The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1952-09-26

with the Park Service officials.
He also said that he was sure
the Park Service would inaugu-
rate improved ferry service across
both Hatteras and Oregon inlets.
How will the land be taken q Mr..
Bonner said that the first step
will be for the land acquisition
committee of the Seashore Com
mission to try negotiating with
land owners for the sale of their
property to the state. (The state
will then turn the land over to
the National Park Service, which
is forbidden to buy land for ma
tional parks.)
In the event negotiations fail,
condemnation proceedings in the
courts will be undertaken. Mr..
Bonner EXPRESSED a preference for
this method because he felt it
would not only insure an equita-
BILE price, but it would help estab-
lish property lines which-on the
sandy Outer Banks, at least
have become obscured over the
years.,
AS for an increase in taxes,
Mr.. Bonner did not seem to think
there would be any need to fear
this would happan. The land to be
taken over is for the most part
unimproved, and the tax loss to
the county would probably not be
great.
Of primary interest to Ocracoke
residents is the construction of a
road from the town north to Hat
teras Inlet, where a ferry is in
operation to Hatteras Island. In
answer to a question about the
road, Mr.. Bonner said he was
certain that part of the develop
ment plans of the National Park
Service would include the road so
long desired by Ocracoke resi-
dents.
THE HOTELS
He. predicted a great increase
in the tourist trade when the park
is created and made more &C.
cessible, and he pointed out that
the residents would realize the
profits, either through their own
tourist facilities or by leasing IA
cilities.
Because Ocracoke's main in
come is from fishing, and from
sportsmen who go there for both
hunting and fishing, the residents
wanted reinsurance that their
present rights would not be cur
tailed. Mr.. Bonner assured them
that it was part of the act of
Congress creating the park that
these rights must be left intact
as far as the legal residents of
the Banks are concerned.
Mr.. Bonner concluded the meet
ing with a warning of what could
happen if the park is not created
and development is left to private
individuals. He cited the Mays
Head area where, he said, there
is not a single foot of public
bathing beach left from north of
Mays Head down to Whalebone,
He pointed out that private de-
velopment of the proposed park
area would inevitably mean that
outside money would be used, and
that the money gained from pri-
vate development would leave, the
area, never to return.
On the other hand, he said that
a national park would draw a
constant stream of tourists, all of
them bringing new money into
the area, to be left with the resi-
dents who would provide the SER
vices.
When the meeting at the 0cra-
coke School recreation hall broke
up, it was evident that, for the
first time citizens of the island
had been given an understandable
picture of what the park would
mean to them. If there was any
opposition to the park at the be-
ginning of the meeting-and it
wasn't obvious, if there was-the
residents seem to feel that inse-
far as Ocracske is concerned, the
park looked Nike the answer to a
lot of prayers.