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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Hi Dave,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Many thanks for your email and for your offer of
support regarding the problem here in SVG. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I think as a potential tourist of SVG, voicing your
opinion regarding this matter will have some impact. Also, coral reefs
are not only a local heritage for the youth here, but a global heritage for the
children of the world. Loss of reef areas, especially under the
circumstances of this situation, affects us all. I will include a fax
number for the Ministers below.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>However, please consider the
following:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Support is welcome, but please refrain from
crossing out SVG as a potential destination (as a tourist or
otherwise). The publicity here regarding this issue has raised
environmental and heritage awareness to a high, quite possibly higher than it
has been in a long time. And this high might quite possibly result in some
very positive changes here if the cards are played right. Supportive
messages from international persons will help this positive movement, just as
many emails from list members have helped me keep a postive tone
throughout. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>However, I think the reason this situation has
captured the attention of the local community has been because of its positive
nature. Negativity or threats of a tourism boycott from international
sources could taint the positive energy that is being fostered here, and will
most likely be used by individuals to cloud the real issue. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>It is also important to realize that your tourism
might actually save and/or prolong the live of reefs in this country. SVG
is in a unique position in that it does not yet have a fully developed tourism
market. How that tourism market develops will depend on you and people
like you. We need tourists who will be aware of our environment and
culture, and will look to enjoy and respect both during your stay. We
need tourists who will go out of their way to spend money at local
establishments rather than foreign based resorts. These
tourists are compatable with the kind of tourism that fosters
preservation/protection. If we begin to loose that kind of tourism, the
door will be wide open to mass tourism development, bringing with it
further destructive practices.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>So, if you do wish to write to the "powers that be"
here in SVG, it would be a great help. But please keep it positive so that
we can keep the ball rolling on this end, and hopefully make some good things
happen. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Also, please consider writing and/or contacting the
US military (navy) to make sure they are aware of our current situation...that
the appeal process regarding the Planning Board decision for the project has
been denied by the local Government, and that further evidence of
the reef's health has been ignored. It is understood that they are
not doing the dredging, but as part of the overall project, they should be aware
of that fact. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Names and number for St. Vincent:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Mr. A. Eustace, Prime Minister</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Sir J. Mitchell, Senior Minister</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Prime Minister's Office</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Financial Complex</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Kingstown</FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2>, St.
Vincent</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>West Indies</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Fax: 784-457-2152</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>(sorry, no email)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Once again, many thanks for your support in this
matter, it means a lot.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Sincerely,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Kurt</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A href="mailto:dallison@email.msn.com"
title=dallison@email.msn.com>dallison</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A
href="mailto:coral-list@coral.aoml.noaa.gov"
title=coral-list@coral.aoml.noaa.gov>coral-list@coral.aoml.noaa.gov</A> ; <A
href="mailto:caribwa@egroups.com"
title=caribwa@egroups.com>caribwa@egroups.com</A> ; <A
href="mailto:sre@caribsurf.com" title=sre@caribsurf.com>Kurt Cordice</A>
</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Monday, February 19, 2001 4:37
PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> RE: Update: Dredging of Coral
Reef for Coast Guard base in St. Vincent and the Grenadines</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN
class=540174520-19022001>Kurt:</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN
class=540174520-19022001></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN
class=540174520-19022001>Perhaps it would be of some value for folks who, like
me and some of my friends, visit and vacation in the Caribbean a couple of
times each year to send a note to the minister to let him know that we will
not be including SVG in our vacation plans if they persist in their efforts to
dredge the coral reefs in the area. I would be happy to deliver such a
note if I had the address and or email or fax numbers and the name of the
Prime Minister and Senior Minister.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN
class=540174520-19022001></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=540174520-19022001>Dave
Allison</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN
class=540174520-19022001>Allison Associates</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
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