They actually give you book up here tell you haw many fish out the creeks and rivers you can safely eat due to the high levels of things like mercury. It's going to be hundreds of years efore its ever safe again :mad:

If they don't open their eyes soon they will be in the same boat

It's a slow process. Currently I am supporting our candidate for Governor. He is determined to bring Arkansas into current times and do what is right. A former Federal prosecutor, he knows what to do. I recall years ago a big lake right in the city of Pine Bluff was found to be seriously contaminated with dioxin from nearby paper plants. Shortly after that story appeared, the city built a series of large fishing docks into the lake. The city is heavily populated, many of whom fish for sustanance. And, sadly, many who are illiterate. I phoned the mayor and asked what possible logic there was for building fishing docks into a contaminated lake that would be fished by poor people who didn't know they were poisoning themselves. Her reply was that they had received Federal money for the project and if it wasn't used they would lose it. Go figger that logic.

[Ken Werner]

Tod,

I'd like to hear the long story long version of you and the d9

Ken

[tod evans]

Tod,

I'd like to hear the long story long version of you and the d9

Ken

ken, this happened less than a month ago.....probably smart not to discuss in a public forum for a while...tod

[Dennis Peacock]

OK folks. No more politics or remarks of various races. Let's keep this clear of politics.

[Ken Werner]

Tod,

nuff said

Ken

[Frank Fusco]

OK folks. No more politics or remarks of various races. Let's keep this clear of politics.



Sorry, didn't think I strayed across the line on the "off topic" forum. No names were mentioned.