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(Fwd) Threat to refuges in eastern NC



------- Forwarded message follows -------
Date sent:      	Wed, 23 Jan 2002 12:54:37 +0000
Subject:        	Threat to refuges in eastern NC

The Navy is considering putting in an airfield next to Mattamuskeet or
Pocosin Lakes N. W. R. (among other places.)  I'm presently off Carolina
Birds.  Could you put something on the list serv, and otherwise help get the
word out.  (If it hasn't been done already.)  I enclose below a letter of
mine for background information.

Ernie Marshall
erniemarshall@beachlink.com

                                                                January 23,
2001

                                                               2205
Jefferson Drive    
Greenville, N.C. 27858
                                                               758-0077

Daily Reflector
Public Forum
Attn: Mary Schulken
Public Forum
P. O. Box 1967
Greenville, NC 27835


Dear Editor,

   The U. S. Department of the Navy is presently considering sites in
eastern North Carolina for locating outlying landing fields for their
Atlantic Fleet F/A-18 E/F aircraft.  Six sites are under consideration, and
at least two of these should be of special concern to citizens of eastern
North Carolina.  These are Site OP-2 in Hyde County and Site 7 in Washington
County.  The OP-2 Site would quite adversely affect wintering waterfowl
populations at the Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge.  The site is near
Lake Landing (Engelhard, NC), the area where the waterfowl occur in the most
concentrated numbers.  There is a similar concern about Site 7 in Washington
County, as it is located near the Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge,
also winter home to thousands of waterfowl.  The local economies would also
be negatively impacted as they depend heavily on hunting and ecotourism.
   In addition to the negative impact on wildlife, location of a landing
field at these sites will considerably degrade quality of life for local
citizens.  The impetus for the Navyıs consideration of these sites is
apparently to divert air traffic from the Norfolk Virginia area because of
complaints about  intolerable noise around Oceana Naval Air Station in
Virginia Beach and Fentress auxiliary field in Chesapeake.
   It should be noted that there is no prospect for new jobs with this
landing field relocation, just a burden to local citizens and the
Mattamuskeet and Pocosin Lakes Refuges.
   To comment on this issue write to:
Commander, Atlantic Division
Naval Facilities Engineering Command
Attention: Mr. Fred Pierson
Code BD32FP
1510 Gilbert Street
Norfolk, VA 23511-2699
Comments must be postmarked by February 8, 2001.


                                                           Ernie Marshall

------- End of forwarded message -------
-- 
Charles W. "Will" Cook                  w 919-660-7423
http://www.duke.edu/~cwcook            cwcook@duke.edu
Biology Dept., Duke Univ., Box 90340, Durham, NC 27708