Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

NEW CONCORD Mayor Jennifer Lyle set forth a plan and tips to stay healthy during the onset of the coronavirus as a handful of Ohioans have now tested positive for the disease.

"I just wanted to let the community know that we are concerned about this," said Lyle at Mondays village council meeting."All (village officials) of us are in touch with the Emergency Management Agency and county health department."

Lyle said in order to protect yourself from COVID-19, get a flu shot, wash your hands and use hand sanitizer, avoid touching your face, avoid contact with people who are sick, and sneeze into a tissue instead of your arm/elbow. If you think you have the coronavirus, call ahead to the doctor or the emergency room so theyre waiting on and can prepare for your visit.

Mayor Lyle said to rely on the most up-to-date coronavirus information by calling the county health department at 833-427-5634; or visiting cdc.gov or who.int.

In other business, council approved 2020 permanent appropriations for the village at $4.03 million.

New Concord Fiscal Officer Lynn Marlatt and Finance Committee Chairman Steve Wootton presented the appropriations to the board which totals $1,245,507 in the General Fund.

In other business, council gave authorization to advertise and appoint an operator at a bi-weekly salary of $15 per hour, effective April 13.

Council also approved the resolution to advance funds in the year 2020 budget from the General Fund to the Swimming Pool Fund which is related to the NatureWorks Grant project for improvements at the New Concord Area Pool.

In all, $66,000 was advanced for the project.

Village Administrator Charlotte Colley said the project could begin in March if weather improves. The retaining wall portion of the project will be coordinated with Zemba Brothers and Dresden Landscape.

In reports to council:

* Zoning Officer Brent Gates said a letter was sent to a West Main Street residence regarding front porch storage, a demolition permit was requested for building on the university campus, a trash issue was on Montgomery Boulevard, and he explained the rules of a zoning permit for a replacement deck.

* In the New Concord Police report, there were 350 calls for service for the month of February which brings the year-to-date total to 648 for the year. There were 49 traffic citations issued and 65 traffic warnings.

* Fire Chief Brent Gates said there were 11 total fire runs for the month of February which brings their total fire runs for the year to 24. In terms of EMS runs, there were 62 patients transported for the past month.

* Colley said there was 7,093,680 gallons of water produced for the month of February with 14,197,700 gallons of wastewater flows in the village. She said the Operations Department will be filling pot holes and repairing equipment. She also said there will be upgrades to the womens restroom in Village Hall and cosmetic touch ups throughout the building.

In announcements, Lyle said the mayors office hours will be Wednesday, March 11 (Instead of Tuesday), the change is for this week only, from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. with no appointments necessary.

Council will meet again on Monday, April 13 at 6:30 p.m. in Village Hall.

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New Concord: Mayor gives tips to stay healthy in wake of coronavirus in Ohio - The Daily Jeffersonian

This article is part of our International Homes special section, which takes a look at homes and golf, from planned communities and sustainability to course designers and where they live.

When you picture residences on a golf course, what comes to mind? Stucco clad ranch houses peeking into a fairway?

Sure, this perception has some basis in reality. There is inherently something old-fashioned about living along a constructed environment meant for whacking balls for five hours at a time. But golf homes, like golf itself which is expanding into international markets, embracing sophisticated equipment, and working hard to become younger, trendier, more diverse, and more environmentally friendly are evolving.

The best homes are not predictable models next to a sand trap, protected by a net or shatterproof windows. They are breathtaking, unapologetically modern structures, inspired by their landscape and their owners, and shaped to adapt to a unique setting.

Some are downright revolutionary: built into the earth to minimize bulk, transformable to adapt to changing needs, or hovering above, with long projections to provide clear views.

Many homes on golf courses are not this modern or beautiful, but just as golfers rarely wear argyle sweaters and plaid pants anymore, golf houses are entering the 21st century. Here are a few that push architectural and, sometimes, financial limits.

Casa Golf, from the architect Luciano Kruk, floats over the dunes of this coastal community about four hours south of Buenos Aires, named for its mix of long, soft beaches and thick pine forests.

The home takes the form of three stacked and interlocked concrete blocks dividing entry/storage, living, and sleeping. Large windows, protected by long eaves, frame clear views to the links course and the ocean. Thin, board-formed concrete surfaces (which minimize material waste and keep the home well insulated) feel raw, almost prehistoric, dialoguing with the coarse, windswept landscape.

The lowest block is partially buried, providing extra privacy, and minimizing visual impact, while the story above is open on all sides. A striking projection from the top story, which Mr. Kruk compares to a cannon, provides shade and privacy, and frames dramatic views of the distant sea.

Balconies formed by the homes staggered form become outdoor rooms for enjoying the breezes, the sun, and views in all directions.

