Wildlife Action request gets nod from city’s
Planning Board

By JEFFERSON WEAVER
Staff Writer

A 15-acre tract off Sunset Terrace in Whiteville will always be wild, thanks to a local organization that also hopes to relocate its state headquarters here.

Wildlife Action of Columbus County requested the City of Whiteville approve the undeveloped parcel for a nature preserve last month. Nature preserves are allowed in Open Space (OS) zones in Whiteville, but the Sunset Terrace property was R-20 (residential).

The property was donated to Wildlife Action by Ed Helms.

City Planning director Lainie Johnson said the city also had no definition of nature preserves, and they are currently only allowed in OS.

“I don’t see any problem with allowing nature preserves in any of our areas,” she said.

The planning board approved a request from the city planning staff to allow nature preserves in R-20 areas, and gave a hearty endorsement to Wildlife Action at the same time.

“This is a no-brainer to me,” planning board member Tom Ray said of the proposal.

Gault Beesow and Frank Oliver of the National Wildlife Action office in Mullins, S.C. explained that the group hopes to build its North Carolina headquarters on the Sunset Terrace tract. Even without the small office, he said, trails, observation areas and bird-watching sites will be developed throughout the property.

Beesow said the group will first build an outdoor chapel on the site, then begin work on trails and other facilities. A 30-by-40-foot meeting building will also be available for use as a classroom and presentation hall.

While the site will not be open every day, Beesow said, it will be available to teachers and school groups, senior citizens programs, and other organizations.

“We are all about helping people learn more about the outdoors,” Beesow said.

Alcohol is not permitted on any Wildlife Action facility, Beesow said, and except for special services, the preserve will be closed on Sunday.

“We’re a private organization,” Beesow said, “so we haven’t had to remove God from everything.” Beesow noted that the group was denied a federal grant during the Clinton administration because they refused to remove the word God from the group’s constitution.

“We’re still doing all right,” he said.

Local Wildlife Action member Chase Hooks presented the planning board with a sheet of area residents who spoke in support of the preserve.

“Everyone is behind us,” Hooks said. “They like the idea.”

The text amendment and the zoning request must go before the Whiteville City Council for final approval.

Wildlife Action is a 30-year-old organization with members in all 50 states and seven foreign countries.