By all accounts, Memorial Day weekend was an encouraging start to the summer season.
The weather was good overall ? great beach weather on Saturday and Monday and a few showers Sunday morning into early afternoon. Tropical Storm Beryl off the southeast coast increased the seas and the rip current threat, but did not cause heavy rain and wind until today.
Even though there were unprecedented beach closures on the Cape Hatteras National Seashore, everyone who wanted to get to the beach by off-road vehicle or on foot found a place to go.
The beaches that were open to ORVs were crowded, as they always are on holiday weekends, but there were no ramps closed because the beach carrying capacity had been reached.
According to chief enforcement ranger Paul Stevens, the Park Service counted about 350 vehicles at Ramp 49 in Frisco, and more than 300 at Bodie Island. These were the two most popular areas for ORVs.
He said that is probably fewer than usual for Memorial Day, which is usually the busiest of the summer holidays.
And the National Park Service gave fewer violation notices than usual for a holiday weekend. About 29 tickets were written, Stevens said, with only about six arrests for drug and alcohol violations, which he said was below past years for a holiday.
Stevens attributes the drop in violations to the new ORV rule, which requires that drivers buy a permit to drive on the beach.
He said that quite a few visitors without permits were asked to leave the beach and obtain one, but there were no tickets issued over the weekend to folks without a permit.
Permit offices were open longer hours, but there were no lines and crowding at any of the three, which are located at Coquina Beach, Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, and Ocracoke park headquarters.
There was plenty of traffic up and down Highway 12 all weekend, and most business owners seemed pleased. It was a good ? but not a record-breaking ? holiday, they said.
The surf fishing was great along the beach ? with big blues and big pompano and sea mullet caught along the seashore.
Because of the rough seas churned up by Beryl, the Hatteras charter fleet had to cancel about half of its offshore trips, according to Ernie Foster, captain of the Albatross Fleet.
However, he said the marlin fishing late last week was fantastic.
?On Friday, the fish caught relative to the number of boats fishing was like the ?good old days,?? he said.
And the numbers of meat fish, such as dolphin, caught by boats that got out on Sunday and Monday were also impressive.
Going into the weekend, the Outer Banks showed up on two ?best beaches? lists.
The Cape Hatteras National Seashore beach on Hatteras Island placed on Dr. Beach?s Top Ten Beaches in the U.S. again. It was in 10th place this year, compared to No. 5 in 2011, No. 4 in 2010, No. 7 in 2009, and No. 8 in 2007. It?s been an ?always the bridesmaid and never the bride? situation.
The Lifeguarded Beach on Ocracoke took first place in 2007 and is now retired from competition.
Coastal expert Dr. Stephen Leatherman, director of the Florida International University?s Laboratory for Coastal Research, has chosen America?s Top 10 beaches since 1991. His rankings are based on 50 criteria, including water and sand quality, as well as facilities and environmental management. More than 650 beaches in the country are included in his judging.
Here is what he said about Cape Hatteras this year:
?Bulging far offshore of the mainland coast as a barrier island, Cape Hatteras was the first National Seashore. Providing some of the best board surfing along the East Coast, as well as the most famous lighthouse in the United States, Cape Hatteras attracts beachgoers to its historic fishing villages. Nature lovers adore the excellent beachcombing and superb fishing.?
Earlier last week, the beaches of the Outer Banks earned the No. 1 position in U.S. News and World Report?s best family beach vacations in the USA.
Here is what U.S. News said:
?North Carolina’s Outer Banks has a wide array of beaches that are especially prized for their consistent-yet-manageable waves and beautiful natural landscape. You can also count on OBX to deliver great summer weather. To save some dough on accommodations, consider skipping the hotel in favor of a cottage or condo rental. This will give you more space for family time and, since many rentals sit on the shore, prime beach access.?
It was good to make the list and will no doubt be good for businesses, but I can see that Outer Banks hotel and motel owners may be less than thrilled.
It?s clear that Cape Hatteras National Seashore is still the best beach vacation in the United States.
We need to move forward with that message.
We can ? and should ? continue to work to force the Park Service to reconsider its final ORV plan and rule.
We know that the number of miles closed to ORVs right now is larger than ever before ? fewer than 8 miles of beach on Hatteras were open to ORVs over the Memorial Day weekend.
Locals continue to be frustrated by the large resource closures. Businesses, especially in Buxton, are taking a hit. And visitors continue to be unhappy ? or even stay away ? because their favorite beaches, such as Bodie Island spit, Cape Point, or South Point on Ocracoke, are closed.
Many more folks oppose these vast closures than environmental groups would lead you to believe.
Those who are working to support a lawsuit challenging the final rule in U.S. District Court and bills in the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate to overturn the rule need to keep pressing forward with fundraising and lobbying.
But, meanwhile, let?s take time to spread the word that the Cape Hatteras National Seashore is still the greatest beach vacation and that, if you come, you will find room on the beach.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
To read about a lawsuit filed against the National Park Service by the Cape Hatteras Access Preservation Alliance that seeks to overturn the final ORV plan and rule: http://islandfreepress.org/2012Archives/02.09.2012-AccessGroupsSueToStopParkServicesORVPlanAndFinalRule.html
To read about legislation the U.S. House of Representatives to overturn the final ORV plan and rule: http://islandfreepress.org/2012Archives/02.28.2012-JonesIntroducesBillToOverturnbothORVFinalRuleAndConsentDecree.html
To read about companion legislation introduced into the U.S. Senate: http://islandfreepress.org/2012Archives/04.26.2012-BurrAndHaganIntroduceBillInSenateToOverturnFinalORVPlan.html
To read about the history of the beach access struggle at the seashore: http://islandfreepress.org/PivotBlog/?e=184
