Time to stand down on blocking International Drive progress

In Georgetown the other day, as Conway area residents picketed in protest of the Coastal Conservation League’s intransigency on the extension of International Drive, a passerby’s comment illustrated the depth of emotions stirred in environmental issues.

A woman declared she had no sympathy for the protesters’ cause. “I’m more concerned about animals than people,” Rachel McDaniel told The Sun News. In sweltering heat, outside the CCL office in the historic downtown district, the protesters carried signs that read “Human lives not important to CCL,” “Pave for Safety,” and “Let it Go.” Their orange T-shirts included the words “Pave International Drive.”

Those three words sum up the feelings of the protesters – and thousands of residents of Carolina Forest whose daily lives have been adversely impacted by the ongoing actions of the CCL and the S.C. Wildlife Federation to block construction of extending International Drive, thereby linking the Carolina Forest area with S.C. 90. Importantly, that connection will provide greater access to evacuation routes and medical treatment – in addition to much better regular traffic flow.

The extension is through the Lewis Ocean Bay Heritage Trust Preserve, and that is of major concern to the environmental groups. Their position, through years of various actions blocking construction, is that the road will promote growth along the preserve and negatively impact wildlife and wetlands. They want tunnels included in the construction, for black bears and other critters.

The green groups’ latest move, bringing the picketing in Georgetown, is to ask the chief judge of the Administrative Law Court to revise his July 7 ruling, upholding water quality permits issued by the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control. The July 7 ruling was in favor of Horry County to at last begin construction. The request is the latest delaying tactic, and beyond a revised ruling looms the possibility of appeal through the courts.

The CCL’s executive director, Dana Beach, has said it remains open to “finding a meaningful solution for this project, but it will require deliberate and productive negotiations with Horry County.” Nancy Cave, north coast director of CCL, said of the Georgetown picketing, “Instead of protesting, I might suggest they talk to officials about negotiating and finding a solution.” Cave also noted “meaningful negotiations.” Neither Beach nor Cave defined “meaningful.”

The green groups’ years of intransigence, refusing to compromise, suggests their cause has a life of its own and their end goals (preventing the extension) justify any means. Often, environmental causes lose sight of the big picture and preventing construction of a road, a power plant, a dam on a river, becomes more important than the potential benefits of the project.

The CCL and the Wildlife Federation have been on the right side of many worthwhile causes, but they are on the wrong side of International Drive. All organizations need friends and financial supporters and in this fight the CCL and Wildlife Federation are making many more enemies than friends. They should acknowledge that human beings, in the final analysis, are indeed superior to black bears, and stand down from further delaying completion of International Drive.

This story was originally published July 23, 2016 at 6:31 AM with the headline "Time to stand down on blocking International Drive progress."