Scientists Fear for Nesting Turtles (TX)

[jpak]

http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/tech/2006/may/06/050606791.html

SOUTH PADRE ISLAND, Texas (AP) - Endangered Kemp's ridley sea turtles emerge here every spring from the Gulf of Mexico, leaving smeary trails of flipper prints from surf through sand to nests where they lay their eggs.

But a planned beach-restoration project could mean vehicles intruding on the nesting grounds, sand dumped over eggs or new sand obscuring the paths to turtles' nests.

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"Probably from a sea turtle standpoint, it's the worst two months of the year to do it," said Jeff George, curator of Sea Turtle Inc., South Padre's hospital for injured sea turtles and a partner with Fish & Wildlife in rescuing turtle eggs.

<snip>

"But I don't want to be a tree hugger and say we can't do it," he said. "We can help put patrols out there and protect the nests. At the same token, you also have to say, why do you have to do it in May or June?"

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[blindpig]

1. We don't need no stinking Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtles.

We need pretty beaches for tourists brochures.

The ultimate answer to all of those pesky ESA regulations, extinction. The Kemp's is balanced on the knife's edge and they do this.........