Every day letters like these are being sent to our local news sources. Read what people are saying about Saving Mandahl Bay

Mandahl Bay: Once it is gone, it is gone forever
Bonnie J. Jackson, former St. Thomas resident
VI Daily News, December 19, 2014

When I was younger my family owned two houses high up in Estate Mandahl. I fondly remember my summers there as well as working there as an adult. I hope to return when I retire. As a former dive master in St. Thomas and a professional fisheries biologist, I have seen habitat degradation and destruction first hand on other islands due to land development.

A fragile ecosystem such as Mandahl’s can tolerate very little disturbance before it dies out. The runoff alone from those steep hills would be catastrophic. Let’s not forget that there once was a very unique Salt Pond that existed there about 40-50 years ago, which was virtually obliterated in a week’s time because the legislature caved in to developers.

Let’s hope that foresight has been sharpened in this time span, and that we acts as true stewards instead of rapacious big business advocates. Once gone, gone forever.