This residence, jutting from a hilly forest preserve about 40 feet above the lush Quinta Da Baronesa course, near So Paulo, has the complexity of a small village. Designed by Studio Arthur Casas as a five-person familys weekend escape, its intersecting, Tetris-like volumes, shaped by the site (the architect must be natures ally, said Mr. Casas) are clad in diverse, earth-toned materials like granite, timber, and wood-colored aluminum.

From its core, large cantilevers span, opening endless uses. The L-shaped lower volume, driven into the site, contains a service and spa area. The cross-shaped middle space extends over the floor below, its open plan living room and wooden deck (embedded with a thin pool) projecting in different directions, providing sweeping views and cool breezes.

The bar-shaped upper volume, containing the master suite and childrens rooms, shoots over the home, with long balconies that give you the impression of flying over the region. This level also offers access to the green roof, which cools the home, minimizes its bulk, and connects to the homes lush garden. (It is also a good place to hit golf balls.)

One of the worlds most striking golf course homes is the Wall House, designed by the Lisbon-based Guedes Cruz Architects in the beautiful coastal town of Cascais. The buildings name comes not from a solid barrier, but from a massive wall of glass that provides clear views of the undulating landscape of dunes, pine trees, and Oitavos Dunes Golf Course, considered the best in Portugal.

Several segments of this window can slide open (thanks to a complex system of weights) making the living spaces feel like they are outdoors. The concrete homes focus is a ground floor patio, from which all spaces flow easily, thanks to an open plan, generous apertures and balconies, and connections between levels.

The propertys most remarkable element is its sculptural pair of stacked pools. A bar shaped swimming area edges the patio, stretching toward the golf course, while above a perpendicular pool projects, like a bridge, from the home, an acrylic bottom allowing swimmers to see each other on multiple levels, and helping light reach the patio.

This top element has another function: it gives the patio privacy, light shade, and protection from strong breezes.

Located in the center of a lake island in Ontarios serene Muskoka region, these cabins by MacKay-Lyons Sweetapple are modern adaptations of the areas historic cottages and boathouses.

Edging the Bigwin Island Golf Club, a championship course, the cabins, floating on low posts, were conceived in lieu of a large hotel there are three, and eventually 40 will dot the landscape, forming a villagelike community.

All are topped with peaked, cedar shingle-clad roofs and flanked with immense floor to ceiling windows, soaking up broad views across the islands flowing bent grasses (often grazed by deer), its maple, pine and ash trees, and down to the glittering lake beyond.

Inside, each home has the same variety of spaces, but in different configurations: screened in porch, deck, living room and sleeping area. The airy living rooms, lined in rustic ship-lapped timber, have sculptural ceilings that rise to a peak, illuminated naturally from above by a light-bouncing periscope window.

We try to find poetry in the place, said Brian MacKay-Lyons, a firm principal.

Perhaps more than any other on this list, this two-level home, on the edge of Club de Golf Escorpin near Valencia, Spain, was shaped by its site. Its architects, Fran Silvestre Architects, created a rounded form to help make its tight site feel less confining, to guide the eye into the deep neighboring landscape, and to echo the curving shapes of the course its fairways, greens, bunkers.

The homes concrete shell, covered in solid white surface stone, creates a cantilevered mezzanine for sleeping, allowing residents to look down on the living spaces below, or out to the landscape through carved, box-shaped openings.

The structures concrete frame helps shape a ground floor that opens completely, via sliding glass walls, to the curving pool (an intentional reflection of the house) and the greenery beyond.

You can see straight through the house to the far end of the golf course, Mr. Silvestre said. Informal barriers, like kitchen counters and a partial marble wall, help shelter occupants on the nonpool side of the home should they want a more intimate getaway. Trees and gardens provide more privacy and protection from the course, as does a metallic fence, whose green color and subtle openings make it hard to tell it is there.

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You Wished You Lived Here - The New York Times

Four robins appeared in my backyard last week. Its spring. Forget the weather forecasters. Robins have been heralding spring long before people devised calendars. The birds dont use charts and maps. Welcoming spring is in the DNA of robins.

Soon, forsythia and daffodils will light up the landscape. Early spring means its time to get the seeds started. My little tomato plants now spend their days outside, hardening off. And the eggplant and pepper seedlings will follow soon. Next will come the marigolds.

Spring is when you tackle your gardening. It seems we are heading for an early spring this year. So, get moving on all those plans you dreamed about over the winter. If you need help, many professionals are available. Soon, they will be very busy, so begin making your calls.

Country Garden Shed is a family owned garden center, says Kaitlyn Prol. Were located in the heart of Hunterdon. It all began seven years ago with a roadside stand, and the operation has expanded into the garden center it is today.

Its a mother and daughter operation -- Kaitlyn is the daughter and Karen den Hollander is the mother. The shed is more akin to a building, with all sorts of plants set outside, spilling into the surroundings. The place is located at 1153 Croton Road (Route 579).

