Top federal wildlife official leery of proposed Naval airstrip
Published: Mon, Mar. 19, 2007 06:59PM
Modified Mon, Mar. 19, 2007 07:17PM
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closePLYMOUTH — The director of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service arrived in North Carolina Monday and showed strong symbolic support from the agency's top tier for field biologists who have raised concerns about the Navy's plan to build a jet runway near a wildlife refuge.
Dale Hall, director of the federal agency, toured Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, which is near the site in Washington and Beaufort counties where the Navy proposes building its runway to train pilots.
"We have a national wildlife refuge whose purpose is to pull birds in," Hall said. His agency manages over 500 refuges nationwide. "The mission of the outlying landing field would be to push birds away. There is an inherent conflict."
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The navy wants to build an airfield for pilots to practice aircraft-carrier landings about five miles from the refuge. The refuge attracts tens of thousands of migratory waterfowl each winter to Eastern North Carolina.
Hall also made an appearance at a public hearing in Swan Quarter Monday night.
Additional public hearings are scheduled all week.
Staff writer Wade Rawlins can be reached at (919) 829-4528 or wrawlins@newsobserver.com.
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