Originally Posted by
ECsponger
Yet this closing only effects ONE of your above mentioned. So man created these islands for man-use only? No. Mother Nature created this place for reasons beyond known by man. And we only want use it for our pleasure? Seems that's only why opponents reject decisions made by their elected governing officials. All this coming from a Baltimorian.
Quite the contrary - I am not aware of any of the above mentioned breaks being closed off to 4WD vehicles AND pedestrians due to bird or turtle nesting (S-Turns, Lighthouse and Frisco Pier). Moreover, each of those spots has drive-up parking and/or public parking areas and a simple 20 to 40 yd walk to designated as a wildlife refuge and the Cape Hatteras Seashore was established as a recreational area.
Furthermore, the Audubon Society and its partners would like nothing more than to close the entire area off:
"Approximately five dozen scientists have signed on to a letter drafted by Audubon North Carolina which solicited signers to add their support in asking the National Park Service to adopt the "highest degree of protection" listed in the US Geological Survey's management protocols that include full year round closure to all recreation -- both ORV and pedestrians -- of Bodie Island Spit, Cape Point, South Beach, Hatteras Spit, North Ocracoke and South Ocracoke.
The protection called for also would limit recreational use of the remainder of seashore under National Park Service control to protect a "zone of the ocean backshore at least 10 meters wide and running the length of the site from recreation. This zone should be adjacent to the toe of the primary dune wherever a primary dune exists (i.e., recreation should be restricted to a corridor between mean high tide line and the edge of the zone of protected backshore)...Management should revert to Option A item 1 if plovers are documented in an area..." states the protocol for piping plovers. Option A item 1 is a complete closure of all potential nesting, roosting and foraging habitat.
At the very least, states the letter, the "moderate level" of protection described in the protocol should be adopted. This measure also would close the areas to ORV use year round and keep boats" outside of 50 meters from the habitat at the sites, where applicable."
"Pedestrians may be permitted within a narrow walking and sunbathing corridor extending landward from the mean high tide line, from sunrise to sunset, on the oceanside only," states the protocol.
"Pets, kite-flying, Frisbee and ball-playing, fireworks, wildlife feeding and trash disposal should be prohibited." The protocol document also notes that the corridor could be narrowed or eliminated if necessary to prevent disturbance to plovers."
Read the full text of the letter here.
Next up could be Assateague National Seashore, from the Inlet and down through Chincoteague.
P.S. I am actually a Puerto Rican living in Baltimore which serves as my base of operations for surfing throughout the USA and overseas. Sorry that my official place of domicile offends you and that it is considered material to this discussion. That would be as stupid as me or others disputing your arguments because you are a **** dragger. Neither attribute has standing in the discussion about what is going on down in Cape Hatteras.
Reply With Quote
Gonna cook some plover tonight in a ceremonial dinner.