Country Garden Shed is not open yet. Mother and daughter are getting ready for the season which begins for them on Thursday, March 26. It will be like a grand opening the last week of March and it will continue through October.

We specialize in perennials and annual plants which we grow ourselves, Kaitlyn explains. As well as vegetables and herbs, tropical plants, unique houseplants, and a selection of deer-resistant shrubs.

Country Garden Shed offers many trays of plants -- think pansies and other annuals -- along with hanging baskets. Select from those trays, as well as 4-inch and 1-quart plantings.

You can bring your containers here and get some professional advice to fill them. Or, if you have big, heavy containers (iron, concrete), Kaitlyn can come to your place. Last year, they supplied the plants for the large containers on the streets of Easton. And they are supplying the plants for Flemington streets.

More than just plants, we also sell beautiful concrete pottery, handmade birdhouses, and durable outdoor furniture, she says. Inside, we have wreaths, trendy home decor and many great gift ideas for gardeners.

For more information, call 908-627-4007 and visit http://www.countrygardenshed.com/.

Several things are very important when you begin your landscaping project. My own plans always begin with thinking about spacing and balance. You want the landscape to fit together in the pleasing way you have in mind. What plants do you want to add to the landscape? Where will they be planted? And how big -- or wide -- will they eventually grow?

Perennials dont usually grow very big. Neither do annuals. But shrubs and trees are another matter. Driving around, youll see the result of a lack of planning in many landscapes. Things grow together when planted too close -- they are not given the spacing they need.

Then there are the hardscape considerations. How will you landscape around walkways, patios, outdoor fire pits, a pool? And dont forget play areas for children. Maybe you want to create a quiet nook where you can relax. Well, you might need an experienced landscaper.

Clinton Landscape owner Michael Tate can handle a wide variety of landscaping projects -- from putting in and maintaining lawns to designing and finishing walls, walkways, patios, exterior fireplaces, and other hardscaping.

We do tree work and irrigation as well, he says. And we do stuccoing, and masonry work including repointing brick and stone, along with foundations -- you have to use different types of concrete for different applications.

His operation is based at 9 Echo Lane, Clinton. Mike is fully insured and handles jobs anywhere in Hunterdon, Warren and areas beyond. Hes available for residential and commercial jobs, and you can contact him 24/7 and arrange for a free estimate. He offers specials for seniors, veterans and first responders.

For more information, call 908-674-1647, and check out a big gallery of photos of work hes completed. Its at Facebook.com/ClintonTates/.

If your gardening dreams include stonework, you will need a stonemason. And stonemasons are few and far between. Not many experts in stonework exist today, but we are fortunate in having the Artisan Stone Masons operation locally.

Its run by Paul Steinbeiser, Jr. He comes from a family of craftspeople. His father operates Landscape Design & Construction located in Frenchtown. But Pauls interest was in shaping and fitting stones together to construct different types of stone masonry.

Artisan Stone Masons specializes in walls, patios, walkways, fireplaces, stone pointing, custom handcrafted natural stonework, and historic restoration, says Paul. We believe that the diversity of our craftsmanship is one of our strongest assets.

Pauls stonework is always customized to the job at hand. A curving dry laid garden wall is one thing. A stone fireplace--inside or outside--is another. Then there are the special requirements of the historic restorations he tackles.

All of our stonework is handcrafted, he advises. The stone used and the stone color depend on the location and style of the house and time period in which it was built.

The same meticulous attention characterizes Pauls other work.

Dry laid walls and wet laid walls have different types of footings, he notes. Both are dug deeply to contend with moisture and freezing issues. For example, a standard footing needs to be at least 18 to 36 inches deep -- sometimes more.

Before the actual stonework begins on site, there is always a collaboration with clients. That collaboration continues from the beginning design phase to the finished product. Paul works from his Hunterdon base to provide stonework all over the area.

This year, turn your garden into that magical showplace existing only in your dreams -- with stone walls, stone pathways, and other constructions. How about a stone arch?

For more information, call 908-268-9608. For an extensive array of photos, visit the website at ArtisanStoneMasons.com and checkout the Facebook pages.

Al Warr can be reached at 610-253-0432 or AlWarr16@gmail.com.

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Spring is nearly here, so its time to start tackling the yard work - nj.com

Balanced perfectly on two acres in the enclave of the Village of Southampton, enveloped within the 9900 square feet of indoor living space are 7 bedrooms, 8.5 baths, 7 fireplaces, library, media room & an elevator to all floors. It is the formula for exquisite living.

