North Carolina legislators are attempting a bipartisan appeal to the US Department of the Interior for more driving and beach access on the Cape Hatteras National Seashore than new National Park Service (NPS) regulations will allow.
NC Senators Richard Burr (R) and Kay Hagan (D) and US Representative Walter Jones sent out a joint letter to the Interior Department Secretary Ken Salazar that claims new restrictions will hurt families and businesses along the Outer Banks.
The lawmakers have asked the federal government about the possibility of providing corridors for off-road vehicles (ORVs) to pass through or around restricted areas in order to reach beaches that are still open.
“Because Hatteras Island has an average width of only 1,500 feet,” the legislators wrote, “restrictions proposed by the NPS effectively close many areas in which there are no environmental concerns.”
The lawmakers questioned a final environmental impact statement released by the NPS in November which recommends that ORVs be barred from accessing 26 miles of the 67 mile Cape Hatteras National Seashore.
"We are concerned that this environmental impact analysis does not appear to reflect the input of local residents and businesses," the legislators said in their letter. "An overly restrictive ORV management plan will further imperil the economic vitality of Dare County families and businesses already struggling under current management practices," the legislators wrote.
The new rules and the lawmakers’ reactions are the latest in a long-running battle between environmentalists and outdoor enthusiasts (including many fishermen) over access to the Outer Banks beaches and endangered species such as sea turtles and piping plovers.
The NPS was sued by environmental groups in 2007. Since then many beaches have been closed to the public and the NPS has developed the new plan, which satisfies the lawsuit but is extremely unpopular with Outer Banks residents as well as tourists and anglers.
"Beach access is critical to the Dare County economy," said Hagan in a statement released by her office. "The Hatteras community has experienced three summers with many beaches closed, and some local businesses may not survive another.”
For more fishing articles see my blog A Dash of Salty and my website Surf and Salt.
Comments
Excuse me, but did you even READ the Park Service record of decision on this? You say it is recommended that ORVs be barred, without explaining why -- nor do you note that there are SEASONAL bars/bans/closures due to sea turtle and plover nesting (among other birds), sensible actions taken because it is THE LAW to protect some of these creatures . . . because they are threatened and endangered.
This is critical missing context. Your one-dimensional description of this complex, complicated issue is a disservice to anyone who reads this. "Award-winning NC newspaper writer"? Very hard to believe, friend . . .
Do a better job next time. This rates no better than a C-minus in my estimation . . .
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to hell with your turtles i wanna fish
Anonymous, Lets talk about the plover. they stoped the atv's, then the 4wd's, then the foot trafic, then the carnivors moved in and started eating the "poor" plovers, now the forest service moves in and is killing the coyotes, wolves, and the foxes. when does it stop. MAN IS NOT THE POLICE OF THE ANIMAL WORLD. THEY MADE IT MILLIONS OF YEARS WITHOUT US AND WILL GO ON MILLIONS OF YEARS AFTER WE ARE GONE! DID MAN KILL THE DINOSOURS? NOPE. THOUSANDS, PROB MILLIONS OF SPECIES HAVE BECOME EXTINCE WITHOUT OUR HELP. I FOR ONE AM TIRED OF GETTING BLAMED FOR EVERY ANIMAL THAT SUDDENLY DISAPEARS FROM THIS EARTH. CHILL, AND NEXT TIME DONT BE CHICKEN POOP AND POST YOUR NAME!
people have NO AFFECT on the birds. ZERO. They want to shut down the beaches so they can have them all to themselves. It is so blatantly obvious
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