On the front in South Mississippi, post Katrina

This is “Sunshine” week: a week set aside to celebrate our country’s laws that require public access to decision making. Yet while we celebrate our Sunshine laws, MDOT is not exactly in a sunny mood and is busy abhorring the public’s participation in project development. The new 610 Connector from Gulfport Canal Road to Wiggins may or may not be needed – at this point we haven’t seen the numbers – but their recent public meeting in Orange Grove was a demonstration of MDOT’s antipathy for public comment and inquiry. MDOT staff even told one inquirer that “maybe this is not a public meeting”…yet it was an advertised public scoping meeting for the EIS. After watching MDOT in response to hurricane recovery of our bridges, we are convinced that there is a great need for MDOT reform both in regards to MDOT’s attitude toward public process and in regard to their attitude toward 21^st century highway planning and design. MDOT and Mississippi’s office of FHWA seem dead set on ignoring the last 30 years of lessons learned, lessons that could dramatically improve traffic engineering and design. For the environment, 21^st Century “Context Sensitive Design and Solutions” would mean a great reduction in urban sprawl, sparing our wetlands and reducing cumulative/secondary impacts on wetlands and water quality. For the human community, “Context Sensitive Design and Solutions” would mean increased highway safety, better connectivity within urban and suburban areas and pedestrian-friendly, bicycle-friendly alternatives to automobiles. The MS Renewal Coalition, a GRN-Sierra partnership to address transportation and landuse alternatives during post-Katrina recovery, surely needs to push MDOT to a sunnier disposition!

Wetland impacts appear to be on the rise in south Mississippi with a several new developments going in without nationwide permits or regulatory penalties. While most of us are rebuilding our homes, businesses, churches and playgrounds, others are out making a quick buck at the expense of precious coastal wetlands. In fact, many of these impacts are actually being caused by the U.S. Army COE’s debris removal contractors – so those tasked with wetland protection are busy taking out those same wetlands….oops the fox is guarding the hen house again!

Governor Haley Barbour is to be commended for his vision for the future and response to Hurricane Katrina. The Governor’s Commission for Recovery, Rebuilding and Renewal paved the way for just that – recovery, rebuilding and renewal after Katrina. We only wish that local governments and developers would embrace the concepts and tools offered by the Commission. GRN needs to find ways to encourage citizens to encourage – even demand – that local public officials listen and follow the recommendations of the Commission, particularly in regards to creating a Gulf Region Utility and demanding better regional transportation planning and implementation.

Our communities will not benefit from better ideas unless those ideas are put into action NOW!

Cynthia Ramseur is the Mississippi Field Consultant for the GRN