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Pea Island Birds, Wilderness Habitat & Bonner Bridge
- To: <carolinabirds@acpub.duke.edu>
- Subject: Pea Island Birds, Wilderness Habitat & Bonner Bridge
- From: "Steve Benbow" <steven@starfishnet.com>
- Date: Thu, 26 Jun 2003 15:02:11 -0400
- Delivered-to: pardo@metalab.unc.edu
- Reply-to: "Steve Benbow" <steven@starfishnet.com>
- Sender: carolinabirds-owner@acpub.duke.edu
Hello Birders,
Will, I hope this is an appropriate use of the
list - I'm new and trying to "play fair".
(If not please let me know) Hope it fits
under "The future of birding in the
Carolinas".
Would like to put a another "locals"
perspective to the proposed Bonner
Bridge and Pea Island thread and also
ask a couple of questions that might
provoke some "conversation".
How much access do we really want
to our wilderness areas? What if
interstate 40 went straight to Pea Island?
Isn't part of the pleasure in the isolation
and lack of crowds? Don't the birds
like SOME privacy?
Growing up in Carteret County (Morehead
City) with Atlantic Beach working it's
way towards being another Myrtle Beach
each year I really wonder how much
progress we can stand?
I am fortunate and am able to volunteer
with the National Park Service at Cape
Lookout National Sea Shore. Recently
there was a celebration as the
Lighthouse was "transferred" from the
Coast Guard to the NPS.
There were almost 5,000 people there
for the festivities. It was pretty cool
with the Marine Corp band, politicians
and the head of National Parks Director
Fran Malnella attending. Every one of
the people there that day had had to
make a sacrifice and either owned a
boat or paid a "ferry" to take them the
approximate 5 miles to South Core Banks.
Imagine if I-40 came to Core Banks!
In writing these thoughts I do so as an
individual and not in anyway as a spokes
person for the NPS.
I did enjoy the party BUT would be highly
offended if that many people came every
day! There was not a spot in the
sand that didn't have multiple foot prints.
At least most of the activity was confined
to the Keepers Quarters and
Lighthouse area.
In the "old" days when I graduated from
high school (No, I'm not ancient it was 1966
- well maybe a little gray! : ) - today
on June 26 - you could go to Atlantic Beach
and ride towards Salter Path and find a dozens
spots where you could just pull off the road and
go to the beach. Without much more effort you
could find a spot where you were the only person
there! Today this is not possible even in a
hurricane! You would bump into two TV
remote broadcasting vans jockeying for position.
OK - I know things change - not saying I'm
against progress and at least part of me
understands also that people from every
where have just as much "right" as I do to
enjoy the paradise in which we live.
But again how much progress can some of
these delicate areas stand?
Who should make these important decisions?
The "Feds" the Sierra Club, us? How can
we make a difference? Will there be Piping
Plovers for my grandkids? Will they have
access? What is the balance between progress,
accessibility and preservation?
Sincerely a "local",
Steve Benbow
Morehead City, NC
God Bless America!