THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, June 29, 1996 TAG: 9606290238
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY JENNIFER MCMENAMIN, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: ROANOKE ISLAND LENGTH: 65 lines
It was a big change from the hustle and bustle of Washington, D.C.
Under the shade of tall loblolly pines in a clearing adjacent to the maintenance facilities on the Fort Raleigh National Historic Site, Deputy Secretary of the Interior John Garamendi addressed a gathering of about 25 National Park Service contractors and local citizens.
Garamendi, who visited Roanoke Island on Friday, cut the ribbon on the 1,450-square-foot house for seasonal Park Service employees and thanked the Outer Banks business owners and construction crews who built the home for free.
Later in the day, Garamendi lunched under the same pines and spoke with elected officials, representatives of local organizations and citizens.
``Washington does not lend itself to . . . easy talk and important conversation during lunch under loblolly pines with people interested and familiar with the issues,'' said Garamendi, wearing tan slacks and a white shirt with the rolled-up sleeves at an informal discussion with interested citizens to cap his day at Fort Raleigh.
Asking for comment and questions from those seated around the table in the Lost Colony Offices Building, Garamendi reiterated his opposition to the construction of jetties at Oregon Inlet, the only passage to the Atlantic between Virginia Beach and Hatteras Inlet.
The inlet has been shoaling rapidly, and local watermen and officials warn that unless action is taken, the channel soon will be impassable. Dare County fishermen and officials are anxious for the federal government to build two rock walls - one on each end of the inlet - to keep sand from filling the channel, making it even more shallow.
``It is no secret that the Department of the Interior has serious concerns and problems with the Oregon Inlet jetty proposal,'' Garamendi said in response to Dare County Commissioner Clarence Skinner's question.
``It is expensive,'' Garamendi said. ``Estimates indicate that the annual cost would be twice as expensive as dredging in addition to a $90 million cost to build the jetties.
``The balanced budget talks are real and that really means there won't be new money. The Park Service will be hard pressed to keep up with inflation over the next seven years to a decade. This project has a very uphill battle on the money side.''
The department also is concerned about environmental impacts the jetties might pose, Garamendi said.
``Fish experts say it would seriously impact a lot of fish. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is very concerned.
``The bottom line is I am not pushing this project,'' he said in an interview following the meeting.
Skinner, who prefaced his question to the deputy secretary with assurances that he was not trying to be confrontational or controversial, said he appreciated Garamendi's honesty but does not agree with his position.
``The inlet is a really important part of our continuous economic development,'' Skinner said. ``We need to be doing these things to keep it open and maintain our fishing economy.''
Congressional action, Skinner said, will be the only solution ``because of the level of funding and the permitting required.''
Despite the high cost of the project, Robert Williams - chairman of the Dare County Oregon Inlet and Waterways Commission - said the jetties project is well worth the money. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo DREW C. WILSON, The Virginian-Pilot
Deputy Secretary of the Interior John Garamendi, left, congratulates
Carl Worsley, who led a volunteer effort to build a house,
background, on Roanoke Island for National Park Service employees. by CNB