I wrote a column in August about the efforts by some people in Marshall to convert a part of the former Longhorn Army Ammunition Plant into an industrial development site. I discussed the historic and emotional side of my objection to these efforts. In this column I lay out the objective reasons that show why putting an industrial site in the midst of the Caddo Lake Wildlife Refuge is a terrible idea that should be dismissed immediately.

The U.S. Army and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service agreed that a transfer of the abandoned LAAP site from the Army to FWS was in the best interests of both agencies, as well as consistent with the wishes of most local representatives. The agencies held a meeting at Caddo Lake State Park on August 21, 2000, to hear local people's views of the proposed disposition of the plant site. Both the Marshall city manager at that time and I spoke at that meeting. Thus, both industrial development and wildlife refuge proposals were heard.

Subsequent to the closing of the plant, the city of Marshall received grants totaling about $2.5 million from the federal government in partial compensation for the negative economic impact the plant's closure had on the city.

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