Bear issue on International Drive moves to state court

A court date has been set for Feb. 16 at the state Administrative Law Court in Columbia to determine the fate of the International Drive paving project.

Although slated for completion two years ago, the project has been stalled in part by disagreement over the need for bear tunnels to protect wildlife along the road that stretches nearly six miles from Carolina Forest to S.C. 90.

The court case is scheduled for a two-day hearing between Horry County and state agencies against the S.C. Coastal Conservation League and S.C. Wildlife Federation.

Horry County and public works officials are expected to argue that the black bear population dwindled to zero after the destructive wildfires that scorched the Lewis Ocean Bay Preserve in 2009, and that the tunnels are not needed.

“The assessment was that the bears were not moving back to the preserve and International Drive area,” according to the prehearing statement filed last month by Horry County Public works.

“Therefore, there was less emphasis on providing the expensive measures previously included in the agreement with the county designed to lessen vehicle/bear collisions,” the county statement said.

Horry County voters passed a 1-cent sales tax in 2006 to pay for road projects include the now-stalled International Drive paving, which originally included plans for a tunnel underneath the road for bears to cross and protect motorists from crashing into wildlife.

County officials say the relocation of bears out of the area occurred after the original studies were conducted. The state Department of Natural Resources also agreed to eliminate the bear tunnel requirement.

Nancy Cave, north coast director for the Coastal Conservation League, disagrees with the county’s assessment of the current bear population.

“That whole argument regarding fire, obviously the bears are smart,” Cave said. “If the forest is burning, they’re not going to stay, they’re going to leave and they will go to other areas to forage. As the forest grows back and the forage material they enjoy eating is replenished in the forest, they will come back – it’s just a natural process.”

“I would be very surprised if there aren’t any bears,” Cave said.

A group of local residents formed as the Concerned Citizens for the Paving of International Drive have sided with the county.

Bill Beidleman, a member of the citizens’ group, said they are prepared to testify at the hearing that paving is needed for safety reasons.

“We will get faster response times, getting to the hospital would be significantly shorter, and in the instance of the fires in 2009, emergency responders would have had much better access to put out that fire,” Beidleman said. “If International Drive were in place at that time, we might not have lost 70 homes.

“So let’s get the road done and satisfy public safety issues for folks on Highway 90,” he said.

Audrey Hudson 843-444-1765

@AudreyHudson

This story was originally published November 17, 2015 at 12:46 PM with the headline "Bear issue on International Drive moves to state court."