First I want to thank the coastal reserve for hosting this meeting.
Giving the public information, and getting feedback, is important to maintaining the Public's trust in how our Coastal Reserves are being managed.
I moved here 5 years ago and was thrilled to discover Masonboro Island in my back yard
Having come from Wyoming, I likened Masonboro to Yellowstone and Teton National Park. The island is a great local resource everyone in the state should be proud of.
You can imagine how upset I was when I first heard about the uproar caused by the annual 4th of July bash. The pictures did not look anything like the island I know and love. I was happy to know that within a day or two volunteers quickly cleaned up the mess. What upset me most was that it was the first time I heard that closing the island was a possibility. That is when I found out Masonboro Island was part of the Coastal Reserve. I was amazed that closing it might even be an option. When I mentioned this to a few lifelong residents I was even more amazed by their reaction. One after another stated that "It would be terrible if they did that" I kind of was looking for the reaction people might give from places I have lived like California, Wyoming or New Jersey. It would be more like "Over my dead body" So I got a little involved.
I contacted people from the coastal reserve and talked to them. I was relieved after meeting them. They are exactly the types of people I would hope the state would hire to look after places like Masonboro. They love the Island and genuinely care about protecting it. Working with them I paid for a Public Service Announcement that was placed in the Lumina News. I felt better that I did something. Then quickly forgot about the issue, until this year.
When I got back from my summer vacation I heard how terrible the annual party was. The next day almost a ton of trash was collected by volunteers. And again the public debate, articles in the paper and more threats to close the island. Then in late August the new signs on Masonboro Island appeared. The first rule stated that Dogs must be on a leash. That is when I realized that the tide was rising against Public Access. Maybe not this year but if things continue the way they are headed I doubt our Children will be taking their kids over to the island.
How can this happen?
Well every couple of years the States Management plan gets revised. With out a public voice fighting for the continued right of traditional use the language defining the public rights has changed dramatically. The original mission statement was for Research, Education and Recreation. Now three plans later it reads Research, Education and Example? Every mention of the publics right of use has either been taken out or seriously watered down. Years from now with no mention of public use in the management plan, I can imagine some self-serving state employee deciding they should close the island.
On Labor day the county sheriff issued tickets to people whose dogs were off leash. How did that rule get changed? I have looked at the Management plans and I did not see a rule change. The Original draft says Pets must be under control. The Public Service announcement I paid for last year stated that visitors should maintain control of your pet.
Then how did it get changed? Not through any public review process.
Maybe it was the budget they had for new signs and figured they would go ahead and put it on the sign. After all it is the county law. That argument falls short when you look at who is responsible for managing Masonboro Island. It is not the county. In fact I don’t think any representative from New Hanover County has a decision making role in the management of Masonboro island. That is done by the state with oversight and approval by NOAA. As the state’s managing authority the Coastal Reserves Policy would supersede the county leash law. I think changing the rule without public input was a mistake. It has created backlash from the public because they rightly feel something was taken away from them.
Quoting the North Carolina Coastal Federation, “People who love something will want to protect it.”
That’s exactly what happened on Masonboro Island. It was local families who for generations had been using Masonboro Island that fought to protect the island from development. They were incredibly proud when the state took over management of the island. I don’t believe one of them ever thought the state would limit their children from enjoying the island the way they had all of their lives.
In the end Masonboro belongs to the people. If the state acknowledged this and gave the public more ownership the resulting pride would produce greater support for the Reserves programs. Heck the Turtles might even do better. Look at Carolina and Wrightsville Beach. People campout to make sure turtle nests are not disturbed. They mother the newly hatched turtles into the water. On Masonboro the foxes are winning. They do 95% of the habitat destruction. Do we have any research this year to show how many nests made it? With public support, education and awareness, we could.
That is why I have started an organization called Masonboro.org. Our mission is to be a public voice that will be heard. We want to support the Reserves mission in Research and Education but we feel supporting Public use should also be part of that mission. With the Publics support the Coastal Reserve can accomplish so much more. The country loves Yellowstone It continues to be an incredible pristine natural resource while accommodating millions of visitors a year. I would like to think the 5% of the island most people go to can handle the impact. If not I would like to see the research that shows it can’t before any new rule limits the public enjoyment of OUR island.
Posts
