OUR COAST, CONDOS & THE MOUSE WHO ROARED
Yesterday, I sat in a court room while attorneys argued over the fate of the Alabama beach mouse. No one denies that the species, which plays an important role in the coastal ecosystem, is endangered (and quite cute - check out the photo in our homepage slideshow). In fact, everyone in the case concedes that there are few of the mouse left – from 80 to several hundred – and that they are losing the critical habitat needed for their survival. Yet, here I am, back in court to ensure the survival of this species due to short-sighted coastal condominium developers.
No federal or state public official has recognized that sustainable economic concerns and beach mouse habitat preservation really go hand and hand.
You see, protection of the beach mouse requires that development be set back from the coastal beaches, dunes and escarpment. Set backs also protect development from damage associated with hurricanes.
A case in point was the Martinque condo development on the Fort Morgan peninsula. In efforts to protect habitat for the beach mouse, this development had to be significantly set back from the beach. As noted by the Mobile Register in a story following Hurricane Ivan, because it was set back, the Martinique development was saved from much of the hurricane damage suffered by condo complexes closer to the beach. In short, significant set back requirements serve two purposes: they preserve critical habitat for the Alabama beach mouse and they reduce hurricane damage.
The question is, whether the greed of a few developers is really worth the potential extinction of a species and the ever increasing cost of hurricane damage? Of course, when the bill comes due, those same developers have taken their money and run, leaving you and I to pay the tab.
Cyn Sarthou is the GRN's Executive Director
Yesterday, I sat in a court room while attorneys argued over the fate of the Alabama beach mouse. No one denies that the species, which plays an important role in the coastal ecosystem, is endangered (and quite cute - check out the photo in our homepage slideshow). In fact, everyone in the case concedes that there are few of the mouse left – from 80 to several hundred – and that they are losing the critical habitat needed for their survival. Yet, here I am, back in court to ensure the survival of this species due to short-sighted coastal condominium developers.
No federal or state public official has recognized that sustainable economic concerns and beach mouse habitat preservation really go hand and hand.
You see, protection of the beach mouse requires that development be set back from the coastal beaches, dunes and escarpment. Set backs also protect development from damage associated with hurricanes.
A case in point was the Martinque condo development on the Fort Morgan peninsula. In efforts to protect habitat for the beach mouse, this development had to be significantly set back from the beach. As noted by the Mobile Register in a story following Hurricane Ivan, because it was set back, the Martinique development was saved from much of the hurricane damage suffered by condo complexes closer to the beach. In short, significant set back requirements serve two purposes: they preserve critical habitat for the Alabama beach mouse and they reduce hurricane damage.
The question is, whether the greed of a few developers is really worth the potential extinction of a species and the ever increasing cost of hurricane damage? Of course, when the bill comes due, those same developers have taken their money and run, leaving you and I to pay the tab.
Cyn Sarthou is the GRN's Executive Director
Labels: Endangered Species, Natural Storm Defenses
posted by Aaron at 1:32 PM
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