Robin's Blog for Dauphin Island

The Dauphin Island Property Owners Association is asking that everyone write to our Alabama senators and our local congressman in support of the east end beach restoration project that the Town of Dauphin Island has spearheaded through a consultant working with Washington, D.C.  Please read the letter posted below from Bill Harper, DIPOA President which explains the process.  I personally thank everyone in advance for their participation and efforts to make this project successful!

_________________________________________________________________

March 20, 2008

Dear property owners and friends,

The Dauphin Island Property Owners Association is working with the Town of Dauphin Island, as well as our other entities and organizations here on the island, to effect solutions to our long-standing problems with beach erosion. The Town has engaged a consultant in Washington, DC to search for and guide legislation through our legislative system that will offer aid to our island. In a short time he has been quite successful in getting our two Alabama senators and our local congressman to sponsor legislation that will help stabilize our beaches.

The first step in this process is a bill for $11.5 million dollars for restoration of our East End beach front, where needed, from Ft Gaines to the Dauphin Island pier, some three miles of beachfront. This section of the island was chosen first because of its importance to our overall infrastructure, our water supply, as well as providing protection to vital historical and environmental sites. Public access and no legal entanglements was also a consideration.

It is most helpful to this legislation if we can write letters to our Alabama senators, Jeff Sessions and Richard Shelby, plus Jo Bonner, our local congressman, supporting this effort. Use your on words, but below I have furnished you with background information to aid you in drafting your correspondence. Keep your letter reasonably short, emphasis numerous reasons why this legislation is important to our area.

The erosion of the Dauphin Island Gulf of Mexico shoreline has caused real property loss and is endangering the island’s infrastructure. Contributing causes of the significant erosion along Dauphin Island’s shoreline can be debated as to whether they are the shipping channels (Mobile Bay and Fort Gaines Ship Channels) and ensuing dredging and dumping practices, or damages caused by past hurricanes, most notably Ivan and Katrina. Although past hurricanes have contributed to the erosion, many numerous other dangers to the Island’s physical and economic survival as a community and barrier island must be included. The engineering actions of man, combined with the entrance of Mobile Bay’s complicated sand bar arrangement and with ever moving smaller barrier islands, have created an ever-increasing danger to the survival of the beaches, dunes, maritime forests, tidal flats, salt marshes, and coastline.

Dauphin Island, a barrier island, is uniquely important to our whole area. It protects the mainland, and it’s vast wetland system, as well as the people and structures in south Mobile County. It offers village and seaside residences within short commuting distance to major industries, present and future. We are on a major birding flyway. The seafood industry is also most dependent on our presence, as we have seen the problems with the oyster beds at Cedar Point because of salinity problems in the area. We are Mobile County and Southeast Mississippi’s recreational short stay beach area. We host visitors from all of the United States, year round.

In order to get the letters to these legislators without delay we need you to either mail, fax, email with a Word attachment or bring in person to the DIPOA office at the Isle Dauphine Club/Golf Course. We will work with the Town to express mail these to our consultant who will hand deliver them to the proper offices.

Our mailing address is Dauphin Island Property Owners Assoc., P.O. Box 39, Dauphin Island, AL 36528, Fax 251-861-4229, or email at dipoa@skyynett.com .

ALABAMA SENATORS

SENATOR JEFF SESSIONS

335 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING

WASHINGTON DC 20510

SENATOR RICHARD SHELBY

110 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING

WASHINGTON DC 20510

REPRESENTATIVE JO BONNER

422 CANNON HOUSE OFFICE BUILDING
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20515

We need you help, please draft a letter to the above legislators as soon as possible.

Yours truly,

William (Bill) Harper

President

DIPOA