Isla Blanca Park is Never Safe?

Surfrider Mission Statement:
-The Surfrider Foundation is a nonprofit environmental organization dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of the world's oceans, waves and beaches through conservation, activism, research and education.

Isla Blanca Is Never Safe!

That’s the rhetoric I spotted on the Marquis at “On the Beach” the other day when I drove past. It’s also bullshit. So is the above mission statement for “surfrider”.

Let me ‘splain again. This is getting to be a tiring topic, but one that is so deeply mired in politics that it probably deserves the weight of truth.

As you know, Isla Blanca County Park had been given a contract by the County Commission for development by a group called the Laguna Madre Enhancement Group. The park itself is located on the extreme south tip of South Padre Island, adjacent to the north Brazos Santiago Jetty. Because of it’s geologic setting, there is a net loss of property due to erosion produced by the inhibition of sediment transport by the northbound longshore current as a result of the granite jetties which were built in the early part of the 20th century. Bottom line, nature, and the acts of man are causing this small tip of the barrier island to disappear.

As a side product though, it is perhaps the most excellent wave riding spot on the Gulf of Mexico. Here the continental shelf is at its narrowest point, allowing deep water swells to roll all the way to the beach, which themselves play a role in the exaggerated rate of erosion. The same waves that “surfrider” is so concerned with preserving access to, are also relentlessly wearing down the beach front, and sweeping the park away.

On Tuesday I took my little ketch offshore, out the jetties, which are a great place to drill home the effects of nature and man by observation. When I was just about in line with the south beach, Boca Chica, I was able to turn around, and look west at the North beach (Isla Blanca Park), almost a half mile further west, a result of erosion and shoreward transport of this part of the island.

So there’s not much we can do about it. Nature will eventually have her way, always has. The island will continue its relentless march shoreward, eventually accreting with the western shoreline, subside and disappear in a process that will be repeated during the next regression-transgression of sea level.

I don’t think surfrider understands this, or if they do they certainly aren’t making their members aware of it, members who consist mainly of aging affluent still pot smoking yuppies, who only see a threat to their parking lot where they can conduct unrestricted hedonism. What else could it be?

Certainly, a development in Isla Blanca Park of the sort that the “enhancement group” proposes would have little, if any impact on the ultimate geomorphic process that I’ve attempted to describe. And in reality, as the plans showed, fewer inhabitants than currently utilize the RV park would be present at any given time, probably reducing “ecological impact”.

Wouldn’t this fit in with surfriders mission? Judicious development can produce beneficial results. Furthermore, in Texas, public beach access cannot be restricted, and the surf break that these former 60’s hippies are so adamant about is really a non-issue. So where is the problem?

Cameron Counties political infrastructure even negated the lease in order to placate these bastards, who, selfishly don‘t even realize that the income would’ve funded other low income facilities for the benefit of the rest of the counties population. Hell, I had one even tell me, when I asked him about what the underprivileged kids would do for recreational facilities, kids who don’t even have an opportunity to travel from their colonias to the beach; “let ‘em play at school”.

Real caring individual, unfortunately reflective of the majority of self centered surfers, who drive their high end SUV’s down to the park to “catch a wave”……These folks are isolated from the rest of their community, choosing to live here in the affluence of the island and coast, insulating themselves from the true reality of where they live, the same as they choose to insulate themselves from the reality of what really is happening at Isla Blanca Park. Wake up and smell the Sargassum folks, it’s really all about erosion.

I heard one of these assholes remark the other day about their petition with “over three thousand signatures”, but what they failed to mention was the percentage of signatures by folks outside of this area, this county, even this state. Can’t forget the almighty “Winter Texans” either (and yes Virgina….these bastards are returning again, all too early!), folks only concerned with their own ability to stay on the beach all winter cheap. They don’t give a flying fuck about this place either. Just what’s in it for them. What’s free. And that’s the sad reality.

It appears to me that from the beginning this has been a political issue, dominated by a single individuals quest for County-judgedom. The way I see it, this Cascos character has been in the fracas from the beginning, using the naiveté of the cannabis consumers as a forum, a moving billboard. Next to damn near every “Save Isla Blanca” sticker is a “Carlos Cascos” sticker…….Do people really believe that this man won’t parlay an opportunity into gain? Damn near every “rally” put on by surfrider et al has involved a political rally for this guy.

Now they’re at it again, over some perceived intricacy within the vestigial remnants of “the lease”, but this time there’s a problem. It’s blatant bullshit, and they’re caught, pants down. However, this doesn’t seem to make a difference. These people will not stop until they finally implode like the draft card burning jerks they once were. It’s like a Phoenix rising from the flames in reverse. I smell a rat, the unholy triad between Cascos (the father), Surfrider (the son), and the chosen few (the un-holy ghost).

I really don’t much care about political alliances, but what I do care about is this place, and that’s what’s got me so red-assed. All of this misplaced energy.

There are true ecological problems that should be addressed. For example, how can we mitigate the effects of erosion in a common sense way? What do we do about the denigration of water quality from an ever expanding population? How do we deal with the siltation of the navigable passes and channels? Limit trash on beaches?

I don’t hear these concerns voiced by Cascos/surfrider/the privileged few. They instead, have chosen to target a totally banal and political cause for their own selfish gain. In that, there is no difference between them and their enemy, the Laguna Madre Enhancement Group