What does the North Rabies on BHI? Carolina’s Sea Level By ...symptoms of rabies to appear in wild...

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W SUMMER 2012 INSIDE Red Bay ambrosia Beetle Report, What is a Pollywog, Turtle Central Update, 2012 Turtle Trot 5k, 2012 Picnic Information What does the North Carolina’s Sea Level Rise Legislation mean to Bald Head Island? By Suzanne E. Dorsey, Ph.D. Executive Director, BHI Conservancy hat does the North Carolina’s Sea Level Rise Legislation mean to Bald Head Island? On Tuesday June 12, the NC Senate approved a bill that addresses planning for sea level rise. In the house the text was recently modified to: House Bill 819 states: The Coastal Resources Commission shall be the only State agency authorized to define rates of sea level rise for regulatory purposes and, if developed, shall do so in conjunction with the Division of Coastal Management. The Commission and the Division of Coastal Management may collaborate with other State agencies, boards, commissions, other public entities, or institutions when defining sea level rise or developing rates of sea level rise. These rates shall be determined using statistically significant, peer reviewed historical data generated using generally accepted scientific and statistical Rabies on BHI? By Thomas E. Hancock, Ph.D., Director of Conservation There have been recent reports of strange fox and raccoon behavior on the island, but rabies has not been confirmed at this time. Much of the wildlife on-island, including fox and raccoons has become indifferent to human activity and in some instances have begun associating humans with food. This association can lead to strange behavior and bring these animals and humans in to close contact which is not good for either species. Additionally, many of the foxes on BHI have a mangy and starved appearance but this is often due to environmental conditions. Important rule-of-thumb…stay clear of wildlife and do not feed them. What is rabies? Rabies is a virus, typically transmitted to one animal from the bite (saliva) of a rabid animal. Most rabies cases reported to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) each year are from wild animals including raccoons, bats, skunks and foxes. Domestic animals are also susceptible, but account for fewer than 10% of reported cases in the United States. continued on page 2 continued on page 4

Transcript of What does the North Rabies on BHI? Carolina’s Sea Level By ...symptoms of rabies to appear in wild...

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Summer 2012

InSIde Red Bay ambrosia Beetle Report, What is a Pollywog, Turtle Central Update, 2012 Turtle Trot 5k, 2012 Picnic Information

What does the North Carolina’s Sea Level Rise Legislation mean to Bald Head Island?By Suzanne E. Dorsey, Ph.D.Executive Director, BHI Conservancy

hat does the North Carolina’s Sea Level Rise Legislation mean to Bald Head Island?

On Tuesday June 12, the NC Senate approved a bill that addresses planning for sea level rise. In the house the text was recently modified to:

House Bill 819 states:The Coastal Resources Commission shall be the only State agency authorized to define rates of sea level rise for regulatory purposes and, if developed, shall do so in conjunction with the Division of Coastal Management. The Commission and the Division of Coastal Management may collaborate with other State agencies, boards, commissions, other public entities, or institutions when defining sea level rise or developing rates of sea level rise. These rates shall be determined using statistically significant, peer reviewed historical data generated using generally accepted scientific and statistical

Rabies on BHI?By Thomas E. Hancock, Ph.D., Director of Conservation

There have been recent reports of strange fox and raccoon behavior on the island, but rabies has not been confirmed at this time. Much of the wildlife on-island, including fox and raccoons has become indifferent to human activity and in some instances have begun associating humans with food. This association can lead to strange behavior and bring these animals and humans in to close contact which is not good for either species. Additionally, many of the foxes on BHI have a mangy and starved appearance but this is often due to environmental conditions. Important rule-of-thumb…stay clear of wildlife and do not feed them.

What is rabies?Rabies is a virus, typically transmitted to one animal from the bite (saliva) of a rabid animal. Most rabies cases reported to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) each year are from wild animals including raccoons, bats,

skunks and foxes. Domestic animals are also susceptible, but account for fewer than 10% of reported cases in the United States.

