Comments on: North Carolina Wildlife Commission Says No to US Navy’s Plan to Use Avitrol

By: Moose

Moose — Thu, 22 Mar 2007 04:11:57 +0000

I would agree with a lot of what you say Susan but I’m not convinced that there is not a place in the state of NC to put the OLF. I just know within a few miles of a National Wildlife Refuge with the number of large birds that are there every winter and the other species that live year round it’s not a very good idea.

By: susan

susan — Wed, 21 Mar 2007 21:53:41 +0000

North Carolina is nearly unmatched in their support of the military and in the number of military installations situated there. As a pro-military advocate, I have always supported the military’s need for areas in which to practice operations that will make and keep our armed force personnel proficient, especially facilities like Bogue Field in Carteret County; it was there years before the “tony residences” came to Emerald Isle and decided to run the Marines out. We TarHeels should have seen the writing on the wall when the DoD agreed to leave Vieques, Puerto Rico, where so much naval land/sea training took place. Such training had to be provided somewhere. But North Carolina should not have to absorb every new military installation requirement for the entire U.S., especially when the cost is so high regarding the disturbance of natural waterfowl habitat. North Carolina politicians who approved this decision to welcome the OLF are poor stewards of our diminishing wet and wild lands. Susan

By: Moose

Moose — Sat, 17 Mar 2007 21:48:09 +0000

My understanding is that this area is made up by a lot of family farms many owned for many generations and most do not have a desire to sell. If you look at a map the location is pretty evenly split between the three primary bases that would use it. The current OLF is in Virginia and development has encroached on that area and the VA politicians have supported it moving somewhere else. Governor Easily has stated on a number of occasions that he and the rest of the state government is willing to work with the feds on finding a location that will have less of an impact but thus far the US Navy is unwilling. Our Senators I suspect want to tow the party line on this and also not come out as opposing anything to do with the military.

By: Mike

Mike — Sat, 17 Mar 2007 16:22:33 +0000

It would be interesting to understand who actually owns the land the USN is looking at and any political affiliations of the land owners, hence profiting from their landing strip. It is curious that our US senators are not listening to their constituency on this and proposing alternative sites. There are hundreds of miles of potentially suitable alternative sites along the mid Atlantic seaboard. Who’s really behind this? Landing strips can be built in lots of places but we will never be able to replicate the unique habitat and natural wildlife resources.