ROANOKE TIMES

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, March 29, 1995                   TAG: 9503290044
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C-4   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: CHESAPEAKE                                LENGTH: Short


SQUIRRELS STANDING IN PROGRESS' PATH?

False alarm, say federal wildlife officials.

A median-strip nest that threatened to delay a $25 million road-widening project probably was most recently occupied by squirrels - not an endangered bird of prey as originally thought.

Squirrels not being endangered, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service gave the Virginia Department of Transportation permission to proceed with the project.

A volunteer and a Wildlife Service agent checked the nest Monday and found nothing to indicate that it was occupied by a federally protected bird of prey such as an osprey or owl.

Reese Lukei, a volunteer with the Wildlife Service who helped check out the nest, said there were no signs that the nest was being used. Dan Hurt of the Wildlife Service said the nest probably had been used by squirrels.

The nest is in a tree on the median of Interstate 64. When a passing motorist spotted the nest and claimed he had seen an osprey nearby, the contractors and state decided to work on other sections of the project until the nest could be checked out by experts.

The Wildlife Service had never blocked the work.



 by CNB