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What's the Solution For Cape Hatteras National Seashore?

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What's the correct image of ORV use at Cape Hatteras National Seashore, the top photo, taken by A. Pitt, or the bottom photo used by the Southern Environmental Law Center?

The spit of sand that buffers the North Carolina coast from the worst the Atlantic Ocean can toss at it carries an array of contentious issues that seemingly have no easy answers. Foremost among the issues at Cape Hatteras National Seashore these days is the use of off-road vehicles to negotiate beaches that are either far from parking lots or which are just far enough from those lots to make it difficult to carry all your gear for a weekend fishing trip.

Cape Hatteras, authorized as America's first national seashore in 1937 but not actually established until 1953, is a beach lover's jewel. The heart of North Carolina's Outer Banks, the cape offers some of the best beaches in the country, is renowned for its surf fishing, has some of the East Coast's best waves for surfing, and has a decided tinge of wildness that is a welcome respite from the Mid-Atlantic's metropolitan areas.

Off-road vehicles long have been allowed on the national seashore. Unfortunately, the seashore hasn't had a formal off-road management plan in place, and that's why discussions centered on Cape Hatteras often grow heated.

The hot button is the fact that the cape's beaches and dunes attract wildlife: of late much has been made of the nesting shorebirds and sea turtles and whether off-road vehicles are impacting them. The divisions over that question are well-defined. Perhaps no topic other than guns in the parks illicits as many comments to the Traveler as ORVs and Cape Hatteras.

Are ORVs out of control, as the lower photo used by the Southern Environmental Law Center might suggest, or does the top photo provided by A. Pitt better capture ORV use on the cape?

Mr. Pitt has been visiting the cape since 1972 and owns land in Frisco that provides him and his family a welcome escape from their Richmond, Virginia, home. He's well-versed on the ongoing dispute surrounding ORVs on Cape Hatteras; since April he's written hundreds of members of Congress to try provide an ORVer's viewpoint of the ongoing debate and to question points raised by Defenders of Wildlife and the National Audubon Society, the two groups who, through the Southern Environmental Law Center, sued the National Park Service for its failure to develop an ORV management plan for the national seashore.

The lawsuit was settled earlier this year when all involved signed a consent decree that was designed to provide short-term management of ORV and pedestrian traffic in shorebird and sea turtle habitat while a long-term plan is developed. Unfortunately, not everyone is thrilled with the consent decree's provisions. Anglers and families that long have used ORVs to reach their favorite spots on the seashore complain that the decree is too restrictive and over-reaching.

What's important for all to remember is not only that ORVs long have been permitted at the national seashore and more than likely will continue to be allowed access in some fashion, but also that there is wildlife habitat on the seashore that needs protection because it is utilized by species protected under the Endangered Species Act.

"I have a vested interest in the area," says Mr Pitt. "It's truly my paradise! Most of the folks who speak out on this issue are fishermen/women. I speak out for beach access for any reason, whether it be fishing, surfing, or just sitting there playing Parcheesi.

" ... I support BOTH species protection AND ORV access, as do most beach users in this area," adds Mr. Pitt. "I truly believe that they can both be attained, if the 'eco' groups will indeed negotiate in good faith."

To some, "ORV" is a pejorative, a word that equates with four-wheelers charging willy-nilly across the landscape. Is that the case at Cape Hatteras, or are the "ORVs" there more likely to be pickup trucks and SUVs their owners use to reach beaches that otherwise would take walks ranging from perhaps a half-mile to nearly 5 miles to reach?

As the attached map shows, there are quite a few ORV and pedestrian restrictions between May 15 and September 15 to protect shorebird and sea turtle nesting habitat. Are those restrictions excessive? There certainly are hard opinions on both sides of that question.

While that question will continue to generate heated comments, let's hope all those involved will arrive at an acceptable solution through the National Park Service's long-term ORV management plan and not insist on a legislated solution from Washington.

