BUXTON, N.C. — Brian Harris and his fellow Buxton Civic Association members continue to make progress in their efforts with Buxton’s future in mind.
“No one wants to see Hatteras and Ocracoke get swept into the ocean.”
The organizations push for accelerating projects like the cleanup of the formerly used defense site and repairing of the jetties took them to Washington, D.C. at the American Shore and Beach Preservation Association's Coastal Summit and a meeting with officials at the Department of the Interior.
“We sat down with Greg Nottingham, who is the environmental chief compliance director of all branches of the department interior. So he had a lot to say. We had a lot to say. Really our push in D.C. is to allocate funding for both the jetties and the cleanup, it's both intertwined." said Harris.
It’s no surprise, that part of the groups efforts in D.C. came down to finding funding sources for the projects.
“That was the big topic last year that we kept hearing, we don't have funding, we don't have funding, so we’re gonna go try to find funding," said Harris.
The group is happy so far with the work that’s been done at the formerly used defense site and the establishment of a restoration advisory board.
"We've met a lot of allies at the county level, the state and now the federal level. I couldn't be happier than where this is going. I was very nervous a year ago about starting something we couldn't finish, but everything is attainable, the mediation of the site, the jetties, we have a solid claim," said Harris.
The connections they’ve made at the county, state and now federal level are a step in the right direction, but what they want to see in the future is action.
“Once you get here and look at it firsthand, it's pretty obvious that we need help. It's beyond sandbags, it's beyond what we can do down here without state and federal money," said Harris.
