Protecting Dare: State receives money to prevent development near training ground

Word that the federal government will give the Air Force a $3.4 million grant to help protect the Dare County bombing range comes as mighty welcome news.

The tract is the primary training ground for fighter jets coming out of Seymour Johnson Air Force Base. Without the training ground, the base's mission could be compromised. Air Force officials would have to rethink the base's role, and that is not something Wayne County residents should want. The stability of the air base is vital to the local economy. Without Seymour Johnson, Goldsboro and Wayne County would not have nearly the economic base it has now. This would be a vastly different place were it not for the base and its economic contribution.

The money will be used to ensure that farm and forest lands in the area of the range remain undeveloped -- a necessity for its use as a low-altitude training area. In addition to fighter jets from Seymour Johnson, jets from Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia use the bombing range, so the grant is a win for that base as well.

Our thanks go out to the officials who helped the state obtain this important grant. It will go a long way toward shoring up the status of Seymour Johnson, and thereby the Wayne County economy.

Published in Editorials on May 8, 2017 9:46 AM