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How is rabies transmitted?1. A raccoon (or fox) is bitten by a rabid animal.2. The rabies virus, carried by saliva, enters the raccoon through a tooth or claw puncture wound.3. The virus spreads through nerves to the spinal cord and brain.4. The virus incubates in the raccoon’s body for approximately 3-12 weeks. The raccoon shows no signs of illness during this period.5. When it reaches the brain, the virus multiplies rapidly, passing to the saliva glands with the raccoon slowly beginning to show signs of the disease.6. The infected animal usually dies within seven days of showing symptoms.

What are the signs and symptoms of rabies and who are carriers?

Rabies is transmitted by mammals, so on BHI the most common carriers of rabies are raccoons, foxes and bats. Although deer and rodents could carry rabies, they are much less likely to do so. It can often take weeks or even months for the first symptoms of rabies to appear in wild animals after they have been bitten by a rabid animal. A wide variety of symptoms can occur, including a loss of fear of humans, difficulty walking, erratic behavior, aggressive behavior, biting at inanimate objects, fear of water, appearance of choking or coughing, partial paralysis and foaming at the mouth.

What can you do?1. As stated before, stay clear of wildlife and do not feed them. 2. If you see raccoons or foxes displaying any of these signs and symptoms, please call Public Safety (910-457-5252) and the BHI Conservancy’s wildlife hotline (910-457-0089 ext. 5). 3. Keep your pets on a leash and be sure they are up-to-date on rabies vaccinations.

*Remember that it is not uncommon to see fox and

raccoons during the day on BHI and often they will not be afraid of humans due to their association with food.

For more informationhttp://slph.state.nc.us/virology-serology/rabies.asphttp://epi.publichealth.nc.gov/cd/diseases/rabies.htmlhttp://www.cdc.gov/rabies/

Conservation UpdatesRabies on BHI Continued from page 1by Tom E. Hancock, Ph.D., Director of Conservation

An Update on BHI Conservancy Laurel Wilt ActivitiesIntroductionThe healthy maritime forest we have on BHI protects the island, buffering property from the impact of storms and literally holding the sand together. A fungus transported by a non-native beetle threatens the maritime forest. The fungus is introduced to the trees via a non-native ambrosia beetle (Xyleborus glabratus) originally from Asia. It infects the Redbay (Persea borbonia), which makes up 30% of the understory trees in Bald Head Island’s maritime forest. A loss of such an important species could have negative effects on the forest community as a whole. We must protect the forest and do everything we can do to maintain the diversity of species. The beetle (and disease) can naturally spread at a rate of 15 miles per year, however human activity can increase this distance. In February 2012 the presence of the fungus was confirmed in Brunswick County during a survey conducted near Leland, NC (about 20 miles to our north). Given the proximity to Bald Head Island and the nature in which the beetle/fungus spread, the BHI Conservancy believes that the community needs to be proactive in preventing the disease from reaching our shores.

BHI Conservancy ActivitiesThrough the continued research work of Dr. John Taggart (UNCW), and beginning of new maritime

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Turtle CentralShopping here saves Sea Turtles

Turtle Central Gift Shop is having 2 specials over the week of July 4th. Get a FREE “SCOUT” limited edition tote with purchase of any “SCOUT” bag, while supplies last. Also you can get a FREE American Flag with purchase of $25.00 or more, while supplies last…perfect for decorating your golf cart. These specials last from July 1 through July 8.

What’s new at Turtle Central? We have beautiful artwork and pottery. You must see our gorgeous Arthur Court alligator line of aluminum serveware. “Add-a-kid” to one of our most popular kid’s onsies and tees for a fun gift that will be the talk of the town. We have turtle tents, turtle paper clips, turtle key chains, turtle pajamas and turtle table linens to name a few items of our turtle inventory. Garden stepping stones are coming. Our selection of puzzles, toys and books are the best on the island.

We hope you will stop by and spend some time enjoying the variety of merchandise and new tee shirt designs. Would love to see you soon.

If you forgot to pick up something from Turtle Central while you were here. Shop Online @www.bhic.org and Click on our On-line Store.

