fra It? 22

The Herald and The Lantern

Wednesday, January 14,1981

The Saturation Point

By ARTHUR M. APPK1.L If it has occurred to any reader to wonder why I have written a few letters, it is because of evils I see t pening in Sea Isle City, which are going to end .m a mass strangulation of the individual What I'm trying to say is that where money and "investment” are put immoderately before the whole of nature, the

margin of safety for barrier island-living is jeopardized. One day the •Bglnd" inhabitants are goijjfe to find themselves enmeshed in a tragedy due to the folly of stubbornness in the face of a grim reality. Thfe festering "developing” madness which is leading politicians to comrtiit devastation toward private-Kome owners, as well as the

island’s very earthfourfdation, might possibly be allev&ted by a cautious respect for Wure, which in turn should put the human element in proper perspective. Either quietly or violently, a once normal coast is informing all entrepreneurs that there is a saturation point, beyond which the shore’s natural function no longer

flourishes - and eventually "will go undef.” I regret to see the blind passion which prevents seeing the hostility, which is suffocating a good natural life Warning signals from( wetland grasses, sun and tide are clear — ever stronger, ever deadlier. x Arthur Murray Appell is a resident of 56th St.. Sea Isle City.

‘Either quietly or violently, a once normal coast is informing all entrepreneurs that there is a saturation point... ’

Once Again,

It's both good news and bad news that the U S Fish and Wildlife Service of the Dept, of the Interior is planning to take a close look at the South Cape May meadows in an attempt to sec that this important wildlife habitat is kept' out of developers' hands. The good news is, of course, that the action is being taken; because the acreage of active farmland, pasture', marsh and beach plays such a vital role to migratory birds in an area which has been calico one of the world’s ten greatest birding hot spots. The news is also good because the meadows in particular the dune that extends along its two mile-long beachfront -r may now get the proper government attention it deserves in terms of some kind of action to prevent, or at least alleviate, the flooding of low-lying adjacent areas, particularly the Fow Tract section of West Cape May. ,

e aim: m ay II I f -V co ~ v fmalu ly fr.O tea O *••«*•*• Coaporailqn AvaloM. NJMM1 John H. Andrut II [ditor . a AdvertiMnq W iliam J. Adoim Direttor Darrall Kopp » , ' Publisher Phona H7-3313 tor Nowi or Advertising Information DEADLINES Nows A Photos Thursday Advertising Erlday • 3 p.m. Classified Advertising Monday - Noon Maltk*' partldpatlnv aOaaatlaaaa nar *S» pwbMaSaca at tSa HISAID .III k» >a«eaa>«Jbla a. HaMa tar -.lalttfaaaaatlaa. typayaoMwl arrars. m*t. la any Mwa TSa aOltar raaaraaa tSa rl«S« »a arfl* aay'lattaa ac artMaa wSaHttae ta* Aaablkallaa.

Uncle Sam to

THE NEWS IS BAD to the extent that it once again makes a mockery of so-called Home Rule. Under that concept, local government is supposed to take the right actions because it is closest to the people and therefore is best acquainted with the problem and possible solution. Even in principle this theory may not hold up. For instance, one would expect that in a given, relatively small area, there may not be the expertise or the financial resources to adequately determine the precise cause of a roblem, let alone come up with a nowledgeable solution. On the other hand, it would be expected that the best minds would have a better chance to become involved in the wider the frame of reference; in this case, by involving larger units of government. ONE NEED LOOK no further than #nost local zoning ordinances and how they treat building on or near the beach — most don’t adequately prohibit construction in or near the dunes, for instance — to see that Home Rule has been a failure. ' It is little wonder the state is coming in with some form of dune and shorefront protection legislation Just as it really isn’t all that surprising that the state and federal governments were forced to take a firm stand in the Pinelands. Unless a particular area is inhabited by a well educated and concerned population who have the fortitude to stand up to the developers, real estate interests, and proratables politicians — there is little chance for Home Rule to be pieaningful in any other sense than it allows a certain segment of the local population to improve its own financial standing at the expense of the natural resources and grand vistas that should belong to all.

the Rescue • , * / * . TO A LARGE EXTENT, Home Rule created much of the flood problem associated with South Cape May Meadows. Home Rule allowed homes to be built in low-lying flood plains. Home Rule permitted the filling in or blocking off of much of the overflow area adjacent to Cape Island Creek, which provided a natural outlet for flood waters. Home Rule, in short, has botched it in far too many places far too often, ’fhank goodness we have outsiders to show us from time to time how we’re not only missing the forest for the trees, but destroying them in the process. , —The Herald

‘‘There'* Something Wrong WHh A Sockd Security Sy*tem Thot Gives You A Feeling Ol Insecurity...''