|
The members of our coalition have been attending meetings of and engaging the New River Parkway Authority (NRPA) and supporting agencies for many years. Often we've come away feeling or knowing without a doubt that we've been deliberately deceived. Often the government dismisses these as "Mistakes." For example, here's one member's latest experiences stemming from the May 2001 NRPA public meeting :
IN THE MAY 2001 PUBLIC PORTION OF THE NEW RIVER PARKWAY MEETING, I READ A LETTER I HAD RECEIVED FROM THE WEST VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF HIGHWAYS. A HIGHWAY OFFICIAL WAS PRESENT IN THAT MEETING AND ASSURED ME THAT EVERYTHING IN THAT LETTER WAS TRUE.
THAT HIGHWAY LETTER, TO ME AND DATED APRIL
6TH, 2001, CONTAINED A STATEMENT "...EXPERTS IN THE FIELD OF ENTOMOLOGY HAVE INDICATED THAT THE ROAD (THE PROPOSED NEW RIVER PARKWAY ) WILL HAVE NO
SIGNIFICANT IMPACT TO THE HELLGRAMMITE POPULATION IN THIS AREA."
IT IS A BOLD AND BLATANT "MISREPRESENTATION" OF THE TRUTH! I HAD PERSONALLY CALLED ONE OF THE EXPERTS NAMED IN THAT
HIGHWAY LETTER AND THAT EXPERT TOLD ME THAT NOT ONLY WAS THAT HIGHWAY LETTER
"NOT" TRUE, THAT EXPERT TOLD ME HE HAD DEFINITELY TOLD BOTH VIRGINIA POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE CONSULTANTS AND THE WEST VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF
HIGHWAYS THAT HIS STUDIES, THE HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT CITED IN THAT LETTER, DID
NOT PERTAIN TO THE PARKWAY PROJECT! THE EXPERT EVEN STATED HE COULD NOT BELIEVE THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE WOULD ALLOW SUCH A ROAD TO BE BUILT
SO CLOSE TO THE NEW RIVER!
EVEN AFTER "CATCHING" THESE AGENCIES IN THIS CURRENT FALSEHOOD,
A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE NEW RIVER PARKWAY AUTHORITY HAS BEEN REPEATEDLY QUOTED AS TELLING PEOPLE THIS WAS "JUST A MISTAKE"!
WHAT WAS A "MISTAKE"? THESE AGENCIES GETTING CAUGHT NOT DOING THE PROPER STUDIES TO PROTECT OUR FISH FOOD CHAIN CYCLE AND OUR VERY CURRENTLY
ABUNDANT FISH IN THE NEW RIVER? OR, THESE AGENCIES FALSELY APPLYING OTHER STUDIES TO
THIS PROJECT IN THEIR BLIND UNRELENTING QUEST TO TAKE PEOPLE'S PRIVATE PROPERTY, HOMES, FARMS, CAMPS THAT HAVE BEEN AND ARE THE
GREATEST PROTECTORS OF OUR CURRENT NEW RIVER FISH FOOD CHAIN AND IT'S MOST
VALUABLE AQUATIC LIFE?
I AND EVERY TRULY CONCERNED PROTECTOR OF OUR GREAT NATURAL RESOURCES, CURRENTLY SO ABUNDANT HEREIN OUR NEW RIVER, SHOULD BE MORE THAN
DISSATISFIED WITH THE ANSWERS AND ACTIONS OF THESE AGENCIES THAT STAND ONLY TO
DESTROY OUR NEW RIVER AND IT'S ABUNDANT AQUATIC LIFE!
The excuse, "It's a mistake", has been used more than once by Parkway and other government officials when the citizenry has pointed out, shall we say, the "error of their ways."
How can anyone believe this latest incident is just another "mistake" given the complexity of the issue and the track record of the NRPA to date? Why shouldn't we view this as yet another attempt to subjugate due process and the rights of the people of the New River Valley?
If we can't trust our government officials and their consultants on this project to accurately represent the results the environmental impact of this project as it relates to even a relatively small (but important) segment, how can we trust anything we are told? How can anyone believe in this project? The ecosystem of the valley is fragile, but in its current form stable. We cannot risk changes based upon misinformation.
How many mistakes should we have to endure, when our lives, livelihoods, and futures are on the line? The answer: NONE!