Don’t forget that 100% of the proceeds support the BHI Conservancy. Shopping here saves Turtles. We are open daily from 10 am to 5 pm

forest research studies with interns Mary Anderson and Kileigh Browing, the BHI Conservancy will maintain a watchful eye over the forest of BHI. Ms. Anderson and Ms. Browning are conducting a research project this summer to revisit historic North Carolina Vegetation Survey plots in the forest, and creating

a long-term monitoring program that the BHI Conservancy can use to monitor and assess the health of the maritime forest. This study will be important in our efforts to stay vigilant in regard to laurel wilt.

How the disease worksFemale red-bay ambrosia beetles fly to a “host” Redbay tree, boring into the bark. During this process a fungus carried by the beetle is introduced to the tree. The females create a cavity called a gallery in which they lay eggs. The tree responds to the fungus by shutting down sap transport inside the tree; this means that the tree tries to stop the spread of the fungus by applying a “tourniquet”. This action causes its leaves to wilt. Eventually the whole crown of the tree wilts and turns brown, killing the tree.

When a particular stand of trees is affected by the beetle and the fungus, 90% of the Redbay trees greater than 1 inch in diameter may die within 3 to 5 years. The beetle does not appear to affect smaller Redbays as they may not be big enough to build a gallery for eggs. Hopefully Redbay should be able to regenerate and avoid extinction in the short term. However, scientists believe the red-bay ambrosia beetle and laurel wilt will move across the entire habitat range in the southeastern United States. Female ambrosia beetles don’t need a male to reproduce, which means that one beetle can single handedly introduce the problem to a new

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Laurel Wilt from Page 2

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Sea Level Rise from Page 1

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techniques. Historic rates of sea level rise may be extrapolated to estimate future rates of rise but shall not include scenarios of accelerated rates of sea level rise unless such rates are from statistically significant, peer reviewed data and are consistent with historic trends.

This is an update from the original text, which said:

No rule, ordinance, policy, or planning guideline that defines the rate of sea-level rise5 shall be adopted except as provided by this section…. The Division of Coastal Management shall be the only State agency authorized to11 develop rates of sea-level rise and shall do so only at the request of the Commission. These12 rates shall only be determined using historical data, and these data shall be limited to the time13 period following the year 1900. Rates of sea-level rise may be extrapolated linearly to estimate14 future rates of rise but shall not include scenarios of accelerated rates of sea-level rise

Let’s start out with a few facts before we get to the implications of this legislation:

FACT 1) We can actually measure sea level rise. It is not something that needs to be modeled or extrapolated we measure it and the speed of rising waters is increasing.

NOAA—the National Oceanographic Atmospheric Administration…which is mandated to measure and report objectively on oceanic changes in the United States says the following about Sea level rise:

“There is strong evidence that global sea level is now rising at an increased rate and will continue to rise during this century. While studies show that sea levels changed little from AD 0 until 1900, sea levels began to climb in the 20th century. The two major causes of global sea-level rise are thermal expansion caused by the warming of the oceans (since water expands as it warms) and the loss of land-based ice (such as glaciers and polar ice caps) due to increased melting. Records and research show that sea level has been steadily rising at a rate of 1 to 2.5 millimeters (0.04 to 0.1 inches)

per year since 1900. This rate may be increasing. Since 1992, new methods of satellite altimetry (the measurement of elevation or altitude) indicate a rate of rise of 3 millimeters (0.12 inches) per year. This is a significantly larger rate than the sea-level rise averaged over the last several thousand year”http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/sealevel.html

Here are two graphs illustrating coastal increases. The first depicts North Carolina’s water level increase note the 2.04mm increase per year at Southport. The second graph from the intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) shows that the speed of sea level rise is increasing—doubling about every decade.

Sea level rise is a real and measureable phenomenon. The relevance to BHI is two fold. Acutely it can interact with storms and increase the height of waves. Wave height is determined by the ferocity of the storm (wind), the tidal height, storm surge, and sea level.

When engineers design your home they calculate the magnitude of the wave forces acting against buildings. To survive the impact of waves engineers elevate your home above the highest wave crest.