NEW YORK (PRWEB) March 10, 2020

As the electric gate opens wide, you will see the most traditional of Hamptons' homes affectionately known as The Beachmont. Impeccably maintained, a short walk to the ocean, warm ocean breezes in summer, warm and cozy in the fall and winter this elegant and lovely home fits the desired lifestyle of a long-established classic abode in the Village; so much so that the aficionado of the area, the late iconic TV personality Joan Rivers joked, "I go to the funerals of my girlfriends and I hear the minister say, She's in a better place.' What? Are you kidding me? No, she's not She had a house in the Hamptons!"

Tim Davis, Licensed real estate Broker for Corcoran Group Real Estate knows the reality of the joke a resident of the Hamptons, and one who has first- hand knowledge of the most desirable places to live would agree and says that this special place is the "Quintessential summer home that feels right all year long. Its palette is "Classic Hamptons" and light-filled that natural light that comes in this part of the country that artists dearly desire. Besides that, the home is in excellent condition, lovingly taken care of, has excellent design, and is well decorated."

This home is refined, architecturally pleasing, and is significant to the concept of Hamptons living for its quality, style, and pedigree. A home like this that makes a statement and contributes to the historic and aesthetic landscape of the area both inside and outside with canopies of verdant trees that are visible from the living spaces, is so desirable. These very living spaces each connect to the rest of the interiors and levels. Hardwood flooring throughout supply warmth of texture and contrast to the hues, as do the seven fireplaces.

The first level features an open eat-in kitchen, a formal dining room that is adjacent to the Great Room, imbues the spaces with a sense of direction as you look across the house bathed in sunlight. Sightlines are unobstructed; recessed high ceilings add spaciousness and architectural touches along with wide passageways leading to the magnificent library. The second level bedrooms are situated nicely for privacy. The Master bedroom with a large sitting room and large bathroom affords the retreat that is necessary for comfort.

The sprawling mansion was built by a prominent CEO of a large global firm for his family as an ultimate holiday retreat to spend summers. Mature landscaping for privacy, with the ocean near and every activity for young and old, the nearly two acres of outdoor areas complement all-weather resort-style tennis, swimming in a heated Gunite pool, along with pool house, gardening, lots of spaces for children, and outdoor patios for casual gatherings. The two-level plus a 3,000 square foot lower level, provides ample space for indoor activities with a theater, recreation, and game rooms, along with an elevator that reaches all other floors. With the ocean within walking distance, there is every activity imaginable for both young and old.

Topography, trees, seclusion, significant classic Southampton architecture, and a pleasing scale wrap this house up in red ribbons for those that appreciate quality all year long.

Click here to view listing: https://timdavishamptons.com/437-wickapogue-road/.

Contact Information:

THOMAS DAVIS

6317029226

Thomas.Davis@corcoran.com

Property Photos:

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For the original version on PRWeb visit: https://www.prweb.com/releases/a_classic_retreat_in_the_enclave_of_the_village_of_southampton_is_listed_by_tim_davis_hamptons_luxury_market_leader/prweb16968908.htm

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A Classic Retreat in the Enclave of the Village of Southampton is listed by Tim Davis - Hamptons Luxury Market Leader - Benzinga

1996 was the last time a hotel was built in Grover Beach. Several have been approved and planned by city council members since then and another two could be added to that list.

Grover Beach city council members will consider a plan that includes two four-story hotels and seven single-family market rate homes on a 7.3 acre lot located at 1598 El Camino Real.

Healy, Megan

"We believe that Grover Beach is undeserved in the hotel market. We believe there is a shortage of rooms in that city particular," said Akash Patel, a local co-developer who will present the proposal to city council members.

The dual hotel project proposes:

Healy, Megan

Owners of 8575 Perfetto Cafe can look over at the proposed site from their business. They hope the potential development brings more customers.

"There are a lot of small businesses like us in the area so more tourists can be more business," said Laura Zuffi, owner of 8575 Perfetto Cafe.

City leaders said the project is attractive because it could help meet long term housing goals and generate roughly $800,000 a year in a Transient Occupancy Tax.

"We see hotel development as one piece of our economic puzzle in making sure we have a strong and vital economy for our residents," said Matthew Bronson, the Grover Beach city manager.

The developers said they hope their potential investment in the city will boost its economic vitality.

"We're looking at bringing in upwards of 40 jobs to support the hotels as well as improving the frontage along El Camino Real that includes re-striping the roads and resurfacing parts of the roads in addition to preserving 1.5 acres of open space," said Darshan Patel, a local co-developer.

But for others, it's big developments like these that make their hometown unrecognizable.

"Everything that comes up here now-a-days is either a bank or a hotel, it's not something fun for the kids to do and it just makes it all more a reason I moved away," said Nicholas Nichols, a former Grover Beach resident.

Nearby residents have also expressed concerns about potential noise and blockage of views.

While planning, developers added a 35-foot landscape buffer to separate the homes and hotels, took out a proposed restaurant and rearranged the buildings to preserve oak trees.

