Blowing Smoke: January 2008

Good News! Good News!

Sent: Tuesday, January 22, 2008 3:05 PM
Subject: FW: Audubon Applauds Navy Decision to Eliminate Washington Co.

OLF Site

This is it - the real thing. Put a fork in the Pocosin Lakes OLF
issue;
it's done!! We can celebrate Victory at that site. See the statement
at the far bottom for details from the Navy.

I just issued the other below statement to press.

On a more personal note, I have a long, long list of thanks to offer.
From Joe Albea and Tom Earnhardt who started us on this path, to Brian
Roth, mayor in Plymouth, the fantastic folks at Southern Environmental
Law Center (Derb and Michelle especially), lawyers at Kennedy
Covington,
Doris and Jennifer and the NO OLF group, all the chapter leaders and
members who got engaged early and for the long haul, the refuge staff
and FWS leaders, our political representatives who, in increasing
numbers, sought the truth on this (especially Congressmen Price and
Butterfield and the governor's office - including Sec. Bill Ross at
DENR
and the Wildlife Resources Commission, the Museum of Natural Sciences).

Defenders of Wildlife and NC Wildlife Federation who joined in the
suit.
Our Audubon DC staff and sr staff and board... on and on. All our
donors and supporters. So many will be left off this list - my
apologies.

It is incredible to think that the most diverse coalition of groups and

people aligned about this globally significant IBA and community.
Special thanks are due to those that stepped outside their normal
comfort zones to align with "environmentalists" or for those of us
willing to align with others we normally don't. I have benefitted so
from getting to know and respect such wonderful people I'd have missed
without this struggle.

I hold no lingering grudge toward the Navy. I see evidence now that our

struggle may have actually helped the Navy in its approaches to
decision-making like this. Admiral Anderson now leading the effort has

seemed to offer a new tone in the work and a new model for community
engagement that could serve us all well long after this particular case

is forgotten. There were many good people involved for the Navy from
the start, and I suspect their voices of reason were probably
instrumental in this outcome in ways we may never know.

There are other sites under consideration, with complications possible
at those, and we will remain attentive and sensitive to that process,
but we should at least take time to celebrate today's clear victory on
this hard-fought and cleanly won battle over the past 5+ years.

Chris

***************************************************
Chris Canfield
Executive Director/Vice President
Audubon North Carolina
123 Kingston Drive, Suite 206A
Chapel Hill, NC 27514
919-929-3899; 919-929-4599 (fax)
ccanfield at audubon.org