Environmentalists urge balance as development expands in Cape Fear region
NEW HANOVER COUNTY (WWAY) — “It’s that balance that we really need to think about.”
Environmentalist And retired UNCW professor, Roger Shew, is talking about development in the Cape Fear.
One of the bigger projects for the area, hundreds of homes in Sledge Forest, has contributed to the disputes over conservation.
The Hilton Bluffs development will house thousands of people moving to the region.
However, Shew says the thing that’s drawing people here may be disappearing.
“What do people say whenever they ask somebody who’s been here a few years, now whether they moved in or current, long-time residents you know, like myself, the two biggest things they always quote, and this has been in surveys that’s done by the city and the county, is traffic and needing green space,” said Shew.
This “green space” includes tree canopy, vegetation, and natural wetlands like Sledge Forest.
You can build on it, but Shew says that mother nature will eventually take over.
“The wetland itself, you know, as we look at change over time, by 2050, it’s going to be a one-foot rise in sea level. That’s going to inundate much of that area. By 2070, give or take; it’s going to be a two-foot rise in sea level. There’s not much of that land in the wetland area left at that point,” said Shew.
Shew says that his sentiments, and those of other environmentalists, are being heard, especially by the city, which has taken steps to preserve certain natural areas.
“West bank purchase, Bryan Tract purchase, a lot of them have supported increasing canopy. In the comprehensive plans that the city and the county are actually looking at, they’re actually doing some positive things. They are advocating that we look at natural areas,” said Shew.
Moving into the new year, Shew says looking at both the economy and environment is the best way to push forward.
“Understand what the economics are; understand what the environment is, and you always can weigh these things, and I think by doing that and talking with each other, we can actually come out to a much better end product,” said Shew.