If approved, the construction would happen in two phases. Phase one includes building one hotel which developers say could be complete by 2022.

The Grover beach Planning Commission is recommending approval of the project which city council members will consider at their meeting Monday, March 16th.

To read the full proposal and its California Environmental Quality Act review, click here.

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Local News Proposed project could add 2 hotels and 7 single-family homes in Grover Beach - KSBY San Luis Obispo News

Offering an exclusive front-row seat to one of the worlds most popular mountain gorilla sanctuary, One&Only Gorillas Nest began welcoming guests on 1 November 2019. Cushioned in the foothills of the breath-taking Virunga volcano range, guests can explore where few have been before in one of the worlds most exceptional natural locations. One&Only Gorillas Nest is the ultimate ultra-luxury resort in Kinigi, northwest of Rwanda and just five minutes from Volcanoes National Park. The park is home to the highest number of mountain gorillas, five dormant volcanoes and is categorised as a rainforest because its montane ecosystem.

As part of the brands strategic expansion, One&Only Gorillas Nest is the second One&Only resort in Rwanda, following the opening of One&Only Nyungwe House in 2018. Guests have been awe-inspired by both resorts, celebrating the best of what Rwanda has to offer, setting new standards for excellence in the country. Kerzner International, the leading international developer and operator of ultra-luxury resorts and residences, has plans to continue to grow and develop the One&Only brand globally.

Beautifully designed private sanctuaries seamlessly blend with the location and offer an intimate collection of 21 jungle-chic havens. Featuring 10 Forest King Lodges, four Two-Bedroom Forest Lodges, five Virunga Suites, one Ingagi and Silverback Suite, each space is designed to frame nature, surrounded by Eucalyptus trees and strategically positioned on stilts. Private decks and in-room fireplaces provide guests the opportunity to live amongst the endless landscape, inviting the outside in, and allowing for a truly unforgettable African experience. Suites offer spacious living and dining areas, as well as a true natural experience with outdoor bathtubs high amongst the trees, offering ultimate privacy. Each lodge design is modern with an African contemporary feel, showcasing the hues of the surrounding vistas, and colours of the earth and natural, local volcanic rock, with touches of black and white Rwandan imigongo patterns.

Guests can enjoy meals in the main restaurant, Nest, offering dining both indoor and out, as well as offer a private dining area for up to 22 guests. Executive Chef Bryan English and his team focus on local and organic ingredients, making use of the abundant produce from local farmers as well as his own Chefs Garden. Similar to One&Only Nyungwe House, the culinary team develop new menus daily with a focus on Rwandan and African influences, based on guests preferences and dietary needs. Private outdoor dining experiences, barbeques and picnics are also an option for guests, as well as at the Pool Bar throughout the day.

The One&Only Spa, in partnership with South African brand, Terres dAfrique, offers guests holistic treatments using plant-based African ingredients and provides two treatment suites in a private building. Guests have the opportunity to select treatments tailored to a specific area of the body. Three signature treatments, only found at One&Only Gorillas Nest, pay homage to the location, taking inspiration from the local community and surroundings. Guests will also have access to Club One, offering a relaxation room, an open-air heated pool and plunge pool, as well as the Fitness Centre with steam room and sauna, and the Pool Bar offering healthy options with fruit juices evolving into evening cocktails.

In tribute to the destination, guests have access to the activities in the National Park, but a diverse range of on-resort activities can be booked at the dedicated Experience Centre. Each activity caters to the physical strength of each guest with the Experience Team who will tailor-make each itinerary based on guests preferences. Activities that guests can enjoy include Coffee Tasting with the resorts barista and local coffee expert. Musanze (Kinigi) is a well-known coffee farming area in Rwanda and guests will get the opportunity to taste a variety of coffee beans sourced from a female-run cooperative coffee farm. Guests can also enjoy yoga on one of the outdoor decks, learn photography at the Studio, or cycle to a nearby community where they can learn about the Rwandan culture and history, the art of basket weaving and enjoy the traditional dance and music performances to name a few.

Located just two and a half hours from Kigali International Airport, guests can appreciate the scenic drive through rolling hills of the countryside and fascinating towns or be able to take a breath-taking 25-minute flight in a helicopter departing from the airport and landing at the resorts private helipad.

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One&Only Opened in Rwanda - RusTourismNews

A proposed office tower with an eroded form will be built in Brisbanes Fortitude Valley as part of a project that includes the redevelopment of the historic Police-Citizens Youth Club.

The two-stage project, which comprises a four-storey building housing the youth club and a 12-storey office tower, has been granted development approval by Brisbane council.

Rothelowman is the architect for the tower, which will be built as part of stage two, while Red Door Architecture has designed the youth club building.

In a design statement, Rothelowman said the tower responds Fortitude Valleys landscape, culture and history.

