Plovers

["Paul Champlin" <skua99@hotmail.com>]

A perspective from a beachfront landowner:

Since 1948 my family has enjoyed a house that started off 300 feet from the 
open Atlantic ocean and is now, due to erosion, 15 feet from being firewood 
for some beach party. A lot of hard work and money has gone into snow- 
fence, posts and hurricane/northeaster repair. But when my father purchased 
the house, he knew and plainly stated "We all know the fate of this small 
sand spit we all stand on. When it goes, it goes and we all walk away".  
Part of the lifestyle out there is enjoying terns and plovers breeding on 
our doorstep and knowing you're on an ephemeral landscape.

I wish the homeowners on the coast luck in keeping what's theirs, but hope 
the guardians of what is for EVERYONES enjoyment do not cave in to the 
shortsightedness of new owners and speculators, to forever affect decisions 
that will take the enjoyment of any species away from generations hereafter. 
We are now making decisions for the next 100 generations and more.

I hope this isn't too political (gasp!)

Paul Champlin
New Ellenton, SC
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