"WE THOUGHT....YOU WUZ....A TOOOOAD!"
Posted on 07/18/2004 11:24:16 AM PDT by UnklGene
Maryland school to be built around rare toad -
MAPLE RUN, Md. (AP) - It has a green snout, bleats like a sheep and is rarely seen in St. Mary's County. Despite its elusiveness, county planners have agreed to build an elementary school in a way that will accommodate the mating habits of the eastern narrow-mouthed toad that state naturalists say lives in the surrounding marshes. Minimal blacktop will be used for the school and its construction will revolve around a strict time frame set by the toad's amorous needs.
"We want to have a time period on it because of the toad's ... breeding seasons," said Michael Slattery, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources' assistant secretary of forest, parks, fish and wildlife.
County officials can't believe a toad is forcing them to change their plans.
"It's a rural area," said county Commissioner Larry Jarboe. "They might be hearing sheep."
The DNR and county reached an agreement last month on the toad. The state will give the county 24 acres in St. Mary's State Park to use for the school as long as it follows toad-friendly guidelines.
In return, the state gets 21 acres of county land near the state park and 18 acres within the St. Mary's River watershed.
The eastern narrow-mouthed toad is common in southern states but rare in Maryland. State naturalists have spotted it about a dozen times in the county over the last decade, yet few residents can recall seeing one.
That hasn't kept the toad from disrupting other construction projects. Until the mid-1990s, it held up work on Indian Bridge Road, dubbed "toad road" by one local official. After a series of accidents on the road, the work was completed when the state passed legislation exempting it from toad protections.
and just what exactly will they be calling this school?
Kermit's Klasses?
Misleading headline. This article isn't even about Michael Moore.
"WE THOUGHT....YOU WUZ....A TOOOOAD!"
Oh, I know, they are going to call it ...
Mating Habitat Elementary.
Love those public schools.
Big whoop. Outside Nashville, we are building a school around a crayfish and no, I am not making this up.
Just Great! Its bad enough accomodations must be made for endangered species. Now we have to alter building projects for common animals who might infrequently inhabit certain areas. Whats next? protecting river habitat for the occasional shark that swims upstream??
I guess the new school is to be “Toadtally Cool”
Larry King, is that you?
I have lived in St. Mary's County for 62 years and have never seen this toad. The article doesnt say anyone else has seen the toad lately only a brief explanation that State Naturalists have spotted it a dozen times in the last ten years. If one cares to believe that, personally I dont. State Naturalists couldnt find their butts with a flashlight. If there is such a toad I defy them to produce one, just one .
ROFLMAO!
Nah.
It'll be Frogtown Elementary and Roddy Piper will be hired as principal.....:)
[and he's all outta bubblegum]
LOL!
well, salamander, you're the expert.
thanks
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