458 Wickham Street is a prominent site within Fortitude Valley that is embedded deeply in Brisbanes history and culture. Adjacent to the heritage Police Station, the site faces the Holy Trinity Church and is near the Valley Pool, the statement reads.

This proposal properly responds to its context by acknowledging the existing historical classicism in the precinct by embracing the landscape and climate. The rational office grid adapts to local climate conditions and erodes to respond to the human scale of the neighbouring heritage buildings.

The built form erodes to make space for landscape which will mature and age with the city. This dichotomy between historical context and contemporary office, and between landscape and built form is made visceral through proportion and materiality.

At the eroded corner of the building, deep planting provision will allow for a verdant landscape, in an attempt to reinstate the wildness [] slowly disappearing around the city.

The architecture of the erosion celebrates the culture and identity of Brisbane and its intrinsic connection to nature - a connection understood by residents and visitors alike. The erosion responds to the canopy of the tree which contributes directly to this same experience and connection.

Plans for the tower include a caf, three floors of carparking, eight floors of office space and a communal rooftop area.

The overall development was initiated by the Queensland state government and PCYC Queensland, who asked for competitive bids from the private sector to deliver a new facility for the youth centre. They awarded the project to local developer Silverstone Developments.

PCYC has operated in Fortitude Valley for more than 50 years, running programs on youth leadership and development, sport, crime-prevention and more.

The redeveloped centre will include additional community facilities, new boxing facilities, a gym, and basketball facilities.

Our governments is pleased to be working with Silverstone to deliver a new facility that will extend the services already offered by the club, to the benefit of PCYC Queensland members and Fortitude Valley locals, said state development minister Cameron Dick.

This is a great outcome for a club thats been a part of the social fabric of Fortitude Valley since 1965.

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Approved office tower celebrates culture, identity and nature of Brisbane - Architecture AU

A Mar. 2020 International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) study found that at least 5,000 koalas (12% of the population) died in New South Wales (NSW) during the 2019-2020 Australian wildfires. The report notes that the estimates are conservative and many more koalas likely died.

The report found that up to 66% of the past three generations of NSW koalas have been lost to droughts, bushfires, and man-made causes.

Josey Sharrad, IFAW Wildlife Campaigner, stated, "Koalas were already living on the brink before these fires, with populations declining in many areas due to excessive land clearing, disease and roadkill and local extinctions already known to have occurred. This disaster and the ongoing nature of the threats could push koalas over the edge. This is a koala emergency. Koalas must be immediately up listed to Endangered on an emergency basis and a moratorium on all harmful activities impacting koalas enforced to allow surviving populations some breathing space while their capacity to recover is further assessed."

The New South Wales Rural Fire Service tweeted on Mar. 2, 2020, "For the first time since early July 2019, there is currently no active bush or grass fires in #NSW. Thats more than 240 days of fire activity for the state. #nswfires #nswrfs"

A World Weather Attribution study found that climate change increased the likelihood of wildfires like those in Australia by at least 30% since 1900. An increase of 2 degrees Celsius could make similar fire conditions at least four times more likely to occur.

2019 was the hottest and driest year on record in Australia. The wildfires burned over 12.6 million acres in NSW and 44.5 million acres country-wide (an area equivalent to the size of England and Wales), killing at least 34 people and about one billion animals, and destroying approximately 6,000 buildings.William Reville, emeritus professor of biochemistry at University College Cork in Ireland, said that other factors contributed to the Australian wildfires, such as the "failure to regularly reduce 'fuel load' in bush and forests," an insufficient supply of firefighters, and arson.

Sources:

International Fund for Animal Welfare, "IFAW Calls for Emergency Uplisting of NSW Koalas to Endangered after Report Reveals True Impact of Bushfires," ifaw.org, Mar. 3, 2020

Center for Disaster Philanthropy, "2019-2020 Australian Bushfires," disasterphilanthropy.org, Feb. 17, 2020

Drew Kann, "The Climate Crisis Made Australia's Wildfires at least 30% More Likely, Study Finds," cnn.com, Mar. 4, 2020

New South Wales Rural Fire Service, twitter.com, Mar. 2, 2020

William Reville, "Australian Bush Fires Were Not Caused by Climate Change Alone," irishtimes.com, Feb. 20, 2020

Tracey Shelton, "Australians Open Wallets, Hearts for Fire-ravaged Communities," aljazeera.com, Jan. 25, 2020

World Weather Attribution, "Attribution of the Australian Bushfire Risk to Anthropogenic Climate Change," worldweatherattribution.org, Jan. 10, 2020

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Australian Wildfires Killed 12% of Koalas, Prompting Extinction Worries - ProCon.org

Karachi - Sindh Chief Secretary Syed Mumtaz Ali Shah has formed a Committee to carryout survey of the areas where the underpasses and the flyovers are to be built for clearing the track of Karachi Circular Railway (KCR).