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2012

TURTLE TROT 5k

Pre-register by calling the BHI Conservancy at 1-910-457-0089 ext 10

P.O. Box 3109, 700 Federal Road, BHI, NC 28461

910-338-0938, www.BHIC.org

Monday, July 30 • Registration 8:30am-9:15am• Run/Walk begins: 9:30 am

• Awards Ceremony 10:30 am• Pre-registration $35 adult, $25 children 14 and under, closes at 4pm on Thursday, July 26th

• Race day registration $40 per person, $30 children under 14 (all registrations include a t-shirt)

Awards will be given for the following categories:Overall male and female fastest time14 and under male and female fastest time15-39 male and female fastest time40 and over male and female fastest time

Enjoy a 3.1 mile(5k) beach/road run/walk to support the BHI Conservancy’s conservation efforts.

Water and snacks provided before and after the race. Additional food will be available for purchase at Mike’s Bites on the Conservancy Campus.

Water stations will be placed every 0.5 miles along the course attended by two interns/staff members.

The race route starts at the Conservancy, continues to access 34, then out along the beach around Cape Fear with a beautiful view of Frying Pan Shoals to access 42 and back through Cape Fear Station finishing at the Conservancy.

10:30 am Awards Ceremony at the Conservancy

All proceeds from the event provide for the utility vehicleswe use to patrol and protect

the sea turtles. This is a fundraising event for the

BHI Conservancy.

All proceeds from the event provide for the utility vehicleswe use to patrol and protect

the sea turtles. This is a fundraising event for the

BHI Conservancy.

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What is a Pollywog?Kendyll Goeman, Environmental Educator/Outreach Coordinator

What is a pollywog? Have you ever heard this term before? After mating, female frogs lay a gelatinous clutch of eggs in water. After hatching, the free- swimming larva will continue to grow into a pollywog. Pollywogs are characterized by their long tail and large head. At this stage of life, pollywogs are vulnerable to many predators. They remain covertly concealed in aquatic vegetation and primarily feed on algae. This young frog is most commonly referred to as a tadpole. Amazingly, these tadpoles will begin to grow legs- first back legs and then front legs. These pollywogs undergo a remarkable metamorphosis in preparation for life as a terrestrial being. Originally bound to the water with gills, these pollywogs will shortly absorb their tails, grow more substantial legs, expand their digestive system, develop lungs, and take on the characteristics of an adult frog.

This term was cleverly adopted for our youngest summer camp. Camp Pollywog, for ages 4-6, is a great introduction to the natural world, in a safe atmosphere. The goal for all of our children’s camps this summer is to learn to live in harmony with nature. To do this, campers will focus on a specific class of animals each week. Campers will learn how to identify different creatures through games, crafts, hands-on activities, and island exploration.

This year, new camp curriculum allows the “Pollywoggers” to stretch their newly grown legs by playing a greater role in the BHI Conservancy’s mission. The majority of each camp session will be spent outside. So far this summer, the “Pollywoggers” have helped Conservancy staff clear space for a native plant garden, aided in a beach clean- up, and cared for our saltwater and reptile education animals. Our staff’s enthusiasm and guidance will aid them in this pivotal pollywog transition. Come and grow with the Bald Head Island Conservancy this summer!

For more information about our summer camps and to sign up, please visit www.bhic.org or call the BHIC Information Center at (910) 338-0911.

Monday, July 2:BHI Conservancy Benefit PICNIC

Picnic 4-8 PM The Commons at Cape Fear Station

Kids Activities Food by the Maritime Market

Bake Sale Beer Garden

Live Music by Mark Daffer Silent Auction

Raffle Free Admission

Raffle and Food Tickets available from Turtle Central gift Shop, BHI Conservancy Info Center and Maritime Market prior to

the event and at the event.

Meal tickets: $15/booklet

Raffle tickets: $50 each, buy 10 get 2 free

700 Federal Road 910-457-0089 www.bhic.org

Monday, July 2:BHI Conservancy Benefit PICNIC

Picnic 4-8 PM The Commons at Cape Fear Station

Kids Activities Food by the Maritime Market

Bake Sale Beer Garden

Live Music by Mark Daffer Silent Auction

Raffle Free Admission

Raffle and Food Tickets available from Turtle Central gift Shop, BHI Conservancy Info Center and Maritime Market prior to

the event and at the event.

