The Defenders of Wildlife, the National Audubon Society, and the Southern Environmental Law Center weighed in yesterday on legislation that has been re-introduced in the Senate to overturn the consent decree and reinstate the National Park Service?s Interim Protected Species Management Plan.
I guess having North Carolina?s Democratic Sen. Kay Hagan sign on as a co-sponsor to S 1557, the legislation that the state?s Republican senator, Richard Burr, introduced last week, caught the environmental groups off-guard.
“Hagan’s signing onto the bill is a surprise,” Derb Carter, director of the North Carolina and South Carolina office of the Southern Environmental Law Center, which filed suit two years ago to protect the birds, told the News & Observer of Raleigh in today?s edition.
“We just would have expected her to have a broader understanding about the national seashore than ORV [off-road vehicle] users, which is what the bill is meant to protect,” he said.
The News & Observer wrote an article after SELC issued a media release yesterday bashing the legislation, which has also been introduced into the U.S. House of Representatives by Rep. Walter Jones, R. ? N.C., and also recently got its first Democratic co-sponsor, North Carolina Rep. G.K. Butterfield.
This release, like others issued by SELC since the consent decree was signed by a federal judge on April 30, 2008, puts a terrifically positive spin on the settlement of the lawsuit, which has resulted in more beach closures than ever before, expanded buffers for nesting birds, and a ban on night driving ? among other things.
The discourse over management of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore beaches is beginning to sound a bit like the national debate on health care reform.
In yesterday?s media release, SELC referred to the effort to ?subvert? the consent decree.
That?s a loaded word that I am sure was carefully chosen.
Let?s take a look at the entire SELC media release from the beginning with their spin and I?ll add some comments with my spin.
Here it goes, starting at the beginning.
SELC SAYS:
U.S. Senator Hagan (D-NC) joined U.S. Senator Burr (R-NC) in a legislative move to withdraw national park protections for baby birds and sea turtles endangered by off-road vehicles. The bill, S. 1557, seeks to subvert a consent decree for ORV management at Cape Hatteras National Seashore agreed to as ?fair and just? by all parties?including ORV enthusiasts and Dare County, N.C.–before U.S. District Court Judge Terrence Boyle on April 30, 2008.
WE SAY:
The legislation would not withdraw protections for ?baby bird and sea turtles.? It would simply return management of resources to the entirely adequate protections of the Park Service?s interim plan.
Furthermore, ?fair and just? is relative in this case. The Park Service had not done its job to formulate a long-range ORV plan. The environmental groups jumped on that. Can?t blame them, I guess. But they got their lawsuit before a federal judge who was willing to shut down all ORV access to the beaches. ORV ?enthusiasts? and Dare and Hyde counties faced signing on to the consent decree or shutting down ORV access. They did what they felt they had to do ? under duress.
SELCSAYS:
?This attack on the laws that safeguard our parks and seashores could set a dangerous precedent,? said Jason Rylander, attorney for Defenders of Wildlife. ?If management of Cape Hatteras can be based on the desires of motorized users alone, our entire national park system is at risk. The wildlife and natural resources that national parks were created to protect, and the millions of people who visit parks to appreciate their wild nature, should not be subverted to the wishes of ORV users.?
WE SAY:
The constraints of the consent decree could set a dangerous precedent. If management of Cape Hatteras can be based on the desires of environmental groups alone, out entire national park system is at risk. The parks were established also for recreation, in addition to preserving resources, and the consent decree deprives seashore visitors of public access to park beaches.
SELC SAYS:
In addition to undermining wildlife protections supported by the National Park Service, the bill would delay resolution of the situation by removing the deadline in the consent agreement for rules on ORV use within the national park. The bill also opens the process to continued litigation.
WE SAY:
There?s no reason that the bill would delay the long-range ORV rule. The Park Service is still on schedule to complete a draft Environmental Impact Statement this fall on the ORV rule, hold public meetings, and have a public comment period.
As for litigation, there will be more ? whether the consent decree is overturned or not.
SELC SAYS:
?The proposed legislation doesn?t respect the resolution of a lawsuit by unanimous agreement and endorsed by federal court,? said Derb Carter, director, Carolinas Office, Southern Environmental Law Center. ?This ?Cape Hatteras National Parking Lot? bill promotes the interests of a small but vocal minority that seek to turn our national park beaches into roadways and parking lots without consideration for pedestrian and wildlife needs.?
