Page 8 Friday, August 5, 2011 Longboat Key News

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EditorLetters

Dogs on beach — yes!To: Vice Mayor David BrennerI am a 40-year resident of Longboat Key and I am

hoping that dogs will be allowed on the beaches. I can accept time and area restrictions, but I think it’s a shame that Durante Park is currently the only place to enjoy nature on Longboat with my Clumber spaniel.

Thanks and let me know if I can help in anyway to get this passed.

Robert StoneLongboat Key

To: Robert StoneThanks for your e-mail. Please plan on appearing at

our workshop in the fall. Vice Mayor Dave Brenner

Longboat Key

Dogs on beach a benefitTo: Town CommissionThere has been much written lately concerning allow-

ing dogs on the LBK beaches. The obvious course should be to make sure that the

true risks of allowing dogs on the Longboat Key beaches are not harmful to the health and welfare of its citizens. Also, to understand that there are perceived risks that are actually of little consequence to that same health and welfare.

There are 30 states in the United States that allow dogs on their beaches. There are 33 Dog Beaches in Florida from the Panhandle to the Keys, east coast and west coast. It seems this opportunity has proven to be a benefit to the communities or this would not be the case.

I ask you to consider all concerns, know the valid risks and rewards, and formulate a plan that provides the chance for those who own dogs and those who don’t to enjoy the beaches. Get the statistical facts, not rhetoric, and then decide.

There have been no suggestions to let dogs run on beaches off leash or unsupervised. I support a fact-find-ing group to address the concerns of our residents and the feasibility of establishing a dog beach on Longboat Key. Let’s all get the true facts, make them available and then make an informed choice.

Jackie SalvinoLongboat Key

Dogs, wildlife don’t mixTo: Vice Mayor David BrennerDogs and beach wildlife don’t mix. Our beach is the

home of ghost crabs, seabirds and turtles. We also have fox and raccoons that occasionally predate the turtle nests. In any case the drama of life and death on the beach is at once beautiful and deadly, but it is most of all natural and balanced as nature finds its own equilibrium.

The introduction of domestic pets can drastically change this balance and introduce an invasive spe-cies that does not belong in this natural setting. I am concerned about the effect of dogs on the beach on the loggerhead turtles that typically nest and hatch on Longboat Key beaches between May and October. We don’t want dogs sniffing out eggs (as raccoons do on occasion) or digging up the nests to expose the eggs to predation and the elements. The odds of survival of this endangered species are something like one in 1,500 to 2,500 for a female to reach maturity after 20-30 years and to return to Longboat Key beaches to lay eggs for the next generation. Birds also lay eggs and those sec-tions of beach are cordoned off to protect these bird-nesting areas as much as possible. Dogs may endanger these bird eggs and also threaten the birds that inhabit the beaches.

About a month ago I saw a mother turtle laying her nest at 7 a.m., an unusual occurrence because the mother turtles lay their eggs at night in the darkness. The turtle was distracted by a bevy of seabirds flying overhead that may have sensed the presence of newly lain eggs. Instead of turning back to the Gulf of Mexico the turtle started heading toward Gulf of Mexico Drive. Fortunately, after 45 minutes and climbing over a veg-etated sand dune, she turned and headed into the Gulf of Mexico and avoided disaster going the wrong way. This is only to point out that the beach habitat is fraught with sufficient dangers without introducing another source in the form of dogs on the beach.

Dogs have plenty of freedom of movement on this island, which is a bird sanctuary and nature preserve. For this reason I found out I should not let my cats out the door lest they eat birds so they stay inside. I would hardly think that I would ask permission to take my cats out to the beach to run around to play with the seabirds. We also have enough to deal with in terms of picking up garbage and food left out on the beach. Dog excrement may be picked up and dumped in containers near the

beach but this may invite raccoons and other creatures and then why should the property owners have to deal with dog doo?

With that image in mind I urge that the commission maintain the current prohibition to disallow dogs on the beach to preserve the integrity of the beach habitat and the protection of wildlife.

Larry GrossmanLongboat Key

To: Larry GrossmanThanks for your thoughts on this subject. I hope you’ll

share them at such time we discuss this subject at a future workshop (probably in the fall).

Vice Mayor Dave BrennerLongboat Key

Dogs welcome!To: EditorI think it is a wonderful idea to give dogs on the beach

a trial run. Someone who has lived here for more than 38 years told me that dogs were never allowed on the beach at Longboat.

However, times have changed in regard to our furry animals. We are more concerned about dog poop and pooper scoopers are definitely in vogue. I don’t believe that would be a problem today. Please, let’s try it. Incidentally I don’t have a dog and never had one (asth-ma). But I do have several friends that have dogs and they would love the right to use the beach to walk Fido.

Jack EagletonLongboat Key

Westchester fire – job well doneTo: Town Manager Bruce St. DenisWithin the last hour I heard from Toni Giliberti, man-

ager of the Westchester, about the superb service from the town in connection with the fire the other night. I know police and fire personnel were on the scene as well as others. Please pass on to all of them Toni’s thank you and compliments on a responsive job well done.

Vice Mayor Dave BrennerLongboat Key

To: Town Commissioner David BrennerThanks David. The folks did a great job, and we were

Longboat Key News encourages Letters to the Editor on timely issues. Please e-mail to: letters@lbknews.com or mail to 5370 Gulf of Mexico Drive, Ste. 210, Longboat Key, FL 34228; fax: 941-388-7841. We also print letters sent to Town Hall that address Key issues. We reserve the right to edit.

Letters, page 10