Meal tickets: $15/booklet

Raffle tickets: $50 each, buy 10 get 2 free

700 Federal Road 910-457-0089 www.bhic.org

Monday, July 2:BHI Conservancy Benefit PICNIC

Picnic 4-8 PM The Commons at Cape Fear Station

Kids Activities Food by the Maritime Market

Bake Sale Beer Garden

Live Music by Mark Daffer Silent Auction

Raffle Free Admission

Raffle and Food Tickets available from Turtle Central gift Shop, BHI Conservancy Info Center and Maritime Market prior to

the event and at the event.

Meal tickets: $15/booklet

Raffle tickets: $50 each, buy 10 get 2 free

700 Federal Road 910-457-0089 www.bhic.org

Thank you to our picnic

sponsors!

Photo courtesy of Donna Findley

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Search: BHI Conservancy

area. How you can help protect Bald Head Island and your property?

With informed citizens making responsible decisions, we can slow the spread of Laurel Wilt and the Redbay Ambrosia Beetle. The natural movement of the beetle is exacerbated by human activities such as transporting firewood and mulch. Redbay ambrosia beetles carrying the fungus can persist in cut logs or firewood, long after the wood is dead. In one instance in South Carolina, a landscaping company cut wood in one county and dumped the contaminated wood in a different county, resulting in the beetle moving over 100 miles at one time.

1. Use mulch from the Bald Head Island mulch site. We KNOW we don’t have the disease on BHI but any other location must be treated with suspicion. The beetle has been observed in FL, GA, SC, and MS, so mulch from those areas should be avoided, as well as the counties in NC that have experienced Laurel Wilt.

2. If you use firewood on BHI, make sure it’s from an area or a species (not lauraceae family) that has not yet been affected by the disease. Firewood should be avoided from FL, GA, SC, and MS, as well as the counties in NC that have observed Laurel Wilt.

3. Call the BHI Conservancy if you suspect you have Laurel Wilt on your property. Staff will determine the best way to remove the trees and prevent the spread of the disease in our forest.

IT IS ALWAYS RECOMMENDED TO USE LOCAL BHI SOURCES FOR MULCH OR FIREWOOD.

Go to the USDA Forest Service website for more information at: http://www.fs.fed.us/r8/foresthealth/laurelwilt/

The Bald Head Island Conservancy is gathering information on a potential program for inoculating

trees with a fungicide that may be effective in preventing or delaying the onset of laurel wilt disease.. Researchers in the southern United States have been experimenting with this process as a means of preserving a few larger, more valuable red-bay trees, as it is quite expensive and labor intensive so it does not allow for complete inoculation of all trees.

The Bald Head Island Conservancy will continue to research this disease and monitor its developments to keep BHI stakeholders current on the situation. Please do your part to help the maritime forest of BHI! We can make a difference and protect the diversity of our forest, which in turn protects the island.

IMPORTANT NOTE: The Redbay trees on BHI are already affected by a NATIVE ambrosia beetle, which kills branches or portions of the crown of the tree. Distinguishing between damage caused by the non-native ambrosia beetles and the native ambrosia beetles can be very difficult, requiring inspection of the inner bark and most likely sending samples to a forest pathogen laboratory for analysis. If you notice dead or dying portions of Redbay trees on your property, this does not necessarily mean that the trees have contracted laurel wilt disease. There is a good chance they are simply responding to the native beetle species. Call the Conservancy (910 457 0089) and we will make an assessment of your property.

References:Harmon C.L., and Brown, R. 2009. Laurel Wilt and the Redbay Amrosia Beetle, Standard Operating Procedure for Plant Diagnostic Laboratories. Report to the National Plant Diagnostic Network. 11 pages.

Mayfield, A, et al. 2009. Recovery Plan for Laurel Wilt on Redbay and Other Forest Species. National Plant Disease Recovery System. 2009.

Laurel Wilt from Page 3

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Sea Level Rise from Page 4

Even elevated structures, however, must be designed for large wave forces that can act over a relatively small surface area of the foundation and supporting structure.