WE SAY:
Cape Hatteras National Park Lot bill? Please! This is just scare-tactic type rhetoric, similar to what is being used in the health-care reform debate.
This is not the ?wild west? out here, folks.
Islanders and visitors are used to living with resource closures during the nesting season ? just not to the extent that has resulted from the consent decree, with all popular recreational areas closed from April through August.
ORV access to the seashore is a cultural and historical use of the beach. Why should the interests of a small but vocal minority of environmental groups be allowed to turn our beaches into wildlife refuges?
Just a reminder that a good part of Hatteras Island is already a wildlife refuge ? the 15 miles or so at Pea Island.
SELC SAYS:
Beach driving restrictions under the consent decree affect only limited areas within the Cape Hatteras National Seashore and primarily during the bird breeding season, between April and August. Many miles of beach have remained open to ORVs and pedestrians throughout the breeding season, providing ample access to all who seek to enjoy the national seashore. Visitation to the seashore increased in 2009 during months affected by the consent agreement according to park service statistics. Despite the nationwide economic recession, overall tourism on Hatteras Island held steady during the same time period according to the Outer Banks Visitors Bureau.
WE SAY:
Environmental groups would like to downplay the miles of beach closed to ORVs, but it is not insignificant. Furthermore, the most popular recreational areas are the ones affected. And this is not just an ORV issue. Many areas have been closed to pedestrians, as well as ORVs.
So visitation is up at the seashore? So what?
It is true that overall tourism held steady on the Outer Banks through May, the last month for which figures are available.
Occupancy taxes paid on rentals is up 4.39 percent for Dare County, but only .96 for Hatteras Island. And that?s just through May. The major resource closures hit during June and July, and their effect on occupancy taxes is not yet available.
SELC SAID:
?We?re very disappointed in the introduction of legislation that would withdraw national park protections for baby birds and sea turtles endangered by off-road vehicle traffic,? said Chris Canfield, executive director, Audubon North Carolina.
WE SAY:
There we go again. Legislation would NOT remove park protections for ?baby birds? and sea turtles.
SELC SAID:
While Cape Hatteras National Seashore drew more visitors, wildlife numbers reversed their downward trend and showed signs of recovery under the consent agreement according to National Park Service reports. Under the management measures in the consent decree, overall colonial waterbird nests more than doubled with 535 nests according to 2009 data in comparison to 212 nests in 2007. Black skimmers nested on the park?s beaches for the first time in three years. The number of least tern nests more than doubled with 464 nests according to preliminary 2009 data in comparison to 194 nests in 2007.
WE SAY:
The environmental groups are using the figures that are best for them. Under the consent decree, colonial waterbird nests may have increased, but more ?baby birds? were also consumed by the predators that the Park Service tries to kill but just can?t keep up with. Black skimmers nested quite nicely on dredge islands, such as Cora June, right off the park.
There is also no mention of the fact that the number of fledged piping plover chicks is down this year ? from seven last year to six this year.
Fledged oystercatcher chicks are also down.
This time last year, there were 15 fledged chicks with two unfledged. This year, there have been 12 fledged chicks with two unfledged.
Not much of a significant difference.
SELC SAYS:
The park service reports also documented incidents of vandalism during nesting season, ranging from vehicle tracks in closure areas to stomping on sea turtle nests and baiting nests to lure predators.
WE SAY:
This is true, and it is very regrettable.
SELC SAYS:
The consent agreement protections are based on the recommendations of leading scientists hired by the National Park Service which is in line with President Barack Obama?s directive to restore scientific integrity to government decision making instead of politics.
WE SAY:
Is SELC talking about the Patuxent protcols? It was never disclosed who the scientists were, whether they were compensated, and what their affiliations are. Their work was also never reviewed or published.
SELC SAYS:
Last year, Senators Burr and Dole (R-NC) introduced an identical bill to subvert the consent agreement in favor of a less effective interim management strategy, but the bill was opposed by the National Park Service and defeated by a U.S. Senate committee. The deputy director of the National Park Service testified before Congress in September 2008 that ?the consent decree will accomplish [the] objective? of allowing public use and access to the national seashore?s beaches to the greatest extent possible while still protecting the park?s wildlife ?better than the original 2007 Interim Management Strategy.? Despite this testimony, the re-introduced bill turns back to the less effective interim management strategy.
