Members of the Board of Supervisors and citizens of Accomack County, I wanted to add my voice to those in support of extending the Bay Act regulations to the seaside. This is the right thing to do - for the watermen and aquaculture farmers who depend on clean water and viable, productive wetlands for their livelihood; for the fish, mollusks, shorebirds, and other wildlife in the wetlands and bays; for our own economic future, in preserving clean water and a pristine environment for ecotourists, recreational fishermen, and everyone who comes here to enjoy this special place; and for our own protection, as we anticipate rising sea levels and storms of increased frequency and intensity. In the 20th century, 34 hurricanes or tropical storms hit Virginia, and we can only expect more in the 21st century. Storms such as Hurricanes Donna, Agnes, Floyd, and Isabel, and the Ash Wednesday northeaster in 1962 caused widespread, severe damage up and down the coast. Sea level is 12 inches higher now than it was in 1933, when a hurricane ripped open the Ocean City inlet, turned Assateague from a peninsula to an island, and left Chincoteague completely under water.

Although I've always recognized the important service that wetlands provide, I've come to understand this more personally since moving here. Our house in Harborton is our first on the water, and we take our role as stewards very seriously. Even with our little piece of shoreline, we feel it's important to do everything we can to protect the creeks and the Bay - minimizing the amount of impervious surfaces, eliminating chemicals, using native plantings, and preserving a vegetative buffer. And we reap the rewards, with birds, crabs, fish, and native grasses all doing well. Our job is made a lot easier, by having the structure and the guidelines already in place with the Bay Act. Although the Bay certainly has a long way to go towards recovery, the degradation would be far worse if the Bay Act and other similar regulations in the other Bay states weren't in place.

Many people have expressed concerns over the ability to build on the seaside if these regulations are adopted. In 2001, we were able to build a 2,000-square foot house with a 2-car garage on a ¾ acre lot on Pungoteague Creek, working within the confines of the Bay Act. The Bay Act is not designed to prevent people from building. It's designed to make sure building and development is done right, while preserving the waters and bays that define the Eastern Shore - both sides of the Eastern Shore. It's the right thing to do, for everyone.