He formed the Committee in a meeting on Monday when it was informed that roads have been built over the KCR tracks in the city and in order to clear the tracks, at least 24 underpasses and flyovers are needed to be built.

Mumtaz Ali Shah directed the Committee to submit its survey report latest by March 20. He also directed the secretary transport for undertaking the work of fencing at the land on both sides of Right of Way of railway and inviting tenders for this purpose within three days.

The concerned officers were also directed to submit detailed report to the transport department about the railway land cleared of all the encroachments so that fencing work could be started.

The meeting further discussed the matters relating to the plying the buses from stations to markets connecting the KCR to the main market places of metropolis. It would be pertinent to for the success of KCR in terms of increasing its ridership to introduce bus system from stations to market places, Mumtaz Shah said.

Chief Secretary directed the Chairman, Planning & Development Board to get prepared schemes for improving the roads and other infrastructures in the surroundings of KCR stations.

When the Divisional Superintendent of Railways pointed out that encroachments still exist at Urdu University and Karachi University Stations of KCR, the Chief Secretary directed Additional Commissioner Karachi to get the encroachments removed and submit the report.

Chief Secretary convening the next meeting on March 20, directed all the concerned to accomplish the tasks assigned to them including survey and submit the reports in next meeting.

Chairman, Planning & Development Board Muhammad Waseem, Advocate General Sindh Salman Talibuddin, Secretary Transport Ghulam Abbas, DS Railways Nasar Ahmed Memon and others attended the meeting.

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Committee formed for survey of underpasses and flyovers - The Nation

Cody Coombs eased his Ford pickup along a rough dirt road in the Egan Mountains of eastern Nevada, a path once used by the Pony Express to negotiate these remote reaches of the Great Basin. We emerged from a rugged canyon strewn with mine debris into a ravaged landscape of stumps and severed limbsthe remnant of a once-thriving pion and juniper forest.

If I hadnt known where I was, I might have thought I was looking at an industrial clearcut. But Coombs, the fuels manager for the Bureau of Land Management district in Ely, Nevada, assured me that what we were looking at was undertaken in the service of conservation. Wed entered a small fragment of the Egan and Johnson Basin Restoration Project, which, over the next decade, will remove 25,000 acres of pion and juniper forest. This is but one of a host of projects aimed at eliminating vast stretches of these native forests, which, some claim, are encroaching across vast swaths of the Great Basin and the Colorado Plateau at an unprecedented clip.

We continued on, with the November sun blazing overhead, and passed through a valley filled with cattle into an area of low hills covered in a dense stand of pion trees. The temperature dropped noticeably. The pions, some of them 30 or 40 feet tall, were covered in seed-heavy cones. Beneath the trees grew a variety of native plants, which sprouted from a robust layer of cryptobiotic soila vital crust of microorganisms that holds moisture within desert soils and prevents erosion.

Rather than a healthy, mature pion forest, Coombs saw something else entirely. As [pion and juniper] become more dense, we lose the shrub, grass, and forb understory, Coombs explained. It doesnt provide all the functionality we need for animals as well as infiltration of water. He added that dense stands of trees like this also pose a serious fire risk, though it was hard to see, more than 20 miles from the closest town, exactly what was being threatened.

In the upcoming months, Coombs explained, two bulldozers would drag a massive chain through this stand, tearing out trees and scouring the soil in order to open it up for sagebrush. His argument was the same as the one Ive heard time and again from BLM range managers: Native pion and juniper trees, which provide habitat for dozens of plants, native birds, reptiles, insects, and mammals, pose an existential threat to sage grouse. Thus, the trees must be eliminated.

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In recent years, the greater sage grousea chicken-size bird known for its exuberant mating dancehas had an ostrich-size influence on land policy across the American West. According to the Audubon Society, the sage grouse has lost 90 percent of its historic habitat to oil and gas development, habitat fragmentation, and overgrazing

The BLM has responded by destroying hundreds of thousands of acres of pion and juniper forests. According to the BLM, between 2013 and 2018, the agency spent close to $300 million treating and restoring 2.7 million acres of sagebrush-steppe habitat across the West. It should be noted that treating and restoring (along with the equally vague conifer removal) are euphemisms for chaining, cutting, poisoning, and burning pion and juniper forests.

Indeed, sage grouse protection has become virtually synonymous with the razing of huge tracts of arid land forests. Take, for example, the Bruneau-Owyhee Sage-Grouse Habitat Project, which calls for the elimination of 726,000 acres1,110 square milesof juniper forest in the remote Owyhee Mountains straddling Idaho, Oregon, and Nevada in the coming years. Removing encroaching juniper, reads a BLM press release, will improve conditions for greater sage grouse and many other species that depend on a healthy sagebrush-steppe ecosystem.

