special study, considerations and protection. The proposed 

 "Hatteras/Gulf Stream National Marine Sanctuary" would cover 

 1,000 square miles. 



Egan believes that the area meets some of the criteria of 

 sanctuary designation. In this zone, the Outer Continental Shelf 

 drops from 20 to 1,000 fathoms, forming a 6,000 foot undersea 

 cliff, he says. 



Nearby, the cold northern waters of the Labrador Current meet 

 the warm Gulf Stream, mixing northernmost and southernmost 

 species of birds, marine mammals and fish. 



Ocracoke Committee formed in opposition to a "monstrosity" 

 — a 350-foot dock and pier proposed in August 1990 and now 

 completed — says spokesperson Charles Runyon. Residents were 

 worried about how increased boat traffic would threaten the 

 sound, which supports lush eelgrass and "wonderful clamming," 

 says Runyon. 



The group appealed the developer's CAMA permit but was 

 refused a hearing before the N.C. Coastal Resources Commission. 



Represented by the Southern Environmental Law Center, the 

 committee won a Superior Court judgment to rescind the permit, 

 but the state is appealing, says the center's director. 



The Ocracoke Committee continues to work with the county 

 commissioners on a land-use plan update. 



Carteret County Crossroads and its 500-plus members aim to 

 preserve the natural and cultural environment of Carteret County, 

 says president Allyn Powell. The group has invited people from 

 the Corps of Engineers and the Southern Environmental Law- 

 Center to help educate their membership on the issue of wetlands 

 preservation and development. They also closely follow the 

 offshore drilling issue and activities of local military bases. 



Sunset Beach Taxpayers Association has successfully fought 

 zoning changes and blocked a high-rise bridge through legal 

 action, says spokesperson Minnie Hunt. 



Penderwatch and Conservancy monitors stream water 

 quality, attends meetings of the county commissioners and 

 planning board, and stays abreast of issues affecting quality of life 

 in Pender County. Co-vice president Howard Sterne hopes the 



organization of 800 members looks at issues "not in a 'not in my 

 backyard way,' but in a fairly scientific way." 



The Pender group has been a mentor for the newly formed 

 Friends of Black River, who organized to oppose a proposed 

 landfill near the river banks. 



Friends of Hatteras Island is a group that fosters stewardship 

 of the sands, air, woods and water of this banier island. 



The group is a voice for the state's largest remaining maritime 

 forest, Buxton Woods. Friends of Hatteras formed in opposition to 

 a large proposed development in the woods, which they saw as a 

 threat to the island's water quality and supply. 



Lobbying efforts by the group and a request by the Siena Club 

 for a state designation of the woods as an "area of environmental 

 concern" prompted the Dare County Board of Commissioners to 

 pass its own protective zoning ordinance. 



Almost 500 acres of the woods are now under state control and 

 1,000 acres are national park land; the remaining 1,500 acres are 

 privately owned. 



Friends' secretary Ricki Shepherd hopes the state will acquire at 

 least another 500 acres of the maritime forest. 



In the meantime, the group has a lease-purchase agreement for 

 a 10-acre soundside tract of Buxton Woods. They're planning a 

 library and resource center in an existing building and are also 

 constructing nature trails. 



Friends of Roanoke Island advocates citizen involvement 

 and empowerment in government and public education. The 

 group holds land-use planning seminars, networks with other 

 groups on wetlands issues and monitors water quality. 



NORTH CAROLINA 

 WILDLIFE FEDERATION! 



Started in 1945 by a group of hunters and fishermen, the N.C. 

 Wildlife Federation has a long history of fighting for enhancement 

 of natural resources statewide. Specifically, it prompted the 

 legislation that created the state's Wildlife Resources Commission, 

 says executive director Michael Corcoran. 



Continued on the next page 



COASTWATCH 5 



