A prolonged legal confrontation between two environmental groups and the National Park Service over beach driving in Cape Hatteras National Seashore has been finally settled.
Two weeks after an agreement was reached between the parties, U.S. District Judge Terrence Boyle on Wednesday signed the consent decree following a hearing that lasted just over an hour. In between, the judge had issued orders for the Park Service to answer 11 questions about the proposal.
Ultimately, the agreement the judge approved was the same as the one he had questioned. It will maintain off-road vehicle access to the seashore, but with more limits and stricter monitoring.
“I’d say it is a relief,” National Park Service Outer Banks Group Superintendent Mike Murray said, reached by cell phone after the hearing. “But it’s one step accomplished. Then we have to gear up to implement it.”
In approving the consent decree, the judge ended a lawsuit filed against the Park Service in October by the National Audubon Society and the Defenders of Wildlife. The groups had contended that the seashore’s interim ORV management plan left vulnerable nesting birds and turtles at risk from the impacts of beach driving.
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Defend WildLife Be An American
If it were the fish in need of help, the sport fishermen would understand, but because it is other wildlife in need of defense, only a select few care, like the Defenders of Wildlife. Becasue these few are not concerned about money or sport, they are keeping the main attraction Alive. Tourists/People truely care about LIFE, seeing animals Alive, not dieing or in none exsistance. If you're like the aerial hunters in Alaska who can't even make a clean kill, and masacare Wolves and their families, then you need to go live where their state allows such cruelty. You should be proud to live where our state has enough sense to Not erradicate any animal. Although it's an embarrasment to be a North Carolinian (Va. your wrong too) at such a time as this, where a state votes for a person who shouldn't even be a candidate, in any capacity, who Refuses to Pledge Allegience to Our Flag of the United States of America, One Nation Under GOD,... if you voted or vote for HUSSEIN Obama, no wonder why you're complaining about what's right...you shouldn't even call yourself an American, becasue if you were, you'd be Defending what's right, but just like most Aliens or those who claim to be a U.S.Citize
I should be happy, but I'm not
Part of me wants to feel happy that a total ban was not enforced, but I have this overwhelming feeling that before summer is over, that's probably what we'll be looking at. As soon as a plover nest is spotted, they're going to rope off a MILE of the beach around the nest. And like someone mentioned on another site, imagine if 2 plovers decide to nest a mile apart around Cape Point...they'll practically have to block off the entire area to "accommodate" them. I have a really bad feeling about this. Life as we knew it on the beaches of Hatteras will never be the same. That beach is a part of me, it always has been. It just doesn't seem right that an entire way of (HUMAN) life can be dictated by a couple of birds.
just the beginning
While this may, on the surface, seem like a reasonable solution, it is just the first step to a permanent ban. There is nothing to preclude another bunch of environmentalists from bringing another law suit in an attempt to tighten regulations further. And all of this over a few birds and turtles that are already protected. This ban will do nothing to affect the population of these animals. And all of this from groups that have never been to the outer banks.