Gulf Restoration Network

North Gulfport Deserves Better Blog - Healthy Waters / Dead Zone Monday, 17 December 2012 14:56

For decades, neighborhoods like Turkey Creek in North Gulfport, Mississippi have suffered the consequences from unchecked and irresponsible development. If developer Butch Ward gets his way, these same communities will soon lose hundreds of acres of wetlands that are crucial to their flood protection.

The security of these communities shouldn’t be sacrificed just to line the pockets of Butch Ward and his business partners. Tell the Army Corps to deny the permit for this massive wetlands fill:

http://grn.convio.net/site/Advocacy?pagename=homepage&id=481

The neighborhoods of North Gulfport and farther downstream already have flooding problems from ordinary storm water, not to mention tropical events. Wetlands act as sponges to hold storm water in the ground. While most of the wetlands loss in coastal Mississippi has been gradual and cumulative, this retail and commercial development would destroy 376 acres of wetlands in one big bang. Click here to urge the Corps to deny this permit.

In a bizarre twist, the Corps has proposed a project to protect and restore around 700 acres of wetlands in this same area to prevent flooding! How can the Corps consider approving a permit for a private development that will destroy hundreds of acres of wetlands, when they’re talking about spending tax-payer money to preserve some of these same areas?

North Gulfport deserves better - please take action to urge the Corps to deny this permit.

Raleigh Hoke is GRN's Mississippi Organizer.