Wave load depend on the initial computation of the wave height and the orientation of that wave relative to your home. Wave height is a combination of the sea level and the force from the storm. Small increases in sea level increase the wave height and can cause big changes in the damage to your home. A few millimeters of change in sea level causes that storm wave to be just that much higher. This small change might make the difference between your home surviving a wave and being destroyed.

When a home is destroyed by a storm wave the debris field often can result in significant damage to adjacent homes. It is a domino effect of destruction. The second relevance rising seas have for BHI has to do with flooding. For those that might not live directly on the coastline the cumulative impacts of sea level rise will ultimately result in flooding. For every 1 foot (25-50 years) of sea level rise you lose (on average) 5,000 acres of land. If you think about the time frame of 25 to 50 years and the area on Bald Head we are talking about an important hit on our community.

FACT 2) Scientists HATE to agree on anything and yet…

Scientists generally have big egos. We don’t like to be lumped in with a consensus. We make our reputation by disproving theories and debunking the consensus. That’s why it can take years for a theory to gain widespread acceptance. According to a 2009 study by Doran and Zimmerman when 3000 publishing scientists were surveyed 82% agreed that changing global temperatures are in part due to human activity, 97% of the scientist that called themselves climatologists agreed.. So as Doran and Zimmerman concluded: “It seems that the debate on the authenticity of global warming and the role played by human activity is largely nonexistent among those who understand the nuances and scientific basis of long-term climate processes.”http://tigger.uic.edu/%7Epdoran/012009_Doran_final.pdf

Science advances when constant challenges fail to disprove a theory. The theory of climate change was formed in the 1970s and has withstood 40 years of challenges to become broadly accepted. What the future will bring as far as specific climate in specific areas IS difficult to predict. But, sea level rise has been one area where there is broad consensus. The conversations within the scientific community about sea level rise are not if it will happen but how it will happen. Professionals hypothesize that as ice shelves melt there could be pulses of increased sea level instead of the smooth graph depicted in the IPCC graph above. As a community on the front lines of sea level rise these considerations should be a part of your toolbox as you make plans for the next 2 or 20 years.

FACT 3) Bald Head Island has always been ahead of the curve in using objective information to inform environmental decision making.

Bald Head Island has been a community of innovators and environmental leaders. The Conservancy was founded, according to our articles of incorporation, to use the services of professional marine scientists in the study of the processes of barrier island erosion and accretion to prevent damage preserve the environment and natural resources of Bald Head Island. Throughout our history the island has gone above the state or federally mandated requirements in place to protect coastlines. Preserving our maritime forest was not mandated by the state or the feds but by protecting trees on BHI, the community has ensured a natural defense against storms and salt water intrusion.

Planning requires factual information based on the best measurable data. Sea level rise, unlike some of the complex predictions about global climate change is relatively simple and has been measured locally and globally for the past 100 years.

FACT 4) The legislation really has no policy teeth.

What impact will the new general assembly legislation about sea level rise have on Bald Head Island? In short it will have no real impact on how

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photos by Donna Finley,Tom Hancock

Join professional naturalists on a guided tour of the wildlife hotspots of Bald Head Island! Each tour includes transportation to, from, and around Bald Head Island, as well as a 2 hour guided tour which will focus on the best wildlife areas for the particular season you are visiting. Take the opportunity to see birds, mammals, reptiles, and other amazing wildlife by exploring our pristine beaches, maritime forest, and marshes. $50/participant, includes ferry ticket and transportation on island.

• Groups of 4-16 people can be accommodated, with additional options available for larger groups.

Tours available September-April. Call 910-457-0089, ext.16 for availability.

Island Nature ToursBald Head Island’s commitment to use good practices to live sustainably on a changing coastline. The bad new is that such legislations suggests the way Bald Head Island has made environmental choices over the past 30 years is somehow invalid.

When asked how this policy might impact our renourishment needs for South and West beaches a policy analysis at the Coastal Resource Commission (CRC) responded that it would have no impact. Renourishment is determined by federal funding for the Army Corps and based on the needs of the channel. Private placement of sand, should it be required again, is based on short term erosion rates and the immediate needs of BHI beaches.

