To: Northern Palm Beach County Improvement District
Cc: Abacoa POA/Lang Management
Date: July 12, 2023
Subject: Abacoa Greenway Preserve
I am a resident of Abacoa POA. As you know, the Abacoa Greenway Preserve (“Greenway”) is dedicated to protect its ecosystem and to provide habitat for wildlife, including the endangered gopher tortoise. As you also know, the Greenway is enclosed by fencing designed to protect the endangered gopher tortoises from outside interferences – – including the hazards of roads – – that might threaten their safety. These gates are less than 10′ feet from Dakota and this careless act by your contractors creates a serious risk of harm – – resulting from vehicular traffic – – to the tortoises that call the Greenway home.
On several occasions you have been notified by Lang Management that vehicle access gates to the Greenway have been left wide open by your contractors, yet this conduct continues. Recently there have been two additional occasions where the gates were left open by your contractors. Specifically, on 6-30-23 & on 7-11-23, I observed the Greenway gates on the South side & the North side (respectively) of Dakota, were left wide open (see 2 photos attached).
This careless disregard for the safety of the tortoises puts these creatures at grave risk to harm. There is no question about the danger posed to these creatures from vehicular traffic by leaving the gates open. In this regard, it is noted that on an earlier occasion, while driving on Dakota, I saw a tortoise in the middle of the road. Fortunately, I was able to stop the oncoming traffic and return the creature to the Greenway before any harm was inflicted.
It is requested that you immediately take any and all action necessary to put an end to this careless disregard for the safety of these endangered creatures. Should a similar incident occur again, you will leave me with little choice but to notify the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission of the risk to the gopher tortoises resulting from your failure to protect them from harm. It is my hope that such action will not be necessary.
Ira Fischer
Co-Founder of the
National Anti-Roadkill Project
Protecting wildlife from the hazards
of highways & roads web: https://natlantiroadkillproject.org
To: Ira Fischer
Date: July 13, 2023
Subject: Abacoa Greenway Preserve
Good morning, Ira
Thank you for bringing this important issue to our attention. We will take steps as good wildlife stewards to insure that our contractors close all vehicular access gates when working in the preserves. Unfortunately, we are only an environmental staff of three individuals with hundreds of square miles of native preserve area to protect. As a seemingly good wildlife steward as well I would appreciate it very much if when you see an open gate you would please contact us immediately or better yet close the gate and then contact us. Thank you for your cooperation and assistance.
Dan Beatty
C. Danvers (Dan) Beatty, P.E., M.P.A.
Executive Director
Northern Palm Beach County Improvement District
To: Dan Beatty/Northern Palm Beach County Improvement District
Cc: Abacoa POA/Lang Management
Date: July 18, 2023
Subject: Abacoa Greenway Preserve
Good afternoon, Dan,
Good news. Earlier today I was on the Greenway trail and noticed a truck on the trail near a vehicle access gate. My initial reaction was “uh oh” here we go again … better get my camera ready to photograph the scene. Then, much to my pleasant surprise the gate, was closed. I talked to the supervisor and gave him a “thank you” and encouraged him I said to keep up the good work. This was a win for the gopher tortoises that call the Greenway “home”. Thank you.
Ira Fischer
Co-Founder of the
National Anti-Roadkill Project
Protecting wildlife from the hazards
of highways & roads
web: https://natlantiroadkillproject.org
