Dejavu of when gorgeous ficus trees decorating The Balboa Village FUN Zone Main street for 100 years were demolished for no legitimate reason same as sneaky removal of many other community nostalgic memories without any notice to avoid public protest and enforcement of laws in place to protect animals and significant Newport Beach history with due diligence which is why more people need to be aware and share at the monthly city improvement meetings by attendance, social media distribution and communication with city council http://nbgis.newportbeachca.gov/gispub/MapCatalog/pdf_maps/council_districts_11X17.pdf
ConcernedCitizens_info_sheet.docx
http://abc7.com/760976/
WORKERS CUT DOWN TREE FULL OF BIRDS IN NEWPORT BEACH DESPITE PROTESTS
A makeshift memorial is seen in the 1500 block of East Balboa Boulevard in Newport Beach Sunday, May 31, 2015.
The migratory birds were nesting in a large tree in the 1500 block of East Balboa Boulevard. When workers tore it down, the chicks and eggs were knocked down to the ground, witnesses said.
"The way they went about it was just awful, and to see the birds falling, and then the saddest part was like the mom and dad bird came back and were circling and they couldn't figure out where their babies were, where their home was and like it was just sad to see them," Hannah Wright said.
In a statement, the company, Tim Greenleaf Engineering, told Eyewitness News they were not aware of any environmental restrictions on the project. If so, they would have adhered to them.
"We don't go around looking for nests to destroy. This is not something we've encountered before and we'd like to do what we can to make things right," said owner Dan Broom.
The Migratory Bird Treaty Act, which was implemented in 1918, prohibits the hunting, killing, capturing, possession, sale, transportation and exportation of birds, feathers, eggs and nests.
Newport Beach animal control officials and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife are investigating.
Tree Full Of Baby Birds Destroyed To Make Way For Development
Rescued Snowy Egrets (via CBS L.A.)
An Orange County engineering company may have broken state laws when they cut down a 50 year-old ficus tree that was filled with nests of protected baby birds.
Seven young snowy egrets and black crown night herons were rescued after suffering injuries when an excavator knocked down the tree in Newport Beach last Thursday, according to CBS L.A. Residents managed to rescue some of the birds that fell to the ground during the demolition, though they estimate that there were dozens of nests in the tree and many of the young birds who were unable to fly likely died. While the birds are not endangered, as migratory birds they are protected under state laws that are based on the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918.
Newport Beach’s Animal Control department and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife are investigating whether the company responsible for the demolition project, Tim Greenleaf Engineering, did actually violate the law. Daniel Broome, a company spokesperson, told the O.C. Register that they were not aware of any environmental restrictions on the trees and had all the necessary city and state approvals. "We're not happy about how the crew responded to neighbors or how the wildlife was handled," Broome explained. "This whole thing is raising issues internally in our company and pushing us to be a better citizen in the area."
The YouTube video below shows residents attempting to rescue the fallen birds and placing them in cages, which were later brought to the Wetlands and Wildlife Care Center of Orange County in Huntington Beach for care. The rescuers can be seen gathering the birds from the fallen branches cut down by the company and asking crew members to at least shake the branches before cutting them. While reports haven't revealed exactly why the tree was being torn down, the video shows a "Coming Soon" sign on the construction site where the tree stood, which looks to be a residential development. Residents held a memorial on Sunday for the birds that died or were displaced by the tree demolition.