Thanks to Jim’s update on my post yesterday about Stuart Siegel’s land clearing along the James, I now see that the RTD has gotten off the dime and run its own story on the matter. So who will pay for Stuart’s actions? The Science Museum Foundation, which owns the land:

Art Dahlberg, the city’s building commissioner, said the museum foundation violated that law when it recently allowed some clearing within the buffer.

The city will require new plantings to replace the vegetation.

“We would gladly do that,” said Julia M. Carr, executive director of the foundation. “We intend to meet our obligation if we have violated any acts.”

Carr said she wasn’t aware of the buffer requirement. “We are really concerned about the environment. . . . We were just remiss in this area, it appears.”

The foundation yesterday sent an e-mail to its board members alerting them to expected news coverage about the violation.

Carr said the land was cleared by workers hired by Stuart Siegel, chairman of S&K Famous Brands. His house sits just above the cleared area.

“We were just remiss in this area, it appears.” Yup. But Ms. Carr wasn’t alone. It seems that very few people are aware this statute exists. One thing is certain, however: the SMVF now knows about the law. So does Stuart Siegel. And guess what? So, too, do the editors of the RTD.

Now if they would only stop penning mash notes to the river, everyone would be a winner.