When I first read the headline in the Pine Cone I thought about the ugly murals that adorn the building – no now they have erected some out of style light poles with solar panels that need to be big enough to work in the fog.
Then they struggle for justification – thefts, mountain lions, they are ‘green’. Just say we are the Fed, your rules do not apply. Is there more than weather and tide information in that building?
A few months ago somebody cut the fence to the NOAA facility, Schwing said. The new lights, NOAA contends, will not only reduce the danger from human intruders but also the threat of wild animals.
“Predators have moved into our neighborhood,” he explained. “We are hoping this will dissuade mountain lions and coyotes from hanging out. This is a legitimate concern because we have had a number of deer kills on our property mountain lions and coyotes.”
A similar argument from a homeowner would probably be laughed at by coastal commission planners, who also require that property owners not create barriers to wildlife.