The National Park Service has released an environmental document, opened a comment period, and scheduled five meetings for the public to consider its alternatives for changes to the off-road vehicle rule for the Cape Hatteras National Seashore.
We posted an article on the release of the document — called an Environmental Assessment — and the planned meetings on The Island Free Press on Wednesday, and the first comment on the story was a question — “Is Cape Point more accessible during the summer under any of the alternatives?”
The answer is “no.” The Point will not be more accessible during the summer because of any of the proposed alternatives. In fact, nesting shorebirds will probably continue to keep the Cape Point area closed to vehicles during the summer into the future — as it has for much of the past decade.
That’s the bad news. The good news is that the proposed alternatives will make some changes in certain aspects of the ORV rule that will allow more public access– including morning beach opening, seasonal ORV routes, vehicle-free areas, access to the ocean and sound, and ORV permit lengths.
As is always the case, the proposed changes will not go far enough for some park users, and it will go too far for others.
The Environmental Assessment covers the last part of changes the Park Service was instructed to consider under legislation passed by Congress in December of 2014 as part of the 2015 National Defense Authorization Bill.
The legislation mandated the Secretary of the Interior to consider changes in basically three areas of its ORV plan — wildlife buffers, access infrastructure, and the ORV rule as it relates to three areas — morning opening of beaches, seasonal ORV routes, and vehicle-free areas.
Last year, under the leadership of a new seashore superintendent, David Hallac, who arrived had arrived here in January 2015, the Park Service accomplished a good chunk of what Congress mandated.
Last spring, NPS released an Environmental Assessment of modifications to the plan’s buffers to protect nesting birds and turtles. The modification plan was completed in June, and seashore officials began implementing some of the changes in buffers last fall when turtle nests were hatching.
The rest of the changes will be implemented with this spring and summer’s nesting season. The park will hire additional staff members to help monitor shorebird nests to allow some changes in buffer distances and some bypasses around nests — such as oystercatcher nests before there are chicks on the sand.
These changes will probably make the most difference in vehicle and pedestrian access during the spring and fall, but not during the summer months.
The legislation also instructed the Park Service to construct new ORV access ramps, roads, and parking lots as expeditiously as possible. Last year, Hallac announced a reprioritized list of projects, the last of which is now underway — a new Ramp 63 on Ocracoke, which is expected to be finished this spring.
Also last year, the seashore added a parking area to Ramp 25, just south of Salvo, which is the only new infrastructure project that had been completed before Hallac arrived. Hallac then fast-tracked a new Ramp 32 with parking area and pedestrian trail, an Inside Road from Ramp 49 to Ramp 44, and a new Ramp 48 in Frisco.
The final portion of the legislation instructs the seashore to conduct a public process to consider changes to hours that the beaches open in the morning, dates for seasonal ORV routes, and locations of vehicle-free areas (VFAs).
In addition, seashore officials decided to consider changes to the length of time that ORV permits are valid and access improvements.
The EA released this week includes three action alternatives that were developed by Park Service staff after a series of public scoping meetings and a comment period last summer. There is also one “no action” alternative, which would make no changes in the current rule.
All three of the alternatives would increase the number of miles of year-round ORV routes by 1 mile — from 28 to 29.
Alternatives 2 and 3 would increase the number of miles of seasonal ORV routes. In Alternative 2, the number would go from 13 miles to 15 miles, and in Alternative 3, the number would increase from 13 miles to 16 miles.
And all three alternatives would decrease the miles of vehicle-free areas (VFAs) — some just seasonally. There are currently 26 miles of year-round VFAs. That would be reduced to 25 in Alternative 1, 23 in Alternative 2, and 22 in Alternative 3.
The Park Service’s preferred alternative, by the way, is Alternative 2.
You can click here to see and print out a summary of the three alternatives. There is also a link to the entire document at the end of this blog. The document includes maps that will help you understand some of the proposed changes in ORV routes and VFAs.
Here are the highlights:
ALTERNATIVE 1
- Morning beach opening. ORV routes would be prioritized. Priority routes, chosen for closeness to the villages and popularity with users, will be at Ramps 2, 4, 25, 27, 43, 44, 48, 49, 70 and 72. Priority routes open at 6:30 a.m. All others open at 7 a.m.
- Seasonal ORV routes. Extend seasonal routes for two weeks in spring and fall in front of villages and Ocracoke campground — Open Oct. 15-April 14.
