Coun Richard Denton White is to be congratulated on his letter We need an Action Plan on Quarrying' (Echo, May 20).

The fact that mistakes have been made in the past is no reason why we should not try and put them right today before irreparable damage is done.

If we fail to act now future generations will be right to regard us as having let them down and allowed their inheritance to be destroyed.

Following the Local Government Act of 1974 unemployment on the Island became a very real problem.

By 1978 it was 15 per cent, far higher than on the mainland, but our population was considered too small for anyone in authority to be interested.

A small body of local people believed that something could and should be done.

We raised enough money to buy the old Saint Georges School and established a Manpower Services training scheme employing two hundred young people over two years, 80 per cent of whom went on to get permanent employment.

We established a heritage and community centre which is still running successfully.

We proved that Portland people could improve life on the Island when no one from away was prepared to do anything for us.

I hope that others of vision and determination will rise to Coun Denton White's challenge before it is too late.

Carenza Hayhoe Portland n I am writing in reference to the letter Let's work with the quarry firms' from Mrs Cormack (Echo, May 22) which, incidentally was World Biodiversity Day.

I am not a born and bred, three generation, Portlander. I am a Cornishman, but it doesn't matter where you come from if you live here on this wonderful part of the British Isles.

The debate is not tit-for-tat between residents who get the hump with each other. The important questions that should quite rightly asked are as follow.

n Is it morally right to strip the coastline from Southwell towards the Bill?

n Why would any self-respecting person want too?

There are many species of wildlife there, ranging from reptiles such as adders, lizards, grass snakes and slow worms, which are protected species.

The list of protected wildlife also covers birds, fish, funghi, amphibians and reptiles, marine species, non-vascular plants, terrestrial invertebrates, mammals and vascular plants.

Take a look at the list, Mrs Cormack, it was amazing and just goes to show what we don't see unless we take the time to look.

So, it isn't really about working with the quarry firms is it? It's about mutual respect for the living things around us and this lovely Island.

By the way, I don't think there have been that many holes have been filled in. Save the coastal strip!

Heather Woolley Portland Bill Portland