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Thursday, March 27, 2008

POSTED BY KEVIN C PAULSON AT 05:19 PM | 5 COMMENTS | LINKS TO THIS POST | EMAIL A POST

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Yeah, I’ve been keeping up on this. Defenders of Wildlife and a few other wildlife orgs are suing the National Park Service for not having an ORV (off road vehicle) program.  They want to close certain sections of the beaches to help protect the Plover. It just so happens that the areas they want off limits to ORVs and people are the most popular and best places to fish. Oregon Inlet, Hatteras Point, Hatteras Inlet, and North and South ends of Ocracoke Island. There are rules when driving on the beaches but an official plan was suppose to be created back in the 70’s. Therefore in the tree huggers eyes it is illegal to drive on the beach and is suing to stop it. The Park Service stated that it may take 18 months to come up with a plan. On April 4^th a judge will look at the case. It appears that a judge may decide in favor of closing some or all beaches to ORV use until a plan is created. This will have a very bad effect to the economy of the OBX. (Tourism is the #1 source of income.) Persons on message boards are already talking of cancelling vacations even if just sections of the beaches are closed. Other communities along the coast are already getting worried about their beach access. Especially ones that are owned and operated by the National Park Service.  A while back the Audubon Society and Defenders of Wildlife did not have much to say about wildlife protection when a fox was shot on the beach by the Park Service. The fox is deemed a predator of the plover and so are other animals on the island. So to protect one they kill and trap others. There are pics on the web of the fox being shot. You can see the beach goers in the background. As history shows this is how the PEA Island Refuge came to be. It was just the beginning. fishmilitia.com has been a great source of info for this topic. The General (a guy who operates the website and operates the Fish Militia group) has been really up on this issue. Going to the court cases, community meetings, public hearings, and organizing protests against this. Check it out.

Posted By Rudy on Tuesday, April 1, 2008 at 04:32 PM

I agree that replacing the sand seems a bit ridiculous and I can see where the state would refuse replacing the sand.  Of course at the same time I could see where the amount of money that is now being spent in the Outer Banks and the amount of tourist dollars that it brings into the state of North Carolina and the tax revenue as well in both property tax and sales tax would be a tremendous value to the state.

Ahh, but it is an issue that I want no part of, I just know the joy of driving on the beach to wonderful fishing holes several times a year and I know that we should be free to do so as sportsmen.     

Posted By kevin on Sunday, March 30, 2008 at 09:32 PM

Please forgive me if I have misspoken. I associated this video with what I saw recently on the evening news about people on the North Carolina shorelines losing the sand in front of their beach homes. The Atlantic Ocean is removing their front yards so to speak. Continued  stability of beachfront properties is being questioned. 

The state of North Carolina has repaired it in the past, but declines to do so now, because they don't have a stable solution. Money spent floats out into the ocean.

I would like to see a balance in land/shoreline use. That those who have an interest in the natural practices of hunting and fishing are not regulated out of being able to freely do so.

Posted By CDGardens on Sunday, March 30, 2008 at 07:58 AM

I don't think the issue today that is going on in Hatteras has anything to do with spending millions of dollars on reconstruction of Homes.  The current issue at stake is one of a group of environmentalists trying to force a decision to shut down the beaches to vehicular traffic and in some cases foot traffic at all times of the year.  Allowing vehicular access to the beaches has been a major boon to the sport fishing and family activities at many areas of Hatteras and all of the Outer Banks.

Without the dollars from Sport Fishing coming into this area, many in the area will lose their jobs and their personal passions of enjoying this wonderful area. 

Indeed this area will become even more crowded over time no matter what we as a society do.  Any open land that is not protected will be developed and overcrowded.

Beach Traffic and Vehicular traffic in the specific areas where it is allowed currently allows many more people to gain access to great fishing areas and get to explore many more miles of beach.  

With my family today, I was able to take my truck down the beach and drive to a spot where my children could get out and explore an area with fresh shells and we got to see the wild horses of Corolla.  This amazing pleasure is what is at stake in this battle.

There will be many more battles in the Outer Banks, I am sure of that, but this one needs to go the way of the sportsmen.  It is their dollars and their donations that are making a difference in OBX.    

Posted By Kevin Paulson on Saturday, March 29, 2008 at 09:52 PM

I do have feelings for the people who see their shorelines changing at Hatteras. However, I need to ask the question. Who guaranteed it would stay the same forever?

Is it not apart of  nature to redistribute land mass, flora and fauna. Not always because man has done something...but because time changes things. Wind and water have created some marvelous wonders...

Spending millions on reconstruction only to see it washed away again isn't what I would consider cost effective in a time of financial turmoil that is being felt in America today.

Posted By CDGardens on Saturday, March 29, 2008 at 12:23 AM

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