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Just when everybody thought that the movement was really and truly finally underway to relocate North Carolina's Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, a monkey wrench was thrown into the gears.
The Dare County (NC) Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to oppose the planned move of Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. Instead, they have requested that the United States Congress provide $1.7 million dollars in federal funds to build a fourth protective steel groin near the base of the historic beacon.
So, when I say a monkey wrench was thrown into the gears, that's really what I meant. Apparently these Commissioners have been living in the jungle for the past four years and paying absolutely no attention to what all the experts and the National Park Service has said . . . Move Cape Hatteras Light or it will surely be lost, maybe not tomorrow, maybe not next week or next month, but invariably it will be lost.
As soon as I heard about the vote by the Dare County Commissioners, Kathy Finnegan and I flew to Cape Hatteras the next day to assess the situation and advise the local media of our position on this matter. We had the opportunity to meet with Bruce and Cheryl Roberts of the Outer Banks Lighthouse Preservation Society, Andrew Kling of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore, and members of the media. One thing is for certain, by being there in person I can truly understand why this lighthouse must be moved (and soon) or it will be lost.
Even the President of the United States says he supports the move. And when's the last time you heard a President talking anything about lighthouses? That, in itself, is historic!
It has been only a few weeks ago since Congress passed the first portion of federal funding for the $12 million dollar relocation plan.
The local commissioners oppose the move because they say that most business owners on Hatteras Island are against the move and that the locals were given no voice in the matter. Just who are they kidding? Discussions and meetings have been going on for years, and they have had every opportunity to participate. However, the day the commissioners carried out their surprise vote, the National Park Service and other supporters of the move were not formally invited to the meeting.
The facts are clear . . . .
Building a fourth groin will not save the lighthouse and would not even be approved by North Carolina's Division of Coastal Management, which stated that it would be illegal and violate existing laws.
The fourth groin proposal has drawn objections from such groups as the Southern Environmental Law Center, the Sierra Club, and the North Carolina Coastal Federation and North Carolina's Division of Cultural Resources.
The facts are clear . . . .
One of the arguments against the move is that the lighthouse will lose its historical significance and the historical integrity of the lighthouse will be destroyed. This is pure hogwash!
Cape Cod's Highland Light and Nauset Light were moved back from the eroding cliffs. Rhode Island's Southeast Light on Block Island was moved back from the eroding cliffs. None of these lighthouses lost their historical significance or integrity!
The facts are clear . . . .
The base of the lighthouse is now only 120 feet from the ocean. Scientists have now stated that there is more than a 75% chance that Cape Hatteras Light will topple should it be hit by a Category 3 hurricane. They also stated that even a series of small storms in quick succession could easily topple the structure.
Cape Hatteras is the tallest lighthouse in America. It is a national monument. It is just as vital to American history and culture as the Washington Monument, the Statue of Liberty, or the Empire State Building. What would the public outcry be if any one of those historic structures were about to topple over? Let's get real!
The entire Dare County Board of Commissioners should resign in shame.
Let's get on with saving the lighthouse before the Doomsday clock strikes midnight. Otherwise, the only thing that future generations will see is a plaque telling them that "over there was where America's tallest lighthouse once stood. It toppled into the ocean in the famous 2002 hurricane that hit the Outer Banks." Is this what we want? I think not.
This story appeared in the December 1997 edition of Lighthouse Digest Magazine. For subscription information about the print edition, click here.
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