WETLANDS

[jt]

RStrahan

What area are you located in?

jt

 

[Tom Hildebrandt]

RStrahan

In my neck of the woods, whether a developer pays more or less for wetlands or floodplains is determined by the rights transfers possible or even the the potential uses for which they can put the land.

In one noteable case, an organization bought significant acreage in a flood way, went through the effort and costs of obtaining the necessary permits to pipe and cover the creek so they could put a retail car sales lot on the site.

In my opinion, the contributory value of such items has to be viewed in context of the property charactertiscs and other elements of the appraisal assignment before a specific conclusion can be made. Therefore, the value issue is not absolute but relative.

Said differently, as in most appraisal issues, the correct answer to the quesion of does wetlands have value must be "it depends."

Regards

Tom Hildebrandt GAA

 

[Ben Vukicevich SRA]

L,

I'll agree with your post regarding the ducks/geese. I've done enough refi appraisals on those wetland/open space types where the buyers had paid a site premium to back to the wetlands never realizing that the little "flying rats" would do "lots of you know what" in their backyards. I just love tap dancing over landmines everywhere to shoot that rear photo. Needless to say, the owners weren't thrilled that their backyards weren't useable. Blackflies, greenheads, etc., every critter gets their turn at different times of the year to be a pain.

And if you think tree huggers are crazy, just try to shoot the ducks/geese or to try to get rid of them in anyway like letting Rover loose on them. That's a big "no-no." Then they pollute the nearby ponds so bad that they stink. All you have to do is cruise through one of those over 55 communities with the ponds to see what I mean.

I think you'll also find that homes backing to any open space area have a higher rate of break-ins as they provide an easy escape route for the criminals.

Ben

 

[jt]

Jtrotta,

Mosquitos lay they larvae in stagnant water, surely there is stagnant water located in some wetlands, as there is stagnant water located in tires, garbage cans and other nook and crannies in urban areas. That is probably why they are spraying north to south and east to west, better to be safe than sorry.

In the USA, WNV(West Nile Encephalitis) has been located PRIMARILY in urban areas, the New York City area(not a lot of wetlands) to be exact. In 1999, 62 cases including seven deaths have occurred; in 2000, 21 cases were reported, including two deaths.

I am located in a more rural/suburban area which contains untold amounts of wetlands, and they have yet to spray here, which would back the biologist’s opinion of the West Nile Virus being more apt to appear in urban areas. One expert opinion doesn’t necessarily lead me to a rock solid conclusion. I like to keep an open mind and certainty appreciate your feedback.

Than you for your explanation of “tree huggers”. However, if I had to make a decision, I think I would side more with the tree hugger. Trees offer many benefits versing no trees, look at Afghanistan. Trees provide shade on sunny days, tree loss creates heat islands; tree protection increases efficiency for heating and cooling. Trees improve air quality, a major element in the formation of pollution is air temperature. Temperature is critical to the production of smog, and ozone in particular. Trees help reduce the production of ozone by reducing air temperature through shading and evapotranspiration. Additionally, trees reduce air pollution by intercepting airborne particals and by absorbing gaseous pollutants and can breakdown pesticides and carcinogenic groundwater. Trees reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and release oxygen; trees provide refuge for wildlife and enhance aquatic environment. Trees are used for noise reduction, privacy and scenery/landscaping, soil stabilization and erosion control, and they decrease storm water run off and provide protection from the elements; dead and decaying trees replenish nutrients to the soil and provide food resources for many types of wildlife. As well as provide food, medicine, energy and shelter, trees are detrimental to our very existence. Did I miss anything. The down side... leaf raking, damage and injuries/death caused by downed branches or trees themselfs, bird droppings and nesting bats is all I can think of. I didn’t mean to get this deep, but you made me think, just how beneficial trees really are, thank you. So, I guess you can call me a “Tree Hugger”, in fact, I think I will have a t-shirt made... Kiss Me, I’m a Tree Hugger.

Very few if any trees need to be removed for residential development, if you need to remove one, plant two others. I see whole developments without a single tree, I can’t for the life of me believe people actually want to live somewhere without trees. But, I know people will live just about anywhere, trees or no trees. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

I would actually like to see a tax(maybe $1.00) placed on each tree cut down, and money used to protect/clean-up the environment. Also, two trees should be planted for every one removed due to our past stupidity. And, if it wasn’t for trees, there wouldn’t be appraisers as we know them today.

jt

 

[jt]

Ben,

Very good point. I know what you’re talking about, I once visited a friend and walked along the shore line of a pond with the same type of obstacle course. However, this development is the exception, in this area anyway, but they do exist. Either it was poor planing, the developer didn’t care or it came about after the fact.

55 communities with the duck/geese droppings problem, appears this type of property is in demand in your area, though I would doubt it. This cannot be a big secret, prospect purchasers visit and inspect the property, they talk to neighbors, why, if this has a negative affect on value would they purchase the property? Are these properties marketed at a value below what property is selling for in subdivisions without the duck/geese problem? With so many like communities, you should not have a problem with comps. But, just say you had to adjust for such a problem, how would you quantify it?

Being located next to or adjoining wetlands may have a positive or negative affect on the whole, it’s like Tom would say, it depends. In regard to adjoining wetlands, we need to keep an open mind and do our homework.


jt

 

[jtrotta]

JT; guess you would consider me 1/2 a tree hugger, live on 3 acres and about 2.75 is wooded, although they've been comming down a little more often now. A few years back thought about clearing some space and planting christmas trees, as the forestry here will give you free ones to grow; also have some wet area, which I thought a pond would be good for the local deer that pass thru on there way to the apple orchard across the road, you fresh apples for breakfast, nice cool fresh water and their on there way to play with the yotes & antilope.
Anyway, trees are good, but once you get past the half way point in our state (around New Haven) it is about 70% woodlands, guess thats what makes the area attractive; the shoreline has been developed for years and only a few places that can get by all the commissions in place now.
Good Luck in your quest 8)

 

[Larry Lyke]

In Minneapolis we generally have one big roundup of ducks from the city parks in the summertime every year and ship them off to Kansas.

I think somebody thinks there's somebody down there giving them a nice home, BUT I think they're going to a cannery, as in Duck Soup a la Francais.

We could just a well let the little children have the fun of catching them and then take them to the local food shelves instead of giving the recipients these grossly-larded hot dogs and Twinkies or Ding Dongs.

Sometime I'll tell my story of going undercover to a food shelf.