Kathryn Myrsell’s recent letter expresses a genuine concern for the environment, a sentiment we all share.

However, her portrayal of the Westport Golf Links (WGL) project omits critical facts — particularly those documented in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) — that show how this project actually promotes coastal protection, habitat enhancement, and public access in ways that far outweigh its impacts.

Yes, the project which at its largest footprint proposes filling roughly 35 acres of degraded wetlands, most of which are remnants from the abandoned “Links at Half Moon Bay” development nearly 20 years ago.

While classified as Category I in name, these wetlands are functionally impaired. Please note that in Park’s Recreational Business Activity summary in 2016, they described the north half of the site to “includes a number of low-functioning wetlands. This area was heavily impacted by an earlier partially completed golf course development, which manipulated the wetlands, and left the property covered with invasive vegetation.”

The WGL plan includes extensive onsite and off-site mitigation, restoration, and conservation easements, resulting in a net ecological gain over current site conditions. Lastly, the developed footprint is only 122 acres or less than 20% of the area of the total project area.

More importantly, this project plays a key role in unlocking major regional resiliency funding. By reaching the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ cost-benefit threshold, WGL qualifies the Westport shoreline and surrounding areas — including Westport Light State Park — for federally funded “beneficial use” of dredged sediment. This means sand dredged from the navigation channel — material that would otherwise be dumped offshore — can now be used to nourish eroding dunes, bolster natural storm barriers, and stabilize the South Beach coastline. Without a qualifying project like WGL, this beneficial reuse of sediment would not be economically justifiable under Corps criteria.

In other words, this golf course triggers a chain of public coastal protections that would otherwise remain out of reach. It’s a rare case where smart development becomes the very mechanism by which we strengthen our shoreline.

Flooding is a real concern for Westport — and one the WGL project addresses head-on. The design includes permeable green space, restored internal dune systems, and advanced stormwater management, all of which improve infiltration and reduce runoff. Rather than compacting land or paving over habitat, WGL converts neglected acreage into a functional green sponge — an essential asset in the era of rising seas and atmospheric rivers.

Claims that the project would “destroy” habitat miss the nuance. The course avoids all protected conservation areas, includes wildlife corridors, and integrates native coastal plantings that improve biodiversity. Well-designed links-style courses like this one have been shown to support a wide variety of birds, mammals, and pollinators, especially when paired with restored adjacent lands.

Finally, WGL enhances public access across the board: new beach trails, expanded beach parking, interior park connections, and open space for walkers, families, and nature-lovers — not just golfers.

In sum, Westport Golf Links is not the environmental threat some claim — it is an engine for restoration, access, and climate resiliency. Let’s focus on the facts and the future we’re building, not fear rooted in outdated assumptions.