- Vehicle-free areas. Restore Ramp 2, currently not being used and use Ramp 59, extending each existing year-round ORV route approximately a half-mile in each direction and reducing VFAs by one mile.
- Access improvements. More soundside access on Ocracoke Island, which is now very limited. Park roads would be improved and parking areas installed at Bitter Wash Creek and Devil Shoals Road. Both would be designated park roads and no ORV permit would be needed for access.
- Permits. Annual from date of issue, 7-day permit, 14-day permit.
ALTERNATIVE 2 (PARK SERVICE’S PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE)
- Morning beach opening. Priority routes established and would open at different times, depending on time of sunrise. Priority routes would open at 6 a.m. in May, June, and July; at 6:30 a.m. in August and September, and at 7 a.m. from Oct. 1 – Nov. 15 when night-time driving restrictions are lifted.
- Seasonal ORV routes. Same as Alternative 1 — open Oct. 15-April 14.
- Vehicle-free areas. Same as Alternative 1 plus VFA south of Ramp 23 would be redesignated as a seasonal ORV route, a portion of the VFA north of 34 (1 mile) would be redesignated as a seasonal ORV route, and Ramp 45 would be redesignated as a Park Road.
- Access improvements. Same as Alternative 1 plus the Bypass Road between Ramp 44 and Cape Point would be extended north toward Ramp 44 for four-tenths of a mile to allow more access at certain times of year and in certain weather conditions. Also a parking area would be installed near Ramp 45.
- Permits. Annual by date of issue and 10-day permits would be available.
ALTERNATIVE 3
- Morning beach opening. Priority routes — same as in Alternative 1 — would open at 6 a.m. All other would open at 7 a.m.
- Seasonal ORV routes. Extend seasonal use by four weeks in spring and fall in front of villages and Ocracoke campground (Oct. 1 – April 30)
- Vehicle-free areas. Same as Alternative 2 except the entire VFA at north of Ramp 34 — 2 miles — would be redesignated as a seasonal ORV route.
- Access improvements. Same as alternative 2.
- Permits. Annual by date of issue, three-day, seven-day, and 14-day permits would be available.
More details on what was and what was not included in the three alternatives, along with the affected environment and environmental consequences are available in the full report.
Hallac said this week that the seashore will consider mixing and matching options from all three alternatives.
After the public meetings and the public comment period closes on March 18, Park Service officials will review all comments and issue a “decision” document in the spring, which Hallac said is likely to be a Finding of No Significant Environmental Impact (FONSI).
After that the decided-upon changes to the ORV final rule must themselves go through the federal rulemaking process, which includes a proposed rule with public comment and then a final rule.
Hallac said this is likely to be a lengthy process — longer than changing buffer distances which are not included in the final ORV rule — and one that’s not likely to be concluded this year.
PUBLIC MEETINGS
Seashore staff will conduct five public meetings to provide information on the EA and receive public comments. The public meetings are scheduled as follows:
- February 26, 2016, 6 p.m. ? 8 p.m. ? Hilton Garden Inn, 5353 Virginia Dare Trail, Kitty Hawk.
- February 29, 2016, 6 p.m. ? 8 p.m. ? Embassy Suites by Hilton Hampton Hotel Convention Center & Spa, 1700 Coliseum Drive, Hampton, Va.
- March 1, 2016, 6 p.m.? 8 p.m. ? Cape Hatteras Secondary School, 48576 Highway 12, Buxton.
- March 2, 2016, 6 p.m.? 8 p.m. ? Ocracoke School, 120 Schoolhouse Rd, Ocracoke Island.
- March 3, 2016, 6:30 p.m. ? 8:30 p.m. ? McKimmon Conference & Training Center, 1101 Gorman Street, NC State University Campus, Raleigh.
MAKING COMMENTS
The EA is available for review and comment at: http://parkplanning.nps.gov/caha-orv-ea. Select the ?Open for Comment? link to view and comment on the EA. 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 the above referenced website or postmarked by March 18, 2016. Comments will not be accepted by fax, email, social media, or in any other manner than those specified above. Bulk comments in hard copy or electronic formats submitted on behalf of others will not be accepted.
For more information see the park website at: http://www.nps.gov/caha/parkmgmt/2015ndaact.htm.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Click here to read the entire 169-page Environmental Assessment.
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