Comments

Kurt, the language;recreational activities of similar nature, which shall be developed for such uses as needed, means that ramps will be cut through the dunes to limit where ORV access to the beach. They knew back then that we had to keep penetrations through the dunes to a minimum and at specific places, and built in certain ways. The villagers knew that also. When the Feds came down to the Islands in the '30's with the CCC and others to construct the dunes that have protected the Islands to this day, the Federal Government decided that the Island would migrate no more. They encouraged the locals to build homes and preserve the dunes to protect the villages. Now some of the wackos want to tear down the dunes and let the islands to overwash during storms (because that would be natural) well it is too late to let it go back to the way it was. The Fed encouraged the locals to build a business to attract tourists and take care of them. Guess what? They did just that. Now the wackos want to reverse history, and revise what the plans are for this tourist area. That is what we are fighting.

To fish for large Red Drum takes about 100lbs of tackle; that includes a large cooler of bait, water, & food (50lb) 2 or 3 rods with reels (12lbs) sand spikes (10lbs) waders (10lbs) extra clothes (15lbs) porta pottie (20lbs) Would you like to carry that gear out to the point for me? It is about 2 miles from the parking lot, one way. This is big fish fishing with the same prep as one would do to go off-shore on a charter boat, we just do it on land. It in no way resembles going to the pond in the back field with a can of worms to catch a stringer of bluegills. Come down sometime, some of us would be glad to show you how it is done. You could show us how to hump our gear over 2 miles of soft sand, and after fishing for 20hrs or so humping it all
back.
longcaster


Re the comment: "No vehicles on the beach = no fishing". Excellent! There should be no fishing allowed in the park or any park. Why do we prohibit killing mammals, birds, and even insects in most national parks but allow killing fish? Aren't they an important part of the ecosystem. Go somewhere else and kill fish.


See Kurt, this is what we are dealing with. No logic, no decisions based upon best available science, just pure emotion and pseudo science......and you wonder why we are having a hard time with the REG-NEG Committee appointed by DOI Secretary. They are not willing to negotiate in good faith

Respectfully submitted,
Scott Lambright
----------------
"Quote Rangertoo:
Re the comment: "No vehicles on the beach = no fishing". Excellent! There should be no fishing allowed in the park or any park. Why do we prohibit killing mammals, birds, and even insects in most national parks but allow killing fish? Aren't they an important part of the ecosystem. Go somewhere else and kill fish.Unquote"


For all of those who argue about the access in Cape Hatteras seem to think this is just an ORV thing. Well this only promotes our new Motto and proves without a doubt "IT IS AND NEVER WAS ABOUT THE BIRDS". Not one single person who has stated their opinion about this present day issue has said please do not run over the birds. EVERY comment against access was related directly to ORV's on the beach. Does this mean you folks are actually attempting to apologize for using a bird that really cannot adapt to the harsh conditions of Cape Hatteras as an excuse for shutting the beaches down to humans? It is simply amazing that we have so many people willing to put their opinions on this issue out there and they only make our point stronger by constantly pointing thier fingers at ORV's.

PS
These closures restrict access to humans, dogs, predator birds, raccoons, ghost crabs, feral cats, foxes, and anything that would possibly pray on a bird. This is a bird that chooses to build a tea cup size sand nest in the same area that has daily winds that can cover any tracks from any ORV out there. This is like closing all of the roads to prevent a certain type of roadkill. The NPS has direct orders to eliminate any and all of these possible distractions. They close the beaches to humans. They build shelters, trap and even kill predators of the non-human type and their website diplays their bounty with the numbers to prove it.


Kingfisher, your point is well taken, but in all fairness it can be ascribed to folks on both side of this issue.


Rangertoo,

To the fish killing rant you so recently went on: Sir, are you a strict vegan? Do you eat no meat products yourself? This is America, pal. As far as I know, it’s legal to take and consume fish from the majority of bodies of water in this country, especially the North Atlantic Ocean! If you have an issue with a few surf fishermen taking a handful of fish whose numbers run in the millions, then I must wonder how you feel about commercial fishing. But please, spare me…

You’re way off base, and purposely detracting from the original content of this thread, which happens to be Beach Access.

