Profile P r o f i l e
Hand, Heart and Soul
Alum Todd Miller passionately protects the state’s coast Photo courtesy of NOAA
By JB Shelton
S
eawater may not literally be running through his veins, but North Carolina Coastal Federation (NCCF) founder and executive director Todd Miller considers the coast part of his DNA. Growing up in the 1950s and ’60s in the community of Ocean, he and his two sisters seized joyful hours swimming, sailing, fishing, shrimping, catching crabs and exploring natural areas of Bogue Banks. Meanwhile, real estate speculators were dreaming up new uses for the land and waterways of Carteret County. UNC exposed Miller (BA urban studies ’78, MA city and regional planning ’80), to environmental management and social entrepreneurship, knowledge that would come in handy for his life’s work of protecting the coast from excessive development. He created the coastal federation in 1982, after seeing how citizen groups throughout the country were effectively protecting their local environments. Twentyeight years later, he is still motivated by knowing, “If I fail in my job, I lose what I love.” Miller’s mission: Involve North Carolinians in coastal stewardship through education, advocacy, and habitat preservation and restoration. If he fails, citizens will lose what they love and need: the sanctity, natural beauty and productivity of our coast. “Environmental protection has no shortcuts,” Miller said. “The federation empowers ordinary people working together as a ‘community’ to accomplish extraordinary things.” Under his leadership, the NCCF story is documented in 50 restoration projects encompassing over 40,000 acres of estuaries and more than 8,500 acres of land acquired for preservation. Miller received the Old North
ABOVE: John Gray, right, presents Todd Miller and the N.C. Coastal Federation with NOAA’s Excellence in Restoration Award.
State Award in 2007 and the Southern coastal Carolina, rebuilt 50 acres of oyster Environmental Law Center’s Southern reefs where each mature oyster can filter Environmental Leadership Award in 2000. pollutants up to 50 gallons a day. “Todd Miller is the hand, heart and “These accomplishments,” said Miller, soul of the Carolina coastal conservation “merely skim the surface (no pun intended) movement,” said David R. Godschalk, of what needs to be done: working with Stephen Baxter Professor Emeritus in UNC’s farmers on large-scale hydrologic restoration department of city and regional planning. of farm land, advocating enforcing coastal “Without Todd to lead the fight, the coast laws and regulations, and teaching students would be left to the tender mercies of how to restore marshes.” speculators, developers and engineers “We live where we work,” noted determined to sell it, overbuild it and then ring Miller. “The project impacts our economy by it with seawalls.” employing truckers, quarry workers, barge Colleague Raymond Burby, professor operators, tugboat captains, scientists and emeritus, added, “Miller’s dedication is fisheries’ technicians.” legendary in UNC professor “If I fail in my job, I lose what I love.” Bland Simpson, setting a national example of what author of The can be accomplished by grassroots groups Coasts of Carolina: Seaside to Sound Country, that stay true to their missions. NCCF’s calls Miller “one of the most creative and multifaceted programs leave no stone visionary people working in environmental unturned to preserve and enhance coastal protection.” resources through elementary school lessons, “His leadership in protecting our field trips and hands-on experiences.” 300-plus miles of seacoast and 5,000 miles On Earth Day 2010, the National of interior, estuarine shorelines is exemplary Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and inspirational,” said Simpson, a Bowman honored Miller, the federation and its partners and Gordon Gray Distinguished Professor (N.C. Marine Fisheries Division, NC State, and NCCF board member. “As North N.C. Sea Grant and UNC-Wilmington) with Carolinians, we have a practical and a moral the Excellence in Restoration Award, praising duty to make our many waters living models decades of dedicated work in restoring the to the world.” • state’s degraded coastal habitats. Thanks Online Extras: Learn more about to a $5 million federal Recovery Act grant, the North Carolina Coastal Federation at the Oyster Restoration Project, led by local nccoast.org. residents in the Pamlico Sound and around
18 • college.unc.edu • Fall 2010 • Carolina Arts & Sciences