k Brown, counts* of the Outer Hunts History Center [)rrn Wihtm, •ounew of the Outer Bunks History Cen 



That perspective shows when Basnight calls for wastewater 

 treatment updates, requirements that may be contested by 

 inland officials who feel the cost would be excessive. Their 

 arguments are "short-sighted" Basnight explains, because treated 

 water moves from a river to an estuary and eventually into the 

 sea. "Without the sea, there is no life," he says. "Oceans don't 

 survive without the creeks, without the estuarine systems." 



Coastal ecosystems can feel the strain of the cumulative 

 impact of the growth across the state. Basnight often is chal- 

 lenged to describe complex environmental changes in terms 

 everyone can understand — crucial efforts in tight budget times. 



"I have witnessed attempts to remove money for water 

 quality projects," says Basnight, who is credited with establishing 

 the state's Clean Water Management Trust Fund in 1996. The 

 fund is the state's only dedicated source of funding to preserve 

 environmentally sensitive areas to ensure water quality. Such 

 projects, he says, are not limited to the coast. "We shouldn't 

 have imaginary lines dividing the state," he adds. 



Despite his role on natural resource issues, Basnight refuses 

 to be labeled. "I am not an 'environmentalist.' You can't stamp 

 me," he says. "I come with the independence of the Outer 

 Banks." 



For example, he says, the state can step too far, even on 

 environmental matters. "There must be value in every regula- 

 tion," he says, pointing out the possibility that regulations may 

 have unexpected adverse effects on individuals or communities. 

 "The government should be flexible," he says. 



Tides of Change 



When Basnight was growing up in the 1 950s, the Outer 

 Banks featured a series of quiet fishing villages with scattered 

 cottages. Even today you can hear a bit of his "hoi toider" 

 accent that harkens to a time when the region was isolated 

 from the rest of North Carolina. 



His grandfather, Moncie Daniels, ran a general store and 

 chaired the Dare County commissioners. His mother drew 

 accolades as a veteran actress in "The Lost Colony" outdoor 

 drama. Fellow cast member Andy Griffith remains a family 

 friend. Basnight himself had small roles as a youngster. 



A 1966 graduate of Manteo High School, he went to work 

 in his father's construction business that specialized in water 

 and sewer lines. Now when he is not in Raleigh or on the road 

 on state business, you can find Marc Basnight greeting custom- 

 ers at Basnight's Lone Cedar Cafe, a restaurant run by his wife, 

 Sandy, and his older daughter, Vicki. A younger daughter, Caroline, 

 is a student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. 



On weekends, he strides from table to table, calling locals 

 by name and asking after their families, or making sure tourists 

 have an enjoyable meal and plan to return to the Outer Banks. 

 Sometimes folks make the long drive just in hopes of catching a 

 few moments of his time. 



The restaurant features local seafood, and his extended 

 family includes folks in the fishing and restaurant businesses. 

 The cafe even boasts its own soft-shell crab operation out back 

 that serves as a demonstration project. The shedding technol- 



12 WINTER 2002 