Pursuant to your only partially correct definition of “Marxism” from earlier yesterday, when taken in the context to the thread that we are all commenting on, these definitions apply:

Marxism: “Marxism has also had to engage with the rise in the Environmental movement. A merging of Marxism, socialism, ecology and environmentalism has been achieved, and is often referred to as Eco-socialism.”
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marxist

Eco-Socialism: “Eco-socialism, Green socialism or Socialist ecology is an ideology merging aspects of Marxism, socialism, Green politics, ecology and the anti-globalization movement. Eco-socialists generally believe that the expansion of the capitalist system is the cause of social exclusion, poverty and environmental degradation through globalization and imperialism, under the supervision of repressive states and transstatal structures; they advocate the non-violent dismantling of capitalism and the state, focusing on collective ownership of the means of production by freely associated producers and restoration of the Commons.[1]”
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eco-socialism

Sounds pretty scary to me, and it would appear that we are up against such mentalities in the fight over CHNSRA beach access.

I also don’t see why you have such a problem with fishing, sir. You troll this site like an old salt....


Rangertoo,

Please note that the NPS is banning killing and trapping (what they do after the animals are trapped is up for debate) any animal (including banning humans) that poses a threat to a couple of birds. This my friend is playing with forces of nature. When you play with these forces they will come back to haunt you. Just ask the birds that are lost every year to storms. Fishing my friend is only one form of recreational activity performed on the beaches. There is also swimming, shell collecting, and sand castle building. Would you also go to the extreme of stopping children from having access to the sand due to the fact that they are not complying to building codes and constructing a building in a national park. These types of remarks like eliminating fishing from the parks just proves who the real uneducated folks are in this little issue. Thanks again fro proving our point!!!!


I'll admit that I personally haven't set foot on the Outer Banks since the North Carolina Jam era, and back then this issue was a non-factor. But the whole ORV transgression versus environmental impact raised during multiple tangents to this central theme is growing rather tedious. The title of the article is intended to bring about suggestions for solutions to the ongoing debate about the long-term prognosis for the health of the ecosystem, not the convenience of tourists, locals, and those hell-bent on some off-roading adventure. Some of the topics raised in this thread point to a general "personal interest" rather than a sound overall understanding of factors to be considered in proposing some legitimate possible modifications, if such be required, to maintain at the very least, the current status of the area. Examples:

The whole idea of limiting or eradicating fishing is just silly. Fishing is permitted in many NPS units, such as those in which the Colorado River cuts a swath through the landscape. Indeed, temporary out-of-state fishing licenses, including trout stamps, aimed specifically at the tourist market, are available within the boundries of the parks. Insofar as the supplies required to do a decent day of surfcasting......golf courses across the nation provide "bag drop" areas conveniently located, generally right next to the club house, for anyone who cares to leave the bag at the door while they park their vehicle. I'll bet a similar circumstance could be arranged for the ocean fishers as well. Leave your gear and one person behind to watch it if you feel the need. Short-term lockers are another notion. There are ways this could easily be overcome.

The issue of temporary closure of segments of beaches while they are enlisted as nesting areas by certain species is bothersome? I read this as saying the area simply isn't big enough for more than just bipedal mammalians. Maybe protected nesting grounds aren't important to you personally. That can indeed be your opinion as is your right to express such. If you want the hard science behind the protected zones required by any given species, and are willing to read the studies conducted on any particular species, who all have a wide variance in their particular "comfort zone / personal space" during times of reproduction, and are actually of broad enough intellect to understand those reports, these data are readily available to you. The last comment is not intended to be a “dis” at anyone in particular. Scientific publications, especially statistical studies and the related data analysis such as of the manner typically conducted by wildlife biologists, is quite difficult to comprehend by the general public who have little or no training in the methods of scientific reading. But the information which you half-heartedly seek is indeed there for your perusal at a time and place of your convenience.

From the ORV crowd, most of what I've read is that they don't /can't drag their coolers, etc. miles from the parking areas to the beach. I guess well-stocked backpacks aren't an option. Sounds more like you want these access areas closer to the endpoint due to convenience rather than necessity. However, there exists a segment of society who CANNOT, as in physically unable to, make the journey from those remote areas to the beach, and thereby have quite justifiable reasons for the use of limited "convenience" areas. But to apply these same rules across the board is ludicrous. Maybe, just maybe, one should take a closer look at the inventory of supplies one is toting to the beach, as one is forced to when embarking on an extended backpacking sojourn. There I go, raining on your parade. Shame on me for planning ahead.


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