This morning’s news that U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan has signed on to Sen. Richard Burr’s bill to lift beach closures at Cape Hatteras National Seashore comes as a rude surprise to North Carolinians who value Hatteras’ special status as a beautiful, natural place. Some beaches there are closed to off-road vehicles by the National Park Service from April to early August in order to protect the habitats and/or nesting areas of sea turtles, plovers, nesting terns and other wildlife.
If you’ve been to Hatteras, you know how expansive the beaches are — and how much beach-area fishers can still reach in their ORVs despite the closures. The restrictions, which have been in place for two years, have helped increase the number of protected wildlife in the park, but local business owners say the closures hurt their bottom line.
Hagan’s spokeswoman, Stephanie Allen, told Observer reporter Barbara Barrett that “a lot of the local community has talked to the senator about how their business is suffering.” To which this lover of the Outer Banks’ natural wildness (or what’s left of it), says, “Join the club.” Perhaps the Hatteras business owners haven’t noticed, but, as they said during the Great Depression, “things are tough all over”; you hate to say it, but it is doubtful that opening up the restricted areas of Hatteras to ORVs will help that situation very much.
Allen also called Hagan’s support of opening up the closed areas “an effort to balance the needs of both the wildlife and the local tourism economy.” Well, no it’s not. It’s an effort to un-balance the needs of wildlife and business. The decision to close certain beaches to ORV traffic during four months is what balanced wildlife and business, and even then, just barely enough to keep from killing off creatures that make Hatteras such an exceptional place. Burr’s bill got nowhere during the last session of Congress. It’s not clear whether having a Democrat signed on to the bill will make a difference this time around.
This article appears in Aug 11-18, 2009.
Just ran across this article looking for the latest areas that may be open… I will have to go ahead and say to this yahoo… you have no clue. Might want to Google some info on the subject to see if there might be any estimated numbers of possible saves due to OHV closures. Doubt you’ll see anything drastic if at all. Most OHV folks tread lightly, if they don’t they are quickly run off by those that do respect the land and leave very little footprint. It’s sad that land set aside for the use and recreation of the public is public no more.
The beach accesses are important to the community out here in the Outer Banks because it draws surf fishing and keeps the surf fishing tournaments running. Without this tourist draw, there is a dramatic drop in visitors. Just come out here and you will see and hear stories of businesses going under and foreclosures starting and hitting hard YEARS before this depression. Yes, these hardworking islanders do believe closures are important but only for the right reasons: to protect turtles and endangered animals and marine wildlife. It’s hard to make a ban on beach access when the rules about what what can be driven on the beach and when haven’t even been formalized. It’s taken over 35 years since the Congress asked for these from the Parks dept and it’s still not formalized. Please lets just do things in order and not sliding down the slippery slope taking everything away.
To hear Liz talk, there was a tourism drop before the consent decree went into effect so to argue that the protection of wildlife is hurting tourism is a load of BS. The critters deserve this protection. As a surf fisherman I have no problem with it. There is plenty of fine surf fishing available for everyone. Don’t be crying to me because I see right through you.