Night driving prohibited on seashore until Sept. 16
Night driving prohibited on seashore until Sept. 16
Beginning Sunday, May 1, all beaches in the Cape Hatteras National Seashore are closed to off-road vehicles (ORVs) between 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., in accordance with the court ordered consent decree.
The night driving prohibition will remain in effect until Nov. 15. However, under the terms of the consent decree the National Park Service (NPS) may issue permits between Sept. 16 and Nov. 15 to authorize night driving on seashore beaches.
The NPS retains the discretion to limit night driving to certain areas or routes, based on resource protection considerations. The permits are free and have been available online for the past three years.
Cape Hatteras National Seashore provides crucial nesting habitat for loggerhead and green sea turtles, as well as the occasional leatherback. Loggerhead and green turtles are currently listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act and leatherbacks are considered endangered.
Sea turtles typically lay nests at night between May and September, when adult turtles come ashore to deposit around 100 ping-pong ball-sized eggs into a cavity in the sand.
While nesting, these turtles are susceptible to human disturbance on the beach. If a nesting turtle is disturbed, it may not nest at all, or may lay a nest in a less than optimal area.
Once laid, eggs will incubate in the sand for 50 to 70 days before the hatchlings emerge and make their way to the ocean.
The hatchlings will use light cues in order to find their way from their nest to the sea, making them vulnerable to artificial lights from houses, piers, headlights, beach fires, and lanterns. Although studies vary, it is estimated that only one in 1,000 to one in 10,000 hatchlings will survive to adulthood. Ten to 15 percent of the turtle nests laid in North Carolina are laid on Cape Hatteras National Seashore beaches.
The night driving restriction will be posted at all Seashore ORV access ramps. The regulation is enforceable by NPS law enforcement rangers and violators are subject to up to six months imprisonment and up to a $5,000 fine.
To report violations, contact Dare Central Communications at 252-473-3444. For further information, contact the Chief Ranger’s Office at 252-473-2111.
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