WE SAY:
The National Park Service wanted the lawsuit to go away.
The interim plan — which was vetted by the public, approved by the highest levels of the Park Service, and published in the Federal Register ? was just fine with Park Service officials in Washington ? until the lawsuit.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
To read the entire text of the press release with notes to editors:
http://parkplanning.nps.gov/document.cfm?parkID=358&projectId=13331&documentID=25800
And I say water consumption on Hatteras Island is a far better measure of visitation than any NPS count and does not have a price variable as does occupancy or sales tax.
Well, if they keep talking the more reasonable of the human species will see through their diatribes and illusions. Their facts are skewed toward the absurd and their omissions are screaming of the truth. It is interesting to note the lack of a reasonable accounting of the facts by the group and the misinformed judiciary who depend on them for veracity.
Everyone, send Kay Hagan thanking her for her support of the residents of NC and Cape Hatteras in particular. Tell her to keep up the good work.
Do this for Burr as well.
Irene, when you lost your job with the Pilot, true lemonade was made from your lemon as you created the Island Free Press. You are definitely performing a fantastic service for Hatteras, at exactly the right time. Thank you, and keep it up!!!!!!!
Bravo Irene! A woman who isn?t afraid to tell it like it is. Someone with a registered account to the Charlotte Observer should post a link to your blog in their comments section. So many people are so very woefully uninformed and misinformed across the rest of this state.
Thank you.
Quote “In yesterday’s media release, SELC referred to the effort to “subvert” the consent decree. That’s a loaded word that I am sure was carefully chosen.
” Unquote
Well now?.seems SELC has influenced NPS and the Judicial Branch to “Subvert” a few federal laws??
Article IV, Section 3, Clause 2 of the US Constitution
16USCa-1-a
16USC459
16USC459a.2
16USC459a.1
5USC575
5USC572(b)
40CFR1500.1
to name a few?..
maybe there is a come back from the dead
Good job Irene, keep the passion up and heat on!
respectfully submitted,
Scott Lambright
Excellent reporting Irene. You are what professional journalism is all about—digging for the facts.
And some more facts are these:
There has been no significant improvement in bird species populations due to the consent decree. To say so is fully irresponsible. No credible scientist would ever make that claim, especially in the presence of peers.
An insignificant number of non-endangered birds have displaced literally thousands of hard working, tax paying citizens and visitors from around the world into now much overcrowded sections of the seashore, threatening to overrun the carrying capacity of those ecosystems.
Because of the consent decree, recreational use of the seashore is down this year. Many citizens visited a place that denied recreational access. Many visitors will not come back.
Tourism is the basis of the Outer Banks’ economy. Millions of dollars of revenue, and many jobs have been lost to villages of the Outer Banks that depend on access to the environment. Visitors do not come to places that deny access.
The denial of public use and managed access such as we currently see on the Outer Banks of North Carolina is an every growing common occurrence around the country. As a consequence, thousands of people who cherish the environment and have traditionally shown support to environmental movement through financial donation and membership increasingly recognize the superficiality, self-serving, and economic exploitation activities of many environmental activist organizations.
The paid leadership and staffs of some of these more radical, non-governmental environmental organizations, such as SELC, DOW, and Audubon Society, are constantly searching for a mission to justify their paycheck. They use unsettled law to target the weakest entities they can find, such as the economically stressed communities of the Outer Banks that do not have the financial resources to fight back.
As you have clearly demonstrated in your blog, these activist organizations deliberately distort and misrepresent environmental benefits, misuse science, and they hide the socially irresponsible consequences of their actions. They make political threats. They are master propagandists. They use press releases, annual reports, and increasingly the internet to exaggerate and spin their cheap legal victories. They direct most of their hype to the popular press that is too lazy and incompetent to dig deep for the facts and full story.
The best thing any environmentally conscious citizen can do to correct this situation is to encourage others to drop their membership and financial support to these organizations. Let these irresponsible activist organizations experience what it is like to have their economic lifeline cut off.
