Number: 1979-20
WHEREAS, the 300 barrier islands off the United States coasts possess unique and diverse combinations of public values, act as buffers against coastal storms, protect bays and estuaries, provide essential habitat and serve as sources of natural beauty and recreation; and
WHEREAS, undeveloped barrier island resources have diminished at an alarming rate; and
WHEREAS, barrier island ecosystems are extremely vulnerable to disturbance due to the instability of the dune soils and the tremendous forces of wind and water acting on them; and
WHEREAS, this vulnerability to disturbance plus the high social values associated with undeveloped islands make barrier islands usually inappropriate for commercial development; and
WHEREAS, individual barrier islands are greatly affected by changes on nearby islands which alter current, wave, or wind patterns and, therefore, planning and management of islands in a chain must be comprehensive and closely coordinated; and
WHEREAS, local governments often do not have the authority to regulate development over entire chains of islands; and
WHEREAS, development of many barrier islands would preclude present and future generations from witnessing and experiencing the aesthetic beauty, natural qualities, and valuable role these systems play in supporting and protecting coastal resources;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation, in annual meeting assembled March 23-25, 1979, in Toronto, Ontario, urges federal and state governments to make the protection of barrier islands a matter of high priority, and to develop coordinated programs to:
- acquire barrier islands where appropriate,
- stop public subsidies for developments which jeopardize the natural resource value of these islands, and
- develop comprehensive land use plans for entire chains of islands which will protect the natural and scenic resources of these islands for future generations; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization hereby recognizes the outstanding assets of St. Phillip’s Island off the coast of South Carolina.