Below is the response I received from the Emerald Isle, NC Town Manager and the Mayor. Apparently, there is great concern about the proposed hunting plans in Emerald Isle, as is reflected from the immediate response I received from the Town and the regional newspaper. I received 3 phone calls from the newspaper within hours of submitting my editorial and numerous responses to this blog post.
Our Board of Commissioners in EI, thanks to my editorial in the Jacksonville Daily News and other correspondence, are also now fully informed of citizen concern. I have received much written reassurance from the Town of Emerald Isle that indeed, public safety and health is paramount. Now it is up to them to make good on keeping the citizens of Emerald Isle, especially its littlest ones, safe and out of harms way.

The moral of the story for everyone is: Act. When you do not agree with public policy or the actions of your leaders, you have no right to complain if you do not attempt to enact positive change.
Today is The Perfect Day to be an Agent for Positive Change. Act.

Here is an excerpt from their personal promise to ensure public health and safety:
Ginger,

Of course  public safety is and will be a top concern. The town is in the process of coming  up with a plan under the guidance of the (NC) Wildlife Biologist. Deer thinning is  undertaken in a very safe manner in localities that are just as heavily  populated as Emerald Isle and don’t have any large undeveloped tracts like  Emerald Isle Woods. One of these communities is Landfall in Wilmington (NC).

Robbie  Norville, (NC) State Wildlife Biologist organizing the thinning, assures us that no  one has ever been injured in one of his bow and arrow  thinnings.

Thanks, Art Schools (Mayor of Emerald Isle, NC)

Ginger-  

The Board is counting  on me, our staff, and the NC WRC biologist to make sure a safe hunting plan is  in place before anything occurs.  Most of that plan is already in place now,  and the few remaining issues will be addressed to insure public safety well  before any hunting occurs.  The Board thoroughly discussed everything that I  mentioned to you in previous emails, and is confident that a culling of the deer  population can occur in a manner that does not pose a public safety  risk.

I don’t envision any  hunting occurring prior to mid-January.  You are welcome to touch base with me  as that time gets closer and I can provide you with the latest info at that  time. 

Hope this  helps! 

Frank Rush (Town Manager, EI, NC)

Concerns about the Deer “thinning” plan? Please contact Mr. Rush at 252.354.3424 or email at frush@emeraldisle-nc.org. Alternately, the Town website is:www.emeraldisle-nc.org

Thanks to all of you who, last week as a result of this blog, were Agents and responded positively for change by contacting the Town!