Critics arent buying its purported benefits to grouse and instead see the destruction of pion and juniper forests as the perpetuation of old policies of destruction couched in the new buzzwords of ecological stewardship. Whileagenciesspend huge sums committing ecocide against native forests, the cattle and the oil and gas and mining industries continue to destroy the birds habitat, said Katie Fite, public lands director of Wildlands Defense, an Idaho-based environmental group.

Mass removal of pion and juniper forests is nothing new. The forests, for example, were cleared across vast stretches of the Great Basin to provide fuel for smelters during the Gold Rush. In the mid 20th century, millions of acres of pion and juniper woodlands were, in the parlance of federal land agencies, eradicated and converted to sprawling pastures planted with crested wheatgrass and other exotic grasses. The cutting of native forests as a means to protect threatened species is a far more recent development, Fite said.

The BLM and the Forest Service used to openly admit they were destroying P-J forests to get more cattle forage, Fite said. Then, ashazardousfuels and sage grouse funds flowed,the same chaining, cutting,burning deforestation schemes were touted as fire prevention and grouse conservation.

Many large pion-juniper removal projects currently underway can be traced to 2015, the year that thenInterior Secretary Sally Jewell announced an ambitious cooperative plan in an effort to keep sage grouse off the endangered species list. That year, the BLM established 14 sage grouse recovery plans in an effort to conserve 35 million acres of federal lands in 10 states.

The hope, says Brian Rutledge, Audubon vice president and director of the Sagebrush Ecosystem Initiative, is that a collaborative rather than punitive approach would be better to restore sage grouse, which he described as the avian equivalent of the bison in the sagebrush sea of the West. The SEI, founded in 2010 as part of the United States Department of Agricultures Working Lands for Wildlife program, has been a key player in the 2015 plan. It is a diverse and disparate coalition made up of industry and environmental groups, including the Audubon Society, the Nature Conservancy, Conoco-Phillips, and the National Cattlemens Beef Association, which, according to the groups tagline, supports wildlife conservation through sustainable ranching.

The SEI was created to slow the decline of sagebrush and the species that depend on it, explained Rutledge. The USDA responded by working with ranchers and with gas developers to slow the disturbance and to actively try to return some of the habitat to its historical carrying capacity.

But under the Trump administration, Rutledge says, science and collaboration has been abandoned in favor of a blatantly pro-corporate agenda. Last March, for example, the BLM reneged on the 2015 sage grouse plans, eliminating more than 80 percent of the 10.7 million acres designated as vital habitat. In addition, the BLM loosened rules requiring buffer zones around mating sites. It also made voluntary the compensatory mitigation requirement, which forced energy companies to replace damaged habitat with restored habitat elsewhere.

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Back in the Egan Range, Coombs drove to a so-called lek site, where, during mating season in spring, male sage grouse perform elaborate mating dances to woo females. Hundreds of trees had recently been cut from the area and its vegetation was reduced to little more than a thin beige stubble by grazing cattle.

Not only was the lek free of trees, but it was also conspicuously devoid of sagebrush. Coombs assured me that the lack of cover is no impediment to the birds. Sage grouse love heavily grazed areas, he said. It allows the males to display without any kind of obstruction. They seek these areas out.

Rutledge of Audubon says that clearing trees to create sage grouse habitat is not a panacea, but that in places it should be undertaken on a site by site basis in order to aid grouse recovery. Every vertical structure to a sage grouse is a potential roost for an eagle or a hawk, said Rutledge.

Other ecologists I spoke with, however, disputed the idea that pion and juniper forests are death-traps for grouse. Laura Cunningham, California director for the environmental group Western Watersheds, says that evidence shows the birds thrive in a mosaic of sagebrush and coniferous forest.

Cunningham, who worked for many years as a field biologist for the US Geological Survey, says that ravens, not raptors, pose the greatest threat to grouse. The wide-scale transformation of pion-juniper forest to exotic grasslands (like those found throughout the valleys of the Egan Range) has given ravens a decisive advantage. Ravens dont perch on trees to hunt, she said. Cunningham notes that sage grouse are highly susceptible to raven predation in these artificial grasslands, particularly in heavily grazed areas, because there is virtually no cover. [Ravens] are a flight predator, and they see the chicks from the air.

Katie Fite concurs, adding that it is not grouse or sagebrush ecosystems but grazers, miners, and oil developers who are benefitting from the BLMs relentless campaign against the Wests arid-land forests.

Cheatgrass is exploding and grouse populations are hurtling toward extinction, Fite said. Extinction, of course, ultimately benefits industry.

Original post:
Is Pinon-Juniper Clearing Really the Answer to Sage Grouse Protection? - Sierra Magazine