On Thu, 1 Mar 2001, Jim McGough wrote:

> I have known about both the heronry and the two osprey nests for about 15
> years, but it never occurred to me that anyone _didn't_ know about them;
> they were so obvious to everyone in the area that I never thought to check
> if the "authorities" knew about them.


The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife's Web Site has the capability to handle email
messages. The Wildlife Program support staff review messages and forward them to the appropriate
place for action or response. The Wildlife Data Systems group enter osprey nests, great blue heron
nesting colonies, and green heron nesting sites to a database that is queried during the processing
of Forest Practices applications. The degree of protection that can be afforded varies under state
law. The law which protects nests of "Protected Wildlife" (virtually all birds) was recently amended
to include the term "malicious destruction" so that, to be in violation of the law, the destruction
has to shown to have been "malicious".


I can also take information and get it entered to the appropriate database. I know there are two
osprey nests on the towers associated with the power lines that cross the northern terminous of
the bay north of Allyn and they are on the official record so the company would have to apply for
permits to remove them and be able to provide good reasons why removal was necessary. In such
instances, removal outside of the nesting season is sometimes allowed.


The report I heard on the great blue heron colony near Allyn was that there were no nests. The woman
who took officers to the site was unable to show them any nests. In the end, it was concluded that
there was no nesting colony at this location.


Kelly McAllister
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
Olympia, Washington
Reply to: mcallkrm at dfw.wa.gov