Friends of the Falls Weekly Update

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Posted by Friends of the Falls on October 07, 2000 at 11:10:24:

This is a weekly update from Friends of the Falls, the grassroots group working to prevent residential development near High Falls, Triple Falls, and Bridal Veil Falls inside the DuPont State Forest.

First of all, if you are new to our list, you will want to check out our website at http://www.dupontforest.com. It has about 10 pages of photos, information, and maps - as well as quick and easy ways to send your support to State leaders.

In this issue:
- What's going on now?
- What can you do now?
- Where there is smoke?
- Meet the original Friends of the Falls

What's Going On Now?
There has not been as much noise during the past couple of weeks regarding the State's negotiations with Anthony. The State is making it clear that negotiations are still ongoing, but that resolution should not be expected in the short term. At the present time, this item is not even on the agenda for the October 10th Council of State meeting. We are now looking at the prospect of this issue extending past the November elections.

How should Friends of the Falls feel about this continued delay? First, it is easy to become frustrated. Many people suggest that once the election passes that our State leaders will drop the issue. But we definitely don't believe this cynical view. In fact, some people calculate that it would be easier for the State to take a tough stand post-election. Regardless, we have tried to be realistic with our supporters: the Governor might settle for an agreement with Anthony anytime which provides restricted access & some conservation easements. Of course, the message of Friends of the Falls stays the same: we don't want any private development inside the DuPont State Forest and surrounding these waterfalls.

What can we do now?
So what can we do? We need to remind our State leaders that this issue is not going away. Contact our State leaders and ask them to resolve this issue before the fall elections. Ask them to take the long-term view and prevent all development around High Falls, Triple Falls, and Bridal Veil Falls. And thank them for their continued efforts to resolve this issue.

Contact Governor Hunt:
800-662-7952 or (919) 733-4240
Fax: (919) 733-2120
Email: jbryant@gov.state.nc.us

Contact Attorney General Mike Easley:
(919) 716-6000
Fax: (919) 716-6050
Email: AGJUS@MAIL.JUS.STATE.NC.US
Also, if you live in WNC and you haven't yet contacted Senator Dan Robinson, consider asking him to reconsider his opposition to State acquisition.

Senator Dan Robinson
Address: P. O. Box 115, Cullowhee, NC 28723
Phone: (828) 293-9427
Danr@ncleg.net

Where there is smoke?
One of the toughest dilemmas that Friends of the Falls has to deal with is the continuous parade of rumors and circumstantial information which suggests that the sale of the property was rigged in Anthony's favor. Much of the local community accepts this as a given, yet no legal evidence has surfaced to prove this. (Now we understand why most large real estate transactions are cloaked in the privacy of anonymous Limited Liability Corporations - there is no paper trail of anything). FOTF has tried to raise questions about the issue without stooping to repeating rumors.

So why are we raising this issue at this late date? First of all, opponents of State acquisition trumpet loudly that the sale was "fair and square" in the absence of proof to the contrary. Secondly, as the State contemplates entering into a co-habitation agreement with the Cliffs Communities, the issue of whether the State can trust its partner is a very important issue.

So we have a special request for all our supporters. If you know anyone who is in a position to substantiate any of these rumors of improper collusion between Anthony and Sterling, please let us know. We believe that it could have a substantial impact on the outcome of the property. It will be a very bitter pill for the public if such information comes out a little too late to make a difference . . .

Meet the Original Friends of the Falls
Opponents of State acquisition have tried out a lot of strange arguments in their public commentaries, but perhaps none more bizarre than their frequent insinuations that Friends of the Falls is made up of "socialists", "whackos", and "communists". If you could attend one of our weekly meetings, you would find this pretty laughable yourself. When FOTF met with a State negotiator this summer, she commented that we were the most diverse interest group she had ever encountered.

We would like to introduce you to two important people who helped get this entire movement off the ground. In March, not long after Attorney General Easley suggested that the State move to protect the waterfalls, Doug Coggins and Ken Shelton began organizing a movement to raise support. They wrote letters to the editor, and reserved space at the Hendersonville Public Library for a public meeting. Ironically, these two non-environmentalists had to kick-start a campaign later joined by conservation groups.

Ken Shelton is a physician practicing radiology in Hendersonville for the past 14 years. He became familiar with the waterfalls and the surrounding property through his involvement in organizing mountain biking events. Through his volunteer work projects on DuPont State Forest trails, he has experienced the frustration of the many dead-end in the heart of the forest. Ken is politically independent, and supports property rights as defined by the NC Constitution, believing that eminent domain should be used only in extreme circumstances such as this. "These waterfalls would be the featured attraction of any National Park and should be preserved and protected for the people and our children to enjoy forever. "

Doug Coggins is a native of Tuxedo, North Carolina who worked at the General Electric plant for 37 years. A conservative active in local Republican politics, Coggins knows first hand about eminent domain. His home, and that of his sister and father had to be relocated due to the expansion of US 25. Yet Doug is one of the strongest proponents of full State acquisition, through eminent domain if necessary. He wonders why there are no objections when private family homes are relocated for other public projects such as roads. "It is only a scare tactic to say your property is in danger . . . This property is right in the middle of a state forest and holds the beauty to complete this forest. All of this without taking anyone's home or keeping Mr. Anthony from making a large profit."

