Limits sought on Hatteras beach driving

From staff and wire reports

BUXTON — Vehicles would be allowed year-round access to about 40 percent of an Outer Banks beach popular with fishers and outdoor enthusiasts, under a proposal released last week by the National Park Service.

The 700-page plan said drivers would be able to use 29 miles of Cape Hatteras National Seashore, with some limits during the breeding periods of sea birds. Off-road vehicles would be able to access another 23 miles of the 68-mile seashore during some parts of the year.

About 16 miles would be permanently closed to vehicles.

The new rules are an attempt to settle a dispute between environmental activists who want to protect seashore animals and outdoors groups who want access to the beach for recreational activities. The government will hold public hearings on the matter and has proposed several other alternatives to its preferred plan.

Conservation groups said in a statement Friday that they were reviewing the plan. They noted that a plan that the Park Service deemed "environmentally preferable" would have closed 41 miles of the seashore.

"We will be examining the alternatives closely and will urge the park service to choose a management plan that protects the wildlife resources of Cape Hatteras for generations to come," said Jason Rylander, staff attorney for Defenders of Wildlife.

At issue is whether the document's rules balance the interests of off-road vehicle enthusiasts with the park service's primary responsibility to preserve the seashore's natural resources, including rare sea turtles, birds and their young.

As a unit of the National Park System, Cape Hatteras has been required for decades under federal law to establish guidelines for off-road vehicles that minimize harm to wildlife and natural values of the seashore in accordance with the best available science.

"We look forward to working with the park service to ensure compliance with legal and scientific requirements to guarantee adequate space and protections for pedestrians and wildlife, while still allowing responsible beach driving in some areas, so that all visitors can fully enjoy this national treasure," said Julie Youngman, senior attorney, Southern Environmental Law Center. "The final rules should improve public access to the beaches for pedestrians and people with disabilities by adding boardwalks, parking spaces and public facilities to enhance visitor enjoyment in balance with wildlife conservation efforts."

The park service's preferred plan in the proposal sets aside 16 miles of the 68 miles of seashore year-round as non-vehicle areas for pedestrians, families and wildlife.

"The past two years under the consent decree have proven that, if given a chance, birds and turtles can rebound, local tourism can be sustained and responsible recreation can have a place within Cape Hatteras," said Chris Canfield, executive director of Audubon North Carolina, referring to a settlement agreement approved in federal court in 2008. "With strong leadership from the Park Service and cooperation from local communities, Cape Hatteras can become a national example of balanced, progressive management."

The rules will also likely be reviewed by many scientific experts on species conservation. This winter, nearly 100 scientists signed a letter urging the National Park Service to implement the U.S. Geological Survey's recommended protocols to managing beach driving for the protection of nesting birds and turtles.