Local eagle nest destroyed by developer

On Friday, we lost a beloved eagle’s nest in Rochester - one of the few such nests in the area. A housing developer, Jorge Morales Heyser of Austin, Texas (Meadow Lakes West (ML Group I LLC)), hired a contractor to remove and burn a single tree with the occupied eagle nest, apparently as part of a housing development.

Neighbors observed eagles in their nest just the day before it was destroyed. Understandably, community members are upset. There was no explanation as to why this tree with the occupied nest needed to be removed.

Watch the KTTC news story here.

What can we learn from this unfortunate event? Developers – with local government endorsement - do not hesitate to destroy our natural resources that are important to the community. Our natural resources are being DESTROYED by unrestrained development. We NEED adequate regional planning to protect what is left of our wildlife and natural areas, and allow for smarter development plans. 

Photo by Michael Melford