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The Audobon Society notes Huckleberry Island as an "important Bird Area". Also, New York State's Coastal Management Program (CMP) reports the island as providing a nesting environment that is rare to the New York metropolitan area, as well as noting its irreplacability. rare and irreplacable. Im not sure how exactly NY sites are ranked in terms of importance but would venture to say this island might fall under mid to high importance level. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 88.191.222.18 (talk) 17:44, 20 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]
The content of this paragraph is clearly supported by the source provided. The term 'tradition' seems to be appropriately used in this instance. 'Tradition' is defined as an 'unwritten body of beliefs, customs, etc. handed down from generation to generation'. The source documents the story, places it in a historical context, and verifies it as a local tradition. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 88.191.221.194 (talk) 23:31, 20 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]
The source cited is a book that was written some 160 years ago. It said "There is a tradition that Kidd buried money beside a rock on Huckleberry Island." That indicates that this was a tradition 160 years, but it would be a stretch to say that this is still a tradition. Many "traditions" have died out over the last 160 years -- that is, they have not been handed down from generation to generation. Lacking a reliable source that this was still thought to be true in the recent past, I contend that it can be described only in the past tense. Accordingly, my revision of the article (which you reverted, using a different IP) said "In the 19th century the island was commonly believed to be the location of the buried treasure of Captain William Kidd, one of the most well known pirates in history."
The dispute extends to other aspects of the article. The source says that Kidd was executed in England, but it does not support your assertion that "popular folklore contends" he was hanged (or even "hung") at Execution Rocks. That statement (which is not even particularly relevant to this article) has no source, so it does not belong here.
A further reason for my earlier edit was that this article is not the place to tell the life story of Captain Kidd. This is why I removed "Kidd, one of the most well known pirates in history, sailed the coast of North America, the Caribbean, and the Indian Ocean during the late 17th century, plundering ships and amassing great treasures. Initially hired by the British government in 1696 to suppress buccaneers, Kidd soon began to engage in the very same activities he was employed to prevent. Kidd was ultimately arrested and returned to England where he was executed in 1701." In its place my text identified him as "Captain William Kidd, one of the most well known pirates in history." People who want to know about his plundering of ships in teh Caribbean and Indian Ocean can read the article about him. --Orlady (talk) 00:18, 21 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]
FWIW, I tend to agree with Orlady's comments here. doncram (talk) 02:38, 21 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]
