An Open Letter From a Chincoteaguer Regarding Planned Changes at the Assateague National Seashore

This is a letter reprited from The Chincoteague Beacon, the weekly local newspaper for Chincoteague Island, Virginia.  It is in today's edition, and has a headline of: "Consider the Hard Reality of a Beach Bus"
 This letter is in reference to the two comments in this past Saturday's Eastern Shore News "Two Cents Worth" section concerning the Assateague Beach and the residents of Chincoteague Island.  I would like to give the readers and the Two Cents writers some education on the subject and tell you why the vast majority of us are strongly opposed to some of the points in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Comprehensive Conservation Plan.
» Did you know that Chincoteague Island supplies around one third of the county's tax revenue? This 7-mile-long, 1-mile-wide stretch of land is a huge financial source for the county. It's not bragging; these are facts.
If Chincoteague's tax base dries up, so does the county. I bring this up because in the 2010 survey conducted by the town over 80 percent of those surveyed (these came from all across the country) said that they would vacation elsewhere if they had to take a trolley to enjoy the beach.
No people here to spend money in hotels, restaurants and gift shops means less tax revenue for Chincoteague, and means less tax revenue for the county -- which means fewer services for the people of the county.
» The cost to repair parking lots on Assateague, should they wash over, is around $500,000 per wash over. In my opinion, that is excessive but we all know how the government likes to spend money.
I'm sure Benny Hall and Joe Justice could haul pack soil and oyster shells all day long at a cheaper price than that, but nevertheless, the good old government says it cost that much, so be it.
My point here is that $1.5 million could have gone a long way to repair these lots should a wash over occur (which doesn't happen every year) and not be spent on purchasing land that has to be developed and then hiring trolley drivers, buying the trolleys, insurance and more.
I can't wait to see how much all that will add up to, can you? I bet it is more than $500,000.
» Say you are forced to take a trolley if you want to go to the beach on Assateague. I hope you are going alone and only taking a book because if you want to take your family here is what you are up against: beach chairs, coolers, umbrellas, beach toys, boogie boards, beach bags and junior in tow.
Take the time to pack all this in your car, park the car in shuttle lot, unload the car in shuttle parking lot.
Tote all the items to the pickup area and hold junior's hand because other cars are zipping through.
Wait for shuttle bus under the sweltering sun.
Here comes the trolley, pack all your stuff on it and ride over to unload area, unload all your stuff and walk to open space of beach.
What? You thought they would drop you off anywhere on the beach to your desired spot?
Walk to your desired spot, lay it all out. Look through your bag and discover you left your medicine, sunscreen, and hat in the car or at the hotel room. Too bad.
Better yet, lay out all your stuff and behind you in the distance you see a nasty storm rolling in. What? You want to take cover in your car?
No can do, now you must wait outside in the open with all your stuff and junior crying because he has sand is his shorts. Gosh, sounds like fun to me; does it to you?
And let's not forget this scenario -- you go with some friends and everyone has all their stuff and God forbid one of your friends gets really sick or injured, the ambulance comes and whisks you away. What now?
Think that nice ambulance crew is going to take all your stuff or your friends stuff on the ambulance? Don't think so.
I bring all this up because have some of you really thought this out? I think not.
» Did you know that the CCP plan calls for moving the recreational beach farther north? The USFWS would have to destroy massive amounts of vegetation and environment to accomplish this, not to mention millions and millions of dollars of taxpayer money.
That's right, your money. That is everything that goes against its mission statement.
  Also, the alternatives propose reducing the pony herd, not allowing recreational horseback riding and not opening any new oyster and clam grounds should any more become available through leases not renewed.
  These are just a few points to be made. There are many more.
I invite the two writers who wrote to the Two Cents Worth column obtain copies of the plan and read it from cover to cover, then comment.  Until then please don't, unless you have something useful to comment about.  One writer said that we wouldn't be happy if the refuge manager made gold bricks for us up here and the other said they were tired of hearing us complain about this issue and they wouldn't mind riding the trolley.  For the one who made the gold brick comment, the refuge manager isn't making gold bricks, he is making a fool of those few who are falling for his plans.  He lied to me right to my face about acquiring the campground land. He tells you everything you want to hear, then he lowers the boom on you. For the person who wrote the comment about not minding taking the shuttle, go back and read the above scenario.
  The bottom line here is that the federal government is trying to shut down America one town at a time. No, we don't have large factories like in the Midwest or auto makers or huge banks like Wall Street.  What we have is a beach, a nice town and a beautiful Eastern Shore unique in so many ways and all of us should be on the same page in arguing against this. Only then will we succeed in showing that our voices matter. We all may live on different parts of the Shore but all of us are the Shore.
Thank you for reading and if you are interested in learning more about this subject and how it will affect Chincoteague Island the entire Shore, please go to the town's website at: http://www.chincoteague-va.gov
The writer lives on Chincoteague Island.