State Forces Removal of Rattlesnake Fence
- Share via
A mining company owner who put up a fence to keep out rattlesnakes tore it down at the demand of environmental officials after being threatened with contempt. The state had accused Jay Montfort of failing to obey a judge’s order to tear down the wire-mesh fence by April 3. Montfort built the fence this year around a parcel of Hudson Valley property near Fishkill, N.Y., that he has been seeking permission to mine. The fence was about 250 feet from a den of Eastern timber rattlesnakes, which are listed as threatened under New York’s Endangered Species Act. The state claimed the fence would disrupt the snakes’ migration patterns.
More to Read
Sign up for Essential California
The most important California stories and recommendations in your inbox every morning.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.