Letter: Lowcountry seeing a cultural drift

Thanks for the David Lauderdale column (“No, do not level the trees of Beaufort County”) that reminds us of the special place this is and how unique our tree canopy is to the Lowcountry.

It’s curious that the local government considers the hurricane a disaster but allows a national developer to clear-cut 40 acres of trees on Sam’s Point Road. And allows Hilton Head hotels to cut old trees with a small fee as penalty. And allows chain stores to change the character of Lady’s Island with no plan for gridlocked traffic to follow.

And we’re told “they followed the rules.”

Hello, local leaders, you make the rules! What we’re seeing is a cultural drift over the last few years. A slow change in what is “OK.”

The script wasn’t “anything for more tax revenue.” The environment used to be protected. It was not OK to destroy the trees for another parking place. It wasn’t OK for government scrounging for another penny of tax revenue to sell out the local island way of life and local businesses.

Now, reviewing the tree-cutting plan by Harris Teeter on the old Publix property on Lady’s Island is a good start. Preserve what’s left of the Lowcountry with more intelligent planning and regard for the natural resources that make it special.

Nothing happens to a community unless local leaders allow it to happen.

This story was originally published December 6, 2016 at 8:39 AM with the headline "Letter: Lowcountry seeing a cultural drift."