Hurricanes are a fact of life on the Outer Banks. Prudent people take precautions to mitigate damage. On the other hand, there are some like the F&WS who actually invite disaster. In a location of historic erosion USF&W refused to restore the protective dune in front of their maintenance, office, storage and residence buildings. The dune  had been damaged by Isabel. The DOI desire to create shorebird habitat by overwash and return the island to a more “natural” condition is their policy. This policy led to the breach that destroyed public funded assets of buildings, roads and waterfowl impoundments (ponds). The result of this environmental policy is now an incredible cost to the public for bridge construction, road repair, ferry operation and loss of revenue from tourists who are the lifeblood of the island economy. Helicopters are used for emergency medical needs.

Ponds and forage damage occurred just at the beginning of the fall waterfowl migration. These ponds are the very reason that the Refuge was first created for waterfowl survival.

Road repair at Rodanthe was quickly accomplished by sand fill. The need to construct a bridge for the Pea Island breach has unnecessarily delayed the recovery efforts for the suffering people of the villages of Hatteras and Ocracoke Islands. As the result of the storm the F&WS can now justify the new buildings that they have long sought.

With their emphasis on the primacy of natural wildlife habitat the DOI continues their assault against the lives of humans on the Outer Banks. Congress should severely chastise the DOI for these actions and demand a change in those policies that damage the public including the recent efforts by the NPS to convert our Cape Hatteras National Seashore Recreational Area into bird sanctuaries.

This federal agency owes an apology to the people and a big pile of money to the state of North Carolina.

By...... Larry Hardham, President, Cape Hatteras Anglers Club.