This Land, Your Land

A news release from Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge shows the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service headquarters' newly precarious location next to the surf, but points out that programs for the public continue at the refuge.

In the aftermath of Tropical Storm Ida earlier this month, the refuge's headquarters building, which was built in 1965 when the site was hundreds of feet from the ocean, is now only feet from the high tide line. Also in the storm, "N.C. 12 was overwashed in a number of places. Sections of dunes were flattened in a few areas and severely eroded along most of the refuge length," the release says.

"While the refuge itself was never officially closed, there was no need to offer programs or a Visitor Center when the public could not access the refuge," Refuge Manager Mike Bryant said. "We'll be glad to see things get back to normal - though it will be a new and different normal from now on."

Regularly scheduled fall programs at Pea Island include bird walks on Thursday, Friday and Sunday mornings at 9. In addition, groups may contact the refuge to plan special programs or educational activities. A special bird walk into South Pond is scheduled for the Friday after Thanksgiving, leaving the Visitor Center at 11 a.m. Pea Island is open to the public during daylight hours, seven days a week.

Earlier, we picked up on the Refuge Watch report that storm erosion would require the Fish & Wildlife Service to abandon the office building rather that engage in futile repairs.