Salvo, N.C.
Barely a week after off-road vehicle tracks were observed in a bird closure south of Salvo, another serious violation of a resource protection area in Cape Hatteras National Seashore was found early Thursday, according to a National Park Service statement.
Tracks from an all-terrain vehicle were discovered at dawn inside a closed part of the beach about 1.8 miles south of Ramp 23 near Salvo.
After entering the closure, the vehicle went through a least tern nesting area, crushing an egg. It then exited, did two "doughnuts," and headed north. Staff observed the tracks over a dune near Sea Haven Drive in Rodanthe, the statement said, but no suspects were identified.
As required by an April 30 legal decree, the buffer around the resource protection area was expanded 100 meters.
It is the sixth deliberate vandalism in closed areas since the agreement was signed, said Park Service spokeswoman Cyndy Holda.
The destruction of a migratory bird nest or eggs is a criminal offense subject to a penalty up to $15,000 and six months in prison.
Anyone with information on the violation is asked to call the Dare County Crime Line at (800) 745-2746.
The North Carolina Beach Buggy Association is offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of any person involved in a deliberate act of vandalism in a resource protection area.
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huh?
So you think some mystery Audubon member snuck in, stole a local's ATV, destroyed the eggs, returned the ATV to where it was and then snuck out of state specifically to deprive locals their access to a beach the birder couldn't otherwise find on a map?
Your logic is truly dizzying. Yeah, couldn't be an upset teen who wanted to act out after being told he couldn't ride where he used to.
Abundantly clear?
And how exactly have you come to that determination? Speculation is easy. For example - sounds like a bunch of ticked off redneck locals are getting back at the "man". See how easy that was?
I would suggest everyone not lose sight of what is really important here. The endangered bird will always trump the lazy fisherman who feels the need to drive his behemoth everywhere he goes. Ridiculous.
Likely suspects
The first to spring to mind are, of course, the environmentalists, but don't leave out the locals who are not employed in tourism. As MG's post points out, there are locals who would dearly like to keep everyone else off the Outer Banks entirely.
But it is abundantly clear that those who are being punished, the beach fishermen, are not at fault. Its become pretty obvious that the sabotage is being done for the purpose of denying them access to the beach. Its like the old Disney cartoon where the cat breaks stuff to get the dog put outside.
And MG, that's not how the Constitution works. True, there is nothing in the Bill of Rights guaranteeing driving on the beach, but there is also nothing in the Constitution authorizing the Federal Government to tell me I can't. Go ahead, look.
What??
I'm so tired of hearing that if you drive on the beach it's a redneck thing!!!! I love to drive on the beach and I am not a redneck. I live in a very nice house have a great paying job and as a matter of fact I also own a house in OBX. My grandmother was born and raised in Buxton. My family has owned land in Hatteras dating back to when they sold land to the governemnt for $50.00 in the 1800's so they could build the first Cape Hatteras Light House. So, if I want to drive on the beach I feel I have every right to.
MG
That had to be one of the most irrelevant posts I have read on here in a long time.
I have a hard time believing a fisherman or local would vandalize the nesting areas. I have an extended family member who's parents grew up in Buxton, still live there and "involved" in the community. They have indicated that no one except the park service and a few environmental organizations have seen the Piping Plover nests. That's kinda strange to me.
First comment nailed it
The first comment on this story nailed it. Only one side with an "interest" has anything to gain by vandalizing what they're fighting for, the ones wishing to close it down. This really is pretty transparent.
Interestingly, before the beach closures, I don't ever recall hearing of "vandals" driving through restricted areas. I can almost hear the lawyers' briefs now...
What a shame!
MG
Right idea, wrong place, we need to implement your strategy on the US/Mexico border. I do not really care about the "right" to drive on the beach though, seems kinda redneck to me.
Way to go people. And
Way to go people. And everyone wonders why the beach closures were necessary in the first place...
locals don't do this
This is defonantly done by someone other than the people who live surf and fish here. It woulden't suprise me if this was done by someone from the society who shut it down. If it was done by someone still around then the hole town would know who did it. The island is not that big.Who ever did this is probaly on there way back to there office in New York or Chicago.
Time to amend a really stupid agreement
Its getting pretty clear that those who are interested in keeping the beach closed have found a way to do it. All they have to do is keep committing acts of vandalism and the beach stays closed as they wish.
It was stupid to set up an agreement in which one side can easily place the other in default.
The fishermen who wish to use the beaches have no interest in committing acts of vandalism that bar them from having access to the beach, only their opponents have anything to gain.