Governor Beverly Perdue recently signed House Bill 613 into law. The legislation denies exclusive Federal jurisdiction in lands acquired by the Navy for an Outlying Landing Field (OLF) in counties that do not currently have military bases with aircraft squadrons stationed there. Even though the legislation may not prevent the Navy from taking land for the proposed airfield, it indicates the State will retain its jurisdiction to regulate those areas.
The Camden Courthouse is located at 117 North 343, in Camden.
This legislation does not stop the U.S. Navy from building an Outlying Landing Field in either Gates or Camden counties. However, the Navy could find itself subject to state and local laws and regulations with respect to operation of the OLF.
It is very important to remember that the legislation does not prohibit an OLF from being constructed elsewhere in North Carolina. The state of North Carolina has been forthcoming in recent years with other locations (such as Open Grounds Farm in Carteret County) that will both protect the Navy against encroachment and truly benefit the citizens of North Carolina.
Currituck County appreciates the effort of Gov. Perdue, N.C. Representatives Bill Owens and Annie Mobley, N.C. Senators Ed Jones and Marc Basnight, U.S. Representatives Walter Jones and G.K. Butterfield, and U.S. Senators Richard Burr and Kay Hagan for their continued support.
State Agriculture Secretary Steve Troxler will visit the Camden County Courthouse on Monday, May 18, 2009 at 1:00 p.m. Secretary Troxler will meet with Camden County officials and farmers to discuss the significant negative impacts that the establishment of an OLF in Camden County may have on the county’s agricultural economy.
According to the North Carolina Agricultural Statistics Report, agriculture was a $32 million business in Camden in 2008. The report shows that Camden ranked seventh out of North Carolina’s 100 counties in soybean yields and 13th in corn and wheat production in 2008.
An OLF in Camden County could remove thousands of acres from farm production. The Navy could also impose restrictions on crops that attract migratory birds such as corn, soybeans, and winter wheat in the vicinity of the OLF. Such restrictions on the types of crops that could be grown could have a severe negative impact on the local economy.
The time is getting closer to the Navy’s release of the Draft Environmental Impact Study (DEIS) for public review. It is expected that the study will be released sometime during the late summer of 2009.
In the meantime, the Navy is continuing their studies of the Hales Lake Site on the Currituck/Camden County border. Please continue to watch the Navy’s website (www.olfeis.com) for project updates and archives.
The Navy is using several contractors to complete this study. Here are some of the contractors being used to complete this study:
Ecology & Environment, Inc. (E & E) conducted breeding bird surveys for each of the five alternative OLF sites from June 2nd through June 6th 2008. E&E also conducted fall migration bird surveys for each of the five alternative OLF sites during September and October 2008.
The Center for Conservation Biology, College of William and Mary, completed field surveys for the federally endangered red-cockaded woodpecker at the Dory, Mason, and Sandbanks sites during December 2008.
E & E subcontractor, Blue Ridge Research and Consulting (BRRC), installed ambient, or background, sound level meters (SLMs) on and in the vicinity of the alternative OLF sites.
E & E subcontractor, Land Management Group, Inc. (LMG), is conducting waterbody and wetland field surveys at the alternative OLF sites.
Navy contractor, Southeastern Archaeological Research, Inc. (SEARCH), is conducting field surveys to identify and map architectural features of interest within the alternative OLF sites.
The next meeting of the Citizens Against an OLF is scheduled for Tuesday, June 2, 2009 at Northside Elementary School, in Elizabeth City. Northside E.S. is located at 1062 Northside Rd. |
