. Coast watch. Marine resources; Oceanography; Coastal zone management; Coastal ecology. That perspective shows when Basnight calls for wastewater treatment updates, requirements that may be contested by inland officials who feel the cost would be excessive. Their arguments are "short-sighted" Basnight explains, because treated water moves from a river to an estuary and eventually into the sea. "Without the sea, there is no life," he says. "Oceans don't survive without the creeks, without the estuarine ; Coastal ecosystems can feel the strain of the cumula
. Coast watch. Marine resources; Oceanography; Coastal zone management; Coastal ecology. That perspective shows when Basnight calls for wastewater treatment updates, requirements that may be contested by inland officials who feel the cost would be excessive. Their arguments are "short-sighted" Basnight explains, because treated water moves from a river to an estuary and eventually into the sea. "Without the sea, there is no life," he says. "Oceans don't survive without the creeks, without the estuarine ; Coastal ecosystems can feel the strain of the cumulative impact of the growth across the state. Basnight often is chal- lenged to describe complex environmental changes in terms everyone can understand — crucial efforts in tight budget times. "I have witnessed attempts to remove money for water quality projects," says Basnight, who is credited with establishing the state's Clean Water Management Trust Fund in 1996. The fund is the state's only dedicated source of funding to preserve environmentally sensitive areas to ensure water quality. Such projects, he says, are not limited to the coast. "We shouldn't have imaginary lines dividing the state," he adds. Despite his role on natural resource issues, Basnight refuses to be labeled. "I am not an 'environmentalist.' You can't stamp me," he says. "I come with the independence of the Outer ; For example, he says, the state can step too far, even on environmental matters. "There must be value in every regula- tion," he says, pointing out the possibility that regulations may have unexpected adverse effects on individuals or communities. "The government should be flexible," he says. Tides of Change When Basnight was growing up in the 1950s, the Outer Banks featured a series of quiet fishing villages with scattered cottages. Even today you can hear a bit of his "hoi toider" accent that harkens to a time when th
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookcollectionunclibra, booksubjectoceanography
