8 The Dallas Post Friday, August 8, 2003 Clearcut (continued from page 1) about it,” asked Tupper. “But how can this happen?” According to Len Kozick, Tax Collector and Zoning Officer for Dallas Township, the prop- erty was part of what was com- monly called the old McHenry estate. For generations the property has been wooded with meandering trails. Kozick said Thomas Dombroski now owns the property. Kozick said Dombroski isn’t required to submit plans to the township to cut down trees, un- til he wants to either sell por- tions of the property off or con- struct something on it. “He wants to develop it into building ‘lots, he hasn’t filed anything with the township,” Kozick said. Kozick said tax maps indi- cate that Dombroski also owns the township park, but, he said, he didn’t feel that could be ac- curate. The concerned neighbors say with the trees being cut down, the neighborhood suffers more than just an aesthetic loss. They said for generations chil- dren in the area have spent’ much of their time in the woods riding bikes on the trails and catching crawdads in a stream. Many families enjoyed simply walking on trails under the trees. Also disturbing to the resi- dents is the resulting devasta- tion to wildlife. At any given time, they said a fawn and doe can be seen wandering around the = now-cleared area and hawks circling as they search for their nests. In addition, most of the cleared area is on the side of a hill at the bottom of which is a stream that feeds into Toby’s Creek. The residents raised the concern of erosion from the hill into the stream. Mark Carmon, DEP spokesperson, said at this point no permits are required from DEP. If at some point the devel- oper needs to go into the stream or build a road over the stream, permits would be need- ed. He did add that clearing trees so near a stream may re- quire that the developer obtain an erosion and sedimentation plan from the Luzerne County Conservation District prior to clearing. Such a permit is designed to prevent or minimize erosion into the stream, he said. “With rain like we've been having they could get soil washing off (the hill) and im- pacting the stream,” Carmon said. Dombroski said he pur- chased the nine acres two years ago. He said the property was already divided into nine parcels approximately 100’ “. it doesn’t seem like we live in the same place anymore.” Bob Tupper Sago Street resident wide by 200° deep when he bought it. In response to residents’ con- cerns about the trees being cut down Dombroski said, “(That property) has been up for sale for 10 years. If someone wanted to buy it, they could have.” He said after paying taxes and insurance on the property for the past two years, it had become time to do something with it. “You can’t expect people to hold onto land for the birds and the bees,” he said. Dombroski said he cleared the property to get it ready for sale. He said he intends to sell each plot, filled and ready to build on, for $35,000. There is a portion of the property from where Route 309 and Sago Street meet, up to the first road off of Sago, that he said is considered a park. Dom- broski said there may be one tree in there he intends to cut out for lumber, but the rest he plans to donate to the town- ship. He also said he doesn’t in- tend to cut any trees at the oth- er end of the property, near the township’s park. Dombroski said he has of- fered the property to a resident of the community for a reduced price and that the price will be effective for any interested per- son from the community. He conceded that he would per- haps make more money by sell- ing each property individually, but that the cost of preparing the lots for sale is expected to be high. In the meantime, the group of residents just wants to see the cutting stopped. There are a few trees left at the top of the property along Sago Street and they would like to see them stay there. Kristy Taylor, who lives across from the property, said she would love to see the land . purchased by someone in the community who would return it to the way it was. : “Youre looking at it all cut down, but you know what guys? It can be replanted. We can save the stream and we can replant,” she told the group of residents. “Maybe it doesn’t look like much to some people, but it was a nice place to go,” said Tupper. Moore and Wyda married Hilda Moore, Dallas, and Thomas Wyda, Tunkhannock, were recently married at East Dallas U.M. Church. The ceremony was performed by Rev. Larry Michael-Rush. An open house will be held August 23 from 2 to 6 p.m. at the bride’s home, 1336 Ransom Rd., Dallas. TRUCKSVILLE NURSERY SCHOOL 40 Knob Hill Road Trucksville, PA 18708 696-3899 ..Established 1969 new facility Respected for providing quality Early Childhood Education Programs for children ages 2 72 to 5 Positive, happy classroom environments in a beautiful ..Music & Movement program included in curriculum Call Today To Begin In September 2003 Loggers removed lumber from the former McHenry estate along Sago Street in Dallas Township last week. The land has been clearcut in anticipation as sale for building lots. POST PHOTO/ RON BARTIZEK By ERIN YOUNGMAN Post Staff DALLAS TWP. — Clearcut- ting trees affects more than just the view from neighboring pic- ture windows. “There’s a lot more at stake than anyone realizes,” said Joe Wenzel, Conservation Officer and Education Supervisor for the Northeast Region of the Pennsylvania Game Commis- sion. It’s a story Wenzel said he’s heard time and time again. The clearcutting of acres of trees, the disbelief of the local resi- dents and obvious loss of habi- tat for the area’s wildlife. “People don’t give it ‘much consideration until it happens in their own backyard,” he said. When residents around Sago Street in Dallas Township ‘saw century old trees being cut down on the old McHenry es- tate property, they said they called just about every agency ‘they could think of to find out if the cutting was legal, from SE Ra I've read enough literature to know that the rapid rate of destruction of property is an astronomical figure in PA.” Joe Wenzel, Conservation Officer Pennsylvania Game Commission the Department of Environ- mental Protection to the De- partment of Forestry. Wenzel is not able to offer much assurance. “There’s noth- ing we can do as an agency, to stop something like that and there’s nothing we can do for the wildlife,” he said. “In Pennsylvania unless there’s particular restrictions on the property, these people can do whatever they want to the land.” Residents have said the wildlife is conspicuously dis- placed and they are alarmed at the sight of large and small ani- mals wandering the area look- ing co sed. “When someone applies fora SERRA ad dds FN GE building permit, ideally in a perfect world, the local govern- ment should look at the big pic- ture — but often they look at the bottom line,” said Wenzel. In the case of the Sago Street clearcutting, the township did- n’t have a decision to make, be- cause according to township regulations, the owner doesn’t have to file a permit application until he wants. to remove stumps from the ground. Wenzel said the cutting has major implications for not just the wildlife, but the water table below as well. The deer that have been seen wandering around with young are just the most ‘obvious signs of the clearcutting’s effect on Cr io Wildlife are displaced when trees are cut the local ecosystem. “This happens every day in Pennsylvania. I've read enough literature to know that the rap- id rate of destruction of proper- ty is an astronomical figure in PA,” Wenzel said. Wenzel remembers when the area that is now the First Union Arena was cleared and four bears that lived there didn’t know quite what to do. He said for some time the bears hung around the work site. He would receive calls from concerned people who asked him if he could relocate the bears. He would say to them, “What do you want me to do with them? This is their home.” He said just as in the case on Sago Street, most of the time there is no way to move the af- fected animals. He said eventually animals will relocate, if they are able to do so. “It’s basically move or be eaten,” he added. “It sounds like gloom and doom, and really it is.” Q: Where do you find the Fost t Back Mountain news each week? A: Only in The Dallas Post A.D.S. DRY CLEANERS your reputation spotless. ring your clothes to.. Simply The Best Dry Cleaning, Laundry & Alterations $1.50 A SHIRT ¢ Press Only $1.00 CHLERL BRE LE TARE NiNelii Keeping you spotless keeps 173 Main St., Luzeme 287-0091 Hours: Monday - Friday 6:30 AM - 6:00 PM Saturday 8:00 AM - 3:00 PM Just Say, CHARGE IT! The Dallas Post now accepts American Express cards as well as Visa & Mastercard for subscriptions, classified ads, and display ads. Just have your card ready when you call or stop in, and we'll make your transaction fast and easy. 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