Links
Friends of the Falls web site:
http://www.dupontforest.com

How to reach the Council of State
http://www.main.nc.us/eco/dsf/cos.html

Friends of the Falls Web Site

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Comments:
: This is a weekly update from Friends of the Falls, the grassroots group working to prevent residential development near High Falls, Triple Falls, and Bridal Veil Falls inside the DuPont State Forest.   
:   
: First of all, if you are new to our list, you will want to check out our website at http://www.dupontforest.com.  It has about 10 pages of photos, information, and maps - as well as quick and easy ways to send your support to State leaders.
:   
: In this issue:
: - What's going on now?
: - What can you do now?
: - Where there is smoke?
: - Meet the original Friends of the Falls
:   
:   
: What's Going On Now?
: There has not been as much noise during the past couple of weeks regarding the State's negotiations with Anthony.  The State is making it clear that negotiations are still ongoing, but that resolution should not be expected in the short term.  At the present time, this item is not even on the agenda for the October 10th Council of State meeting.  We are now looking at the prospect of this issue extending past the November elections.
:   
: How should Friends of the Falls feel about this continued delay?  First, it is easy to become frustrated.  Many people suggest that once the election passes that our State leaders will drop the issue.  But we definitely don't believe this cynical view.  In fact, some people calculate that it would be easier for the State to take a tough stand post-election.  Regardless, we have tried to be realistic with our supporters:  the Governor might settle for an agreement with Anthony anytime which provides restricted access & some conservation easements.  Of course, the message of Friends of the Falls stays the same: we don't want any private development inside the DuPont State Forest and surrounding these waterfalls.
:   
: What can we do now?
: So what can we do?  We need to remind our State leaders that this issue is not going away.  Contact our State leaders and ask them to resolve this issue before the fall elections.  Ask them to take the long-term view and prevent all development around High Falls, Triple Falls, and Bridal Veil Falls.  And thank them for their continued efforts to resolve this issue.
:   
: Contact Governor Hunt: 
:  800-662-7952 or (919) 733-4240 
: Fax: (919) 733-2120 
: Email: jbryant@gov.state.nc.us 

: Contact Attorney General Mike Easley: 
:  (919) 716-6000 
: Fax: (919) 716-6050 
: Email: AGJUS@MAIL.JUS.STATE.NC.US 
: Also, if you live in WNC and you haven't yet contacted Senator Dan Robinson, consider asking him to reconsider his opposition to State acquisition.
:   
: Senator Dan Robinson
: Address: P. O. Box 115, Cullowhee, NC 28723
: Phone:  (828) 293-9427
: Danr@ncleg.net
:   
:   
: Where there is smoke?
: One of the toughest dilemmas that Friends of the Falls has to deal with is the continuous parade of rumors and circumstantial information which suggests that the sale of the property was rigged in Anthony's favor.  Much of the local community accepts this as a given, yet no legal evidence has surfaced to prove this.  (Now we understand why most large real estate transactions are cloaked in the privacy of anonymous Limited Liability Corporations - there is no paper trail of anything).  FOTF has tried to raise questions about the issue without stooping to repeating rumors.
:   
: So why are we raising this issue at this late date?   First of all, opponents of State acquisition trumpet loudly that the sale was "fair and square" in the absence of proof to the contrary.  Secondly, as the State contemplates entering into a co-habitation agreement with the Cliffs Communities, the issue of whether the State can trust its partner is a very important issue.   
:   
: So we have a special request for all our supporters.  If you know anyone who is in a position to substantiate any of these rumors of improper collusion between Anthony and Sterling, please let us know.  We believe that it could have a substantial impact on the outcome of the property.  It will be a very bitter pill for the public if such information comes out a little too late to make a difference . . .
:   
:   
: Meet the Original Friends of the Falls
: Opponents of State acquisition have tried out a lot of strange arguments in their public commentaries, but perhaps none more bizarre than their frequent insinuations that Friends of the Falls is made up of "socialists", "whackos", and "communists".  If you could attend one of our weekly meetings, you would find this pretty laughable yourself.  When FOTF met with a State negotiator this summer, she commented that we were the most diverse interest group she had ever encountered.
:   
: We would like to introduce you to two important people who helped get this entire movement off the ground.  In March, not long after Attorney General Easley suggested that the State move to protect the waterfalls, Doug Coggins and Ken Shelton began organizing a movement to raise support.  They wrote letters to the editor, and reserved space at the Hendersonville Public Library for a public meeting.  Ironically, these two non-environmentalists had to kick-start a campaign later joined by conservation groups.
:   
: Ken Shelton is a physician practicing radiology in Hendersonville for the past 14 years.  He became familiar with the waterfalls and the surrounding property through his involvement in organizing mountain biking events.  Through his volunteer work projects on DuPont State Forest trails, he has experienced the frustration of the many dead-end in the heart of the forest.  Ken is politically independent, and supports property rights as defined by the NC Constitution, believing that eminent domain should be used only in extreme circumstances such as this.  "These waterfalls would be the featured attraction of any National Park and should be preserved and protected for the people and our children to enjoy forever. "
:   
: Doug Coggins is a native of Tuxedo, North Carolina who worked at the General Electric plant for 37 years.  A conservative active in local Republican politics, Coggins knows first hand about eminent domain.  His home, and that of his sister and father had to be relocated due to the expansion of US 25.  Yet Doug is one of the strongest proponents of full State acquisition, through eminent domain if necessary.  He wonders why there are no objections when private family homes are relocated for other public projects such as roads.  "It is only a scare tactic to say your property is in danger .  .  .  This property is right in the middle of a state forest and holds the beauty to complete this forest. All of this without taking anyone's home or keeping Mr. Anthony from making a large profit."

:   
: Links
: Friends of the Falls web site:
: http://www.dupontforest.com
:   
: How to reach the Council of State
: http://www.main.nc.us/eco/dsf/cos.html


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