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If you're contemplating a trip to Cape Hatteras National Seashore this summer, here are a couple of keys to remember: Almost one-third of the shoreline remains open to off-road vehicles and roughly one-half is open to pedestrians.
Last summer, there were plenty of misperceptions about just how many of the park's 67.5 miles of shoreline were closed to the public under a controversial federal court order restricting vehicle and pedestrian traffic near nesting birds and sea turtles.
Several popular fishing spots were off-limits for much of the summer. But many miles of shoreline remained open to fishing, surfing and other activities.
Unfortunately, some opponents of the court order overstated the extent of the closings, compounding troubles for local business owners already facing formidable challenges from high gas prices, a weak economy and steady wildfire smoke.
So far, this year's closings are comparable to last year, according to National Park Service figures. (For updates throughout the summer, visit www.nps.gov/caha.)
As of Thursday, about 13 miles of shoreline - including popular fishing spots - were closed to public access because of the wildlife protections incorporated in a consent decree signed last year by environmental groups, a coalition of off-road vehicle users and others. The agreement ended a lawsuit over the park's lack of a long-term ORV management plan.
In addition to those stretches of beach, other sections are currently off-limits to ORVs under routine seasonal closures designed to protect public safety in busy tourism areas.
Park officials are expected to develop a long-term plan for ORV use and pedestrian access.
In the meantime, it would be encouraging to see all sides in the debate try to set aside their differences for the benefit of the park and the communities of the Outer Banks. Continued acrimony serves no one's interests.
In a positive step toward compromise, a federal judge recently signed off on several revisions to the court order. The changes accommodate, to some degree, the wishes of ORV drivers.
Of particular note was a revision related to automatic expansions of buffer zones when people, including vandals, intrude on protected areas. Under the amended order, the expansions will be lifted if the violator is apprehended.
The move might encourage people to pass along any information they may have about vandalism. But, perhaps just as importantly, the change is an indication of some flexibility in the agreement. If both sides keep lines of communications open, perhaps more common ground can be found - even at this late date - as a long-term plan evolves.
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reestablishing historical nesting colonies
Colonial bird numbers have declined in CHNS. Temporary closures to protect these resources are one attempt to correct this. In the hierarchy of National Park objectives reestablishing historical nesting colonies in the Park takes precedence over temporary recreational access restrictions. I think it is more likely that ORVs containing bait and food traversing by or parked next to bird colonies attract the predators that prey or disrupt those birds.
Beach Closures
First, simple numbers from a report don't adequately express how much of the beach on Hatteras and Ocracoke is closed to both ORVs and people. You have to see it to understand it. On both Hatteras and Ocracoke, the most desirable fishing locations are closed and/or inaccessible. This is the primary reason many people visit CHNSRA! Second, there is NO CREDIBLE EVIDENCE that closing the beaches has had any positive impact whatsoever on the wildlife population! The birds have never been bothered by vehicles in the past. Why should they be now??? To the contrary, it can be argued that vehicle traffic is beneficial to the birds because the traffic scares off the predators. Of course, this is only anecdotal evidence, but, so is the self-proclaimed "scientific" evidence of the enviro-carpetbaggers.
Sorry Geezer
Sorry Geezer, but the Seashore is not just for you, it's for everyone. If the beach buggies are ruining it for you, perhaps you need another place to go. And, the closures are not a fair balance. They aren't used anywhere else in the country, and are merely arbitrary distances. There was an Interim ORV Management plan that was in place in 2007 that provided ample beach closure for wildlife. And it was legaly instituted following Federal Environmental laws. The consent decree, that establishes the closures we experience today, is in fact illegal because it has not followed these laws.
Better for visitors
The current allocation of open and closed beaches is a reasonable balance, because wildlife is one of the reasons people visit Cape Hatteras National Seashore. The conservation measures make the seashore a better place for visitors. The beach buggies were ruining Cape Hatteras for me.
this is how it is
When the park was made it was documented to be for the enjoyment of humans, not turtles! Now if humans can't go there they certainly can't enjoy it. Don't believe me, read the document.