Dove Hopes to Bring Peace to the Neuse

The People of the Neuse fight with a passion and love for the river. TheIndians called the Neuse "the river of peace." It seems only fitting thata man named "Dove," a symbol for peace, would become the keeper of thisriver.

There are some people who are born with the river water in their veins.Dove is convinced he's one of them. During a recent boat ride with WRAL'sBill Leslie, Dove admitted there'sno doubt in his mind the river will be fixed.

"She's got too many friends," he says. "She's too important to theeconomy and image of this state."

Though Dove has made a lot of friends up and down the river, he's alsomade a lot of enemies. Many people who say the problem of pfisteria isoverblown and tourism is suffering point the finger at him.

On the question of pfisteria and the safety of the water, Dove says nobodyknows the answer. He says 12 million fish can't be wrong if they're dead.

"We saw them die in 1995," Dove recalls. "We saw them die in 1996, andwe're seeing them die again."

Dove is convinced the kills will continue until nutrient pollution is dramatically reduced. He's particularly concerned about waste from hogfarms. According to Dove, technology is the key. Dove is also concernedabout government regulators who decide how much pollution the river cantake.

"We've got people working in state government who think they are wiseenough to know what the assimilative capacity is of the water," Dove says."That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard."

"It took two million years to make this river. Two million years! Inthat time, she came up with the right number of wetlands, the right numberof trees, the right amount of rain, and the right amount of sunshine.Whatever it was in two million years, she figured it out. In the last 25to 30 years, we have upset that balance. We have filled in the wetlands.We have put too many nutrients in the water."

A few years ago, Dove was railing against Raleigh, Cary and other citieson the upper reaches of the river. Not anymore. Dove says the river isnow getting strong support from public officials and citizens in thetriangle-- from all walks of life.

It's Dove's believe you don't have to be a tree hugger to fall in lovewith this water. Dove hopes this growing love affair will translate intoa much cleaner river within five years.

"We can't afford to fail. Too much is at risk," Dove says. "The economyof this state and the health of its citizens is all at risk here. If wecan't fix just one river, we're in terrible shape in North Carolina."

"The People of the Neuse" aired from 8:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Wednesdaynight. Fishermen, tourists, scientists, poets and the Governor sharedtheir opinions on the Neuse.