In the News: The Coastline Is Retreating. Should the Montauk Lighthouse Stand Its Ground?

The debate rages on in Montauk regarding its charismatic lighthouse and how to address the ever-encroaching coastline below. Since the structure was built in 1796 (commissioned by George Washington no less!) the buffer between the sea and the towering lighthouse has shrunk from a generous 300 feet to a precarious 75. Now coastal managers, fisherman, surfers and local residents are left to decide whether to retreat or stand their ground...JB

Photo: Anders Brownworth (www.anders.com)

By Cornelia Dean
November 21, 2006

Lighthouses speak to the imagination. They illuminate the darkness, remind us of a vanishing maritime heritage and embody what it means to make it safely home.

So when erosion threatens to send a lighthouse toppling into the sea, people want to save it. But how? The way we answer that question involves more than engineering. It can become a statement about how we intend to live with our eroding coasts.

Read more:
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/21/science/earth/21comm.html

Video:
http://nytimes.feedroom.com/?fr_story=4db4f0511aac94767acc5b17838c7ab8d2600bfe

More on the Lighthouse Debate
http://travel2.nytimes.com/2006/11/14/nyregion/14light.html

Google Map of Montauk Lighthouse
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=montauk&sll=40.694038,-73.999283&sspn=0.013796,0.019226&ie=UTF8&z=12&ll=41.058903,-71.899338&spn=0.109764,0.21492&t=h&om=1

Montauk Lighthouse
http://www.montauklighthouse.com/home.htm

Wikipedia - Montauk Lighthouse
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montauk_Point_Lighthouse