SOS HOSTS COASTAL WORKSHOP
Environmental Groups Advised To Fight Mean And Hard
BY DOUG R UTTER
Ixaders of Save Our Shellfish and
other environmental groups from
southeastern North Carolina were
advised to fight mean and hard for
their beliefs at a workshop Saturday
in Vamamtown.
The groups discussed common
goals and various tactics that can be
used to reach those goals during the
all-day workshop sponsored by the
N.C. Coastal Federation, a non-pro
fit organization of the state's envi
ronmental groups.
Lena Riltcr, past president and
now community educator of the fed
eration, illustrated how the groups
can get what they want, talking
about her personal efforts which
saved Pcmiuda Island front develop
ment.
"I do not agree that you can't
make a difference," Mrs. Riltcr told
the two dozen participants. "I have
a 12th grade education and probably
as little couth as anybody in the
world."
The key to success, she said, is
being persistent and not giving up
or getting discouraged when things
look bad. "It's a damn fight, and the
people we're up against are mean."
Mrs. Rittcr, who was thrown out
of the state legislature two years
ago for carrying a sign used to mark
"Do not befooled that the state is
working with you at any point. They
will tell you what you want to hear."
? Lena Kitter
N.C. Coastal Federation
polluted waters into the state capi
tol, said the only way to win is to be
just as mean as the opponent.
Neil Armingeon, project director
with the Coastal Federation, said
most people environmental groups
find themselves up against do a lot
of planning and lay a lot of ground
work before their intentions arc
known to the public.
"We need to turn the tables on
them and start setting the agenda,"
Armingeon said. "We have to re
member that wc are the majority."
Save Our Shellfish (SOS), which
hosted the workshop formed in
September 1988 with the idea of
saving the troubled Lockwood Folly
River. In recent years, bacterial pol
lution has caused the frequent clo
sure of some of the best oyster and
clam waters in the river.
SOS President Annie Smigicl of
Vamamtown said the local group has
nearly dissolved in recent months
because most members didn't think
the group was making any progress.
Other groups represented at the
workshop were the Northeast New
Hanover Conservancy, Pender Watch
and Conservancy and Citizens For
Clean Industry, a group opposing a
hog production am! slaughtering fa
cility proposed a'ong the Cape Fear
River in Bladen County.
As outlined Saturday, common
goals of the environmental groups
include improved water quality, en
forcement of existing regulations
and stricter fines for environmental
crimes.
Participants said state government,
which is supposed to work for the
people, can be one of the biggest op
ponents of environmental groups.
Mrs. Ritter said a great deal of
Fishing Group Pushes
For License To Sell
The trade group representing the
commercial fishing industry in North
Carolina is pushing for a new license
that some Brunswick County fisher
men have been requesting for years.
The N.C. Fisheries Association,
which represents commercial fishcr
thc association, said the state needs
a commercial license to sell due to
growing pressures on fish resources
and pressure on people who make a
living in the commercial fishing in
dustry.
"We have absolutely no handle
on the amount of fish that is caught
recreationally, but sold commercial
ly," Schill said. "We do know that it
is substantial and that it is affecting
drastically those who have made
their livings for generations by
commercial fishing."
Local commercial fishermen have
been asking state fisheries officials
for years to do something to prevent
recreational anglers from undercut
ting them by selling seafood they
catch in their spare time to individu
als or dealers.
Schill said the program would
force the state to get data from com
mercial fishermen, who eventually
would have to document how much
income they make through the sale
of seafood.
"NCFA has argued for years that
the main problem associated with
our fisheries is water quality and
habitat degradation," Schill said.
"Without the proper data, manage
ment measures arc made much
stricter than they need be."
The exact wording of the bill is
still being worked out, but Schill
said some of the basic provisions in
clude an annual commercial license
mcrcial licenses would be given to
the N.C. Division of Marine Fisher
ies and be used to administer and
enforce the program and pay for
special projects that would benefit
commercial fishing.
