Issues Affecting Dauphin Island
Aesthetics

"Sight Flight"

Offshore gas drilling has a negative impact on Dauphin Island aesthetically.  This adversely affects tourism.  The Gulf view from the island is littered with offshore rigs.  This has caused some degree of "sight flight" from the island (those seeking an undisturbed view of the southern water horizon) to Gulf Shores and points east, where no rigs are allowed.

One comfort that might be afforded Dauphin Island (since it bears the brunt of this aesthetic impact) would be if the island received more funding than the rig-free (or limited rigs) Baldwin County area -- funding from federal programs which were specifically created to mitigate impact from offshore drilling.  Yet this is not the case.  For more information, see Fun(ding) Facts.