But what if a long term plan to address erosion caused by sea level rise on East Beach were developed? Erosion on East Beach, while complex year to year, on a decadal scale will be primarily due to sea level rise. As the rate increases the island will have to make decisions about how to respond. For now, the island has gotten away with sand fences, sand pushes, and the excellent planning that has homes far back from the primary dune line.

Rising sea levels offer only a few solutions for coastal communities: renourishment, hardening, and retreat. Hardening is the use of groins, sea walls or jetties. Ultimately retreat will be the only viable option…but when? If you don’t know the real rate of sea level rise or you are using incorrect information then you will make costly mistakes. It took the Village of BHI more than 5 years to secure all the permits necessary to privately place sand on South and West Beach. Planning for renourishment requires decadal thinking. You can see how using objective data is important for a response to the increasing pressures on all our beaches. The CRC policy annalist assured me that for any village sponsored plan; all we would have to do is censor the words “sea level rise” and replace with “accelerated erosion rates.”

To say this seems a ridiculous requirement for intelligent, proactive people is an understatement. To prohibit the use of peer reviewed science in long term local planning threatens the natural and human infrastructure that we all depend upon.

What can you do?

Educate yourself about this issue both on the national and state level and contact your representatives to express your opinion. Sea level is rising and it is speeding up. To sit here and pretend otherwise will result in costly impacts to Bald Head Island. The legislation is in the house committee and the text has been amended. Please keep up to date with the latest versions. Please take the time to communicate with your state senator or legislator, please ask them to use the best resources, based peer reviewed science to inform their policy.

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700 Federal Road · P.O. Box 3109Bald Head Island, NC 28461

910-457-0089 www.BHIC.org · [email protected]

“Nature is painting for us, day after day, pictures of infinite beauty.” - John Ruskin, (1819-1900)

Moreover the move to a one-size-fits-all policy for North Carolina will stifle the innovation that has been the hallmark of Bald Head Island. Tell your house representatives that local planning provides for innovations and solutions that can then be applied more broadly.

Planning is part of our cultural heritage on Bald Head Island. The role of the BHI Conservancy is to help develop plans using objective data and providing practical choices about how to respond to our changing natural landscape. Or, as Dr. Thad Wester, our founding president stated:

“We are still running, sustained by shared dreams, powered by creative energy, provoked by our “outrageous ambitions”, guided by thoughtful planning and fully aware of our traditions. Indeed this heritage is out beacon still…to live in harmony with nature.”

UPDATE

The Village of Bald Head Island, working alongside its

coastal neighbors Caswell Beach and Oak Island, have gotten language included in the draft bill that would direct the Coastal Resources Commission (by the General Assembly) to recognize the unique and non-natural qualities of the Cape Fear River Inlet. This addition, if ultimately approved by the General Assembly, would likely ensure that any policy development within a proposed new Cape Fear River Area of Environmental Concern (AEC) would take into consideration these unique and non-natural of our area. Specifically the shipping channel’s strong negative impact on our area beaches and results in the island needing renourishment on a two year cycle. The Village staff worked with Jeff Warren, Senior Policy Advisor on Environment, Energy, and Regulatory Affairs for the Office of the President Pro Tempore and former DCM Coastal Hazards Policy Analyst to amend the legislation. According to Chris McCall, Shoreline Protection Manager at

the Village of BHI: “This will essentially give us a seat at the table providing us the ability for some input/control in the process.”

The current language (as of June 26) is:Section 4: The Coastal Resources Commission shall study the feasibility of creating a new Area of Environmental Concern for the lands adjacent to the mouth of the Cape Fear River. In studying this region, which shall at least encompass the Town of Caswell Beach and the Village of Bald Head Island, the Commission shall consider the unique coastal morphologies and hydrographic conditions not found elsewhere along the coast. If the Commission deems action is necessary to preserve, protect, and balance the economic and natural resources of this region, the Commission shall work to eliminate overlapping Areas of Environmental Concern in these areas and, instead, incorporate appropriate development standards into one single Area of Environmental Concern unique to this location.

Sea Level Rise from Page 9