Department of Conservation and Development. The report is interesting not only 

 as an example of detailed shoreline studies undertaken in connection with an 

 important engineering project, but also as the product of a board which may 

 properly be considered, in some measure at least, an outgrowth of the activities of 

 this committee exerted especially through its former chairman, Captain R. S. 

 Patton. The activities of the American Shore and Beach Preservation Association, 

 in the organization of which Captain Patton played an important role, directed 

 pubhc attention to the desirabUity of scientific study of shore problems as a 

 prerequisite to the execution of shore protection and other similar engineering 

 projects. The pubhc interest thus aroused in shore studies in our seaboard states 

 was one of the factors leading to the formation, of the new Beach Erosion Board 

 in the Corps of Engineers of the United States Army." 



Secondly, Fort Fisher had the additional color of being a site of considerable historic 

 interest. Local preservation groups appeared before the Board during one of its meetings 

 held in Wilmington and expressed their concern for the Fort's future. 



More importantly, though, the Fort Fisher study illustrated a situation which was to 

 cause some misunderstanding on the part of those of the general pubhc who were concerned 

 with problems of beach erosion. The matter of issue was that of Federal financial aid for an 

 investigation of a shore protection project versus Federal financial aid for actual 

 construction of a shore protection project. 



At the second BEB meeting held on March 18 and 19, 1931, Thomdike Saville informally 

 presented a request from the Board of County Commissioners of New Hanover County, 

 North CaroUna. This local group wanted the Board's help in protecting the shoreUne 

 adjacent to the Fort. The property at the site was "stated to be Federal property"^* and 

 thus thought qualified for protection using U.S. Government funds.* The County 

 Commissioners had set aside $1,000 and were requesting that the Board provide the same 

 sum, "The entire amount to be used in construction of an experimental groin in the 

 vicinity."^ ^ In the discussion that ensued. Col. Barden pointed out that this appropriation 

 would not be for an investigation, as required by Pubhc Law 520, but rather for actual 

 construction. Thferefore, he doubted that the "Chief of Engineers would approve the 

 allotment of any funds for this purpose. . . ."^^ It was decided to advise the local group to 

 work through a State agency, the North Carohna Department of Conservation and 

 Development. 



A formal appUcation was submitted, and on June 1, 1931, the BEB recommended the 

 approval of an investigation of the Fort Fisher site, in cooperation with the North Carolina 

 Department of Conservation and Development. The study was to be funded by the $1,000 

 of the Board of County Commissioners of New Hanover County, plus an allocation of a Uke 



*Actually, the property in question at Fort Fisher appears not to have been owned by the Federal Government. 

 However, this fact would not have made any difference, because at the time of the Fort Fisher study, the BEB was 

 authorized to make studies only. 



32 



