I have owned property about 30 yards from the Atlantic Ocean on the North Carolina coast for almost 40 years. I would not enjoy its being washed away some day by a tide or storm. I realize that such a loss is a possibility.
However, I am convinced that groins and seawalls should not be built on the beach to protect houses like mine.
The existing state law forbidding such structures is in the best interest of the public and the beach that's owned by all the residents of North Carolina.
The unintended consequences of building erosion-control structures on our dynamic beaches have been widely documented, and frequently they simply are costly mistakes that increase erosion problems for adjacent beaches as well as private properties. Once one structure it built, others will then be needed to deal with these effects.
The N.C. Coastal Resources Commission has been asked by the General Assembly to provide advice on whether terminal groins at inlets should be allowed to help out desperate oceanfront property owners. I encourage the commission to keep this "cat" in the bag.
If it lets it out, our beaches will soon be littered with its kittens.
Charles F. Blanchard
Raleigh
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Regarding your Feb. 3 article "Feral felines spared; future policy unclear"), it seems that advocates of trap, neuter and release are placing the welfare of feral cats above other animals, particularly wildlife. Keep up with the latest opinions from the News & Observer, delivered straight to your inbox, for free!
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