"It's not their habitat, it's just where they hunt for food."

A Party of Four at a Foraging Spot

Here is a NY Times article about a proposed development in the Long Island Pine Barrens. Pine barrens are areas dominated by sandy soils, fire-resistant pine trees, and, both here in New Jersey and on Long Island, some interesting flora and fauna that are sometimes endemic to the habitat. Pine barrens were long viewed as useless and are targets of development; they are an endangered habitat, in some ways. Conservation efforts are starting to target pine barrens, but most people still view them as... well, barren.

My favorite quote from the article comes from Richard Cardinale. “It’s not their habitat,” he said. “It’s the area where they forage for food in winter months." Oh? Pray tell, Mr. Cardinale, how do you define a habitat? Where exactly would you like the owls to go to look for food, the supermarket?

By the way, anyone who knows why we need a ski slope on Long Island is welcome to fill me in. I wasn't aware we had a need. Yikes. I hope this project is completely halted on account of salamanders and owls, but I'm not optimistic.