Events this week have presented us with several opportunities to speak out on the issue of reasonable beach access.
And, even if you are getting tired of commenting and feeling as if no one is listening, now is no time to give up.
Salvo Jimmy has been posting his sentiments on that subject on various websites, including this one, and I agree with him.
Yesterday, the National Park Service opened the public scoping period for the new infrastructure improvements called for in the final plan and needed to improve visitor access to areas that are now vehicle-free.
?The reason you want to comment is that if few comments are submitted and things come out bad, like they put priority on parking for VFAs (Vehicle-free areas) instead of new ramps, we have no case whatever for challenge,? Salvo Jimmy noted.
And don?t just look at oceanside access when you are commenting. Soundside access areas and parking will also be addressed in the Environmental Assessment the Park Service is preparing. Windsurfers and kiteboarders, take note.
The Park Service gave no advance notice that the public comment period would be opening yesterday. The media release was issued yesterday morning.
The comment period closes on March 31, so don?t wait too long to get your comments together.
Information for submitting comments can be found at the end of this blog.
Also this week, U.S. Rep. Walter B. Jones, R-N.C., introduced a bill in the House of Representatives that seeks to overturn both the National Park Service?s final rule for off-road vehicles on the Cape Hatteras National Seashore and a court-approved consent decree that settled a lawsuit filed against the Park Service by environmental groups.
House Bill 4094, The Preserving Access to the Cape Hatteras National Seashore Recreational Area Act, was introduced on Tuesday and would return management of the seashore resources to the Interim Protected Species Management Strategy and Environmental Assessment, issued by the Park Service on June 13, 2007.
It is important that all who want more reasonable access to the seashore beaches contact their own Congressmen and urge that the bill be passed.
To find out who your Congressman is and how to reach him, go to: https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml.
The bill has one co-sponsor so far, U.S. Rep. Renee Ellmers, also a Republican from North Carolina.
The bill has been sent to the House Committee on National Resources and the Committee on the Judiciary. If you want to work a little harder, you can also contact the members of those committees.
You can find them through these links: http://naturalresources.house.gov/ and http://judiciary.house.gov/.
Don?t stop with the House. You also need to contact your senators to be sure the bill gets introduced in the U.S. Senate and passed there also.
You can find out how to contact your senators at this link: http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
And, finally, a reader from West Virginia who is a regular visitor to Hatteras and hopes to live here one day, e-mailed me a question about the process for obtaining permits.
?My question is,? he wrote, ?do you know whom to write, whom to contact, or what if anything can be done, to try to alleviate the MESS that is going to be caused by these THREE little trailers to get issued a beach driving permit, when this certainly could be easily set up and completed and purchased over the Internet??
It?s surely a good question and one that just about everyone is asking.
Don?t expect any changes this year.
However, luckily for us, the Park Service changed the language in the final rule to take out the ?in person? language in the section about applying for permits.
We can only hope that they are also looking at the Internet down the road ? and sooner rather than later.
I figure that by the end of July, park officials will be eager for relief.
And about the only person I can think of for you to contact about future Internet sales is seashore superintendent Mike Murray. You can e-mail him at mike_murray@nps.gov.
COMMENTING ON NEW INFRASTRUCTURE
Written comments may be submitted through the NPS Planning, Environment, and Public Comment (PEPC) website at: http://parkplanning.nps.gov/caha. Select the ?Proposal to Construct New Development that Facilitates Public Access? link to view the scoping documents. Comments can also be mailed to: Superintendent, Cape Hatteras National Seashore, 1401 National Park Drive, Manteo, NC 27954. To ensure your comments are included in this process, they must be entered into PEPC or postmarked by March 31, 2012.
Comments will not be accepted by fax, e-mail, or in any other way than those specified above. Bulk comments in hard copy or electronic formats submitted on behalf of others will not be accepted.
You can go directly to the comment page at this link: http://parkplanning.nps.gov/commentForm.cfm?documentID=46004
