[nnasnet] Chincoteague

From: Tom Saunders <birdnerd53@xxxxxxxxx>
To: nnasnet@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Thu, 13 Oct 2011 13:15:27 -0400
All,

The message that follows was posted on the Va-Bird mailing list by Harry
Armistead. Harry lives in Philadelphia but spends at least two months a year
on the Eastern Shore. Many of you know him from his informative reports that
usually follow his annual four week visit to Kiptopeke and the summaries of
his Christmas Bird Counts. Harry is the compiler of both the Cape Charles
and Nassawadox CBC's. I know many of you visit Chincoteague and appreciate
how special a place it is. I thought you might benefit from Harry's comments
about the unfortunate situation that exists over there right now. He's a
straight shooter.

Tom Saunders
Balls Neck

Here it is:

*

Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge is under attack by locals for its
Comprehensive Conservation Plan (CCP), which suggests eliminating big
parking areas at the beach, moving them north on Assateague Island,
instituting a trolley service, and/or establishing a parking lot somewhere
else.  Essentially those opposed, mainly islanders, see the refuge’s main
interest for them as maintaining a big parking area at the beach that they
can drive to.



I have it on good authority from a person with major responsibility (but not
on the refuge staff) that the refuge manager, Lou Hinds, has received death
threats, refuge staff have been spat upon in the local supermarket, and
islanders sympathetic to the refuge and its plans have been intimidated.



Every few years the beach parking areas are destroyed or seriously damaged
by storms, resulting in great expense and effort to reestablish them.  Much
as I sympathize with the refuge, I would have thought they would have
anticipated strong opposition to some of the suggestions in the CCP.  Perhaps
they did and have the courage to go ahead with them anyway.



If you want to comment on the CCP the deadline is October 31.  Mail your
comments to Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge, ATTN: CCP Coordinator, P.
O. Box 62, Chincoteague, Virginia 23336.



You may also send them via e-mail.  Go to:  chinco.fws.gov  to see how to do
this.  Or else just Google “Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge”



This site also gives the full text of the CCP as well as the latest CCP
newsletter.  For some reason I have been unable to open this on my computer.



This hostility is the same sort of syndrome that led to the shooting of
refuge manager John H. Buckalew in the mid-1940s and to the vilification of
a person I know at Cape Hatteras who spoke up for Piping Plovers.  This
later person had nails dumped in his driveway, was refused service at local
restaurants, and saw wanted posters with his photograph posted at local
businesses.



If these doings are not your idea of democracy then express your views as
suggested above, as well as to others in positions of power and
influence.  Otherwise,
we may end up in the hands of the Philistines and mob rule.  I can’t imagine
how it feels to receive a death threat or other examples of the hostility
going on now.



-Harry Armistead, Philadelphia.
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[nnasnet] Chincoteague

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