Schill said the association is ask
ing for no minimum income re
quirement during the first two years
of the program. The Marine Fisher
ies Commission would have the au
thority to set minimum income re
quirements in the third year.
"When a minimum income re
quirement is implemented, the fish
erman must have some sort of docu
mentation," Schill said. "Many fish
ermen are not known for their
record-keeping expertise, so that
documentation would be lacking."
A two-year delay in the income
requirement would give fishermen
time to come up to speed in terms
of documentation and eventually
qualify for whatever income re
quirement is determined for 1994.
Schill said several legislators are
interested in the bill, and he will be
working with them on the draft be
fore it is introduced in the House
and Senate.
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This Week's
Tide Table
FEBRUARY
HIGH LOW
Day Date A.M. P.M. A.M. P.M.
Thursday 28 7:34 8:02 1:14 1:43
MARCH
Friday 1 8:19 8:47 2:01 2:24
Saturday 2 9:01 9:29 2:48 3:05
Sunday 3 9:42 10:10 3:33 3:44
min. high tide, subtract 8 mm. low tide.
BALD HEAD ISLANI>? subtract 10
min. high tide, subtract 7 min. low tide.
SOUTHPORT? add 7 min. high tide,
add IS min. low tide.
LITTLE RIVER? add 7 min. high
tide, add 7 min. low tide.
politics is involved in slate govern
ment, bcca?si the people who are in
charge of enforcing environmental
protection rules arc appointed by
the governor.
"Do not be fooled that the state is
working with you at any point.
They will te!! you what you want to
hear," she said. "I have gotten very
paranoid. I trust no one anymore."
Robert Maullsby of Bolivia, an
outspoken member of SOS, said
government agencies need to be
held accountable. 'They're spend
ing our money like it's water out of
the ocean, and we're not getting one
thing out of it."
Workshop participants pointed
out that some government employ
ees believe in environmental causes,
but can't do anything to help with
out jeopardizing their jobs.
Other people and organizations
seen as likely opponents of environ
mental groups include county com
missioners and other elected offi
cials, county employees, industry,
developers, forestry industry, agri
culture and golf courses.
John Wanchcck of N.C. Fair
Share said the key to winning an en
vironmental issue is building a
strong organization. "Building that
organization is what's going to give
you your strength to meet your goal
over the long haul."
He said groups must present their
demands to the people who ulti
mately make the decisions ? elected
officials and political appointees.
Environmental groups might have
to work through bureaucrats to get
to the decision-makers.
New Sportfishing
A new magazine for sportfishing
enthusiasts is on the horizon.
The first issue of North Carolina
conservation through articles on big
game fishing and the new Gover
nor's Cup Billfishing Conservation
Series, according to a news release.
The magazine will be published
four times a year and will include
jOHN W'ANCiiECK of N.C. Fair Share outlines tactics thai en vi
ronmental groups can use to win their causes during a workshop
Saturday in Varnamtown.
Tactics used in influencing politi
cians include lobbying broadly, can
vassing registered voters, attending
political party functions and using
the news media.
Margie Ellison of the Rural Ad
vancement Fund talked about the
importance of environmental groups
forming a coalition, a network of
organizations formed around a com
mon goal or issue.
She said a mass of people is the
only thing that can attack a power
base and influence decision-makers.
Magazine Coming
tag and release articles, conserva
tion news, technical and how-to ar
ticles, product reviews, updates on
"People wii> issues," Mrs. Ellison
said. "This is where the difference
is made."
To form an effective coalition,
Mrs. Ellison said different groups
need to be willing to add on the is
Moncy raised by the sale of the
magazines and advertising will be
used to promote salt water fishing
in North Carolina and to preserve
our marine rcsotirccs. nsri of Oov.
Jim Martin's Coastal Initiative plan.
The workshop at Varnamtown
Town Hall was one of three that
have been held this year along the
North Carolina coast. They were
funded by a grant from the Partner
ship for Democracy.
23
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