Berkeley County, South Carolina – Wildlife rescuers are appealing for change after reporting that landscape netting used in new developments is injuring scores of animals.
Donna Dorner, a volunteer with Carolina Waterfowl Rescue, says she frequently discovers animals caught in the plastic-like netting that developers have erected throughout her neighborhood for erosion prevention.
“This has resulted in a large number of deceased wildlife. A lot of dead fish and turtles. We’re discovering geese and ducks, especially during baby season, because they’re caught in this and can’t get out,” Dorner added.
Dorner and other volunteers are requesting that developers utilize biodegradable erosion control materials rather than the present webbing. She claims the netting is sharp enough to cut her hands when she attempts to remove it.
“When I try to pull this up in areas where it is coming up, I will slice my hands on it,” Dorner told me.
South Carolina has no restrictions requiring biodegradable netting, allowing developers to utilize materials that may transfer toxic compounds into the soil and be consumed by wild animals.
Rescuers stated that they contacted developers, homeowners’ organizations, and the Department of Natural Resources about their worries, but received no responses.
Chris Jordan, another Carolina Waterfowl Rescue volunteer, believes developers may underestimate the seriousness of the crisis.
“I don’t think they’re as conscious of it as those that witness it. “There needs to be more accountability and getting the word out that this is a problem,” Jordan stated.
Dorner said many neighbors in the Lowcountry have contacted rescuers for assistance with animals stuck in netting near their homes. She stated that water regions that historically housed state-protected creatures like as blue herons, geese, and ducks today have fewer biodiversity.
“They move swiftly when the houses appear. It’s outrageous, so they construct home after house after house, and I don’t think they’re taking the time to conserve the ecology or any remaining green area,” Dorner added.
Berkeley County is among the top 1% of the nation’s fastest-growing areas, with new developments expanding throughout the region.
Homeowners’ associations and the Department of Natural Resources did not return requests for comment.
