Dear Conservationist:

            For more than 75 years, raptor biologists and conservationists, hawk watchers, and birders have known about and used the famous Kittatinny-Shawangunk Ridge and Corridor that crosses parts of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York.

            This 256-mile-long, relatively unbroken ridge and corridor is one of the world’s most famous and important raptor migration flight-lines and corridors—part of the Appalachian Raptor Migration Flyway. The corridor consists of the Kittatinny-Shawangunk Ridge plus land extending out five miles from the north and south bases of the ridge.

            The Kittatinny-Shawangunk Ridge and Corridor is the place where raptor migration watchsites such as Bake Oven Knob, Hawk Mountain, and Waggoner’s Gap in Pennsylvania, Raccoon Ridge and High Point State Park in New Jersey, and New Trapps Watch Site and Port Jervis Watch Site in New York State are located and used increasingly for important raptor research, recreational, and/or educational purposes.

            But ecologically and environmentally unwise land use activities continue to be proposed and/or used at some locations along the ridge and within the corridor. In Pennsylvania, for example, a sports car race track may be constructed on the north slope of the ridge some miles upridge from Hawk Mountain and Bake Oven Knob, and a large ski resort with condominiums was just withdrawn for the ridge near the proposed sports car race track. Both the Appalachian Trail and north forested slope of the ridge are/were at major risk at both locations. Elsewhere within the corridor, increasing numbers of large housing developments, shopping malls, quarrying, logging, and other land development activities are being placed in some environmentally sensitive locations in the corridor resulting in ecological degradation of the land.

            It is increasingly important, therefore, that conservationists promptly seek ways to call public attention to these and other threats to the ridge and environmentally sensitive parts of the corridor and develop increased public appreciation and concern for the ridge and corridor.

            That is why I am asking for your assistance, and that of your organization, by writing an endorsement letter (placed on your organization’s letterhead; please include the word endorse in the letter) calling on the federal government to designate this internationally important ridge and corridor as the Kittatinny-Shawangunk National Raptor Migration Corridor.

            After a new American President takes office in January 2009, we will compile a file of these endorsement letters, add a major scientific bibliography pertaining to Pennsylvania’s portion of the ridge and corridor, and include additional pertinent ridge and corridor information calling upon the federal government’s U. S. Department of the Interior to designate this famous ridge and corridor as the Kittatinny-Shawangunk National Raptor Migration Corridor.

            Please mail your endorsement letter to me at: Donald S. Heintzelman, 6345 Ridge Rd., Apt. 2, Zionsville, PA 18092. You may E-mail me donsh@enter.net if you have any questions.

            Thanks very much for your prompt attention and cooperation regarding this important raptor and wildlife conservation initiative.

Sincerely,

Donald S. Heintzelman

Donald S. Heintzelman

Ornithologist and Author

Why Have Federal Designation For A

Kittatinny-Shawangunk National Raptor Migration Corridor?

            Several persons and organizations have asked why there should be federal designation for a Kittatinny-Shawangunk National Raptor Migration Corridor, and what legal land use protections it would provide for the ridge and adjacent land within the corridor. The following are some of the answers to these and related questions.

• Federal designation for the ridge and corridor will provide national attention, increased appreciation, and prestige to the ridge and adjacent land which collectively form the raptor migration corridor.
• There will be virtually no expenses involved in making such a federal designation by the U. S. Secretary of the Interior early in 2009 after a new American President and Administration takes office.
• There will be no legal changes in currently existing land use laws and regulations for land contained within the corridor.
• There will be no required changes in private land ownership for land within the corridor.
• Nevertheless, having federal designation for a Kittatinny-Shawangunk National Raptor Migration Corridor will provide important benefits similar to those already existing for important historic sites and buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places (but without having the financial incentives provided for owners of buildings or sites included on the National Register), and having important habitats listed as National Natural Landmarks.
• Having federal designation for a Kittatinny-Shawangunk National Raptor Migration Corridor will cause local and regional governmental officials and planning commissions to think twice before allowing unwise or inappropriate land use activities in sensitive ecological or environmental locations within the corridor.
• Having the federal designation also might encourage some local, county, and even state governments to enact new and stronger land use laws and regulations that can help protect and preserve the most important and ecologically and environmentally significant locations and habitats within the corridor.
• Currently there are no other existing National Raptor Migration Corridors in the USA. Therefore, securing this federal designation for the Kittatinny-Shawangunk Ridge and Corridor will be innovative and breaking new conservation and land use ground. It will serve as a model for eventual designation of similar migration corridors at appropriate locations elsewhere in the USA and perhaps overseas.
• The package of information contained in the formal petition for the raptor corridor designation that will be sent to the new Secretary of the Interior early in 2009 will include photocopies of all the endorsement letters received up to that time (hopefully at least 100 from as many states, and overseas nations, as possible), an extensive bibliography of published articles and notes (scientific and popular) pertaining to the Kittatinny Ridge and Corridor in Pennsylvania, and additional pertinent documents, information, and perhaps photographs.