Sorry in advance for the lengthy post. (also posted at Treehugger.com) Below are excerpts and links on a military land use plan that was recently defeated. Plans for the construction of a US Navy outlying landing field (OLF) facility to train pilots are off the table for the moment due to successful efforts of a group of farmers, naturelovers and (with encouragement) politicians. Go to www.noolf.com and read about who was involved in successfully stopping the the Navy plan to turn 50 square miles of farm land and wildlife habitat into a concrete landing field and low altitude flight operations area. There is no money to build the site in this year’s budget, but the issue is not completely dead. Below is a link to a relatively recent article about another proposed NC site in a state forest within 15 or 20 miles of where I live. http://www.dailyadvance.com/local/content/news/stories/2007/11/28/1128jonesolfjh.html When commenting on the original Navy plan, North Carolina Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler contends the Navy landing site would cost the agricultural industry in the region over $6 million per year. Troxler says, “My appreciation of what the men and women of our armed forces do for our country doesn’t change the fact that North Carolina has lost over 300,000 acres of farmland since 2003 and we’ve lost the most farmland of any state in the country for the past two years.†This issue might be something you folks want to keep an eye on. I know I will...NO OLF...we all need what is left of NC's farmland and forests.