At the same time, let none of our environmentally concerned friends get so discouraged by witnessing such fiascos that we currently see on the Outer Banks that they turn hostile to the notion of protecting our environment. Let no one get so discouraged that they walk away from their civil right to vote or make comment on government actions that affect their lives and values.
I have been trying to get the Charlote Observer on board for a while now. They did print an op ed piece that I wrote but edited it so much that it made me look like a.. well you know. The article that was posted here was in the Raleigh paper. There was a similar version of it in the Charlotte paper of which I again, will present this issue to the editors. Maybe with some help from Ms. Hagan it will catch their ears. We all need to call, and thank her in a big way.
Bi-partisan support for the legislation is very improtant!!
And it obviously is making SELC/DOW/AS very nervous due to their response.
The cultural/historic resource stuff is only gonna make them want to wish they never picked this fight. Too bad for them, eh?
Return to the interim plan is what is truly legal. And also sets a baseline for true public input. Not some silly consent decree.
I?m with Dr. Berry, do NOT give up on protecting the environment. Give up on the organizations that pretend to do it for you. Particularly when they leave ?you? out in the end.
Natives, Residents and Visitors,
I know a lot of you are happy about hearing that Sen. Hagan and Burr have sponsored a new bill S 1557 to restore The Cape Hatteras National Seashore Recreational Area to the previous Interim Management Plan. This is the final chance to achieve this type of action and it will require everyone that wants to see a difference to take part in the promotion of this bill.
In recent past it seems more and more people have become vocal about the current beach access situation and are overall disgruntled by the entire situation. Being vocal and telling everyone you see of this plight is a serious part of the recovery. However, actions speak louder than words, especially when it comes to the politicians.
It is very important for each of you to take a couple quick minutes to go to the following web site http://www.PreserveBeachAccess.org and make sure that register under ?Act Now? if you have not already done this. This web site was founded by Dare County and is being paid for by the tourism Board and serves 2 major purposes.
1) Registering on this site gives Dare County direct access to the number of supporters for Beach Access, which helps considerably, when presenting our plight to other politicians.
2) By registering on this site Preserve Beach Access officials will be able to email you important updates and things you can do to help, wether, that is placing a phone call or sending an email, etc.
All of the ORV groups are working with the County on this project, when it comes to information and actions. Being signed up on this site allows everyone to be informed with one press of a button. If your entire family cares about this issue, then the entire family needs to register. This is a numbers game and 1 family member registering for a family of 4-5 supporters only hurts the bottom line.
The prayer list emails, online newspapers, web site forums and all the above have done a great job getting the word out. Now we have the chance to cover a great deal of individuals with one effort and reach as many people possible with a single action.
Please remember that all of this will be for nothing if you do not take 5 minutes of your time to do the things asked of you in forthcoming emails. Talking trash on the front porch or behind the counter will not change anything. Actions speak louder than words.
Many a individual and the County have been at the forefront of this battle for years now and I realize that some of you may not be all that happy with where we are. But, if you do not try and do the minor things asked of you in this fight, then you will never know if anyone?s plans to make a change will ever work, nor should you be mad that no difference has been made.
I am a nobody in this battle. I have a fluke gift for getting the word out and I am a decent, hack organizer. I know my place and what I am good at. A spokesman or political fighter is not the job for a guy with a switch blade tongue and a hair trigger temper. However, I will stop at nothing to help and promote others that are good in these areas.
Here it is. You wanted relief and it is being put forth, but only you can help see it through.
Please Help Us and Help Yourselves.
Dare County Commissioner Warren Judge has just posted a passionate and factual letter under one of Irene?s older blogs, “The Problem With Our National Parks Is They Are No Longer For The People”.
http://islandfreepress.org/PivotBlog/piv..
I have repeated his post below, just to make sure as many folks as possible see it.
+++++++++++++++++++++++
“I have had it with Derb and Jason spinning the version of the real facts and truth about the Cape Hatteras National Seashore Recreational Area, to meet their own needs and desires and to justify their existance and jobs.
They talk as if they know what is going on in the Cape Hatteras National Seashore Recreational Area. Well folks they do not, and let me tell you about their figures, do not believe them.
Getting the number of cars on the ferries that depart and dock at Hatteras Inlet and multiplying them by some made up factor to then tell you how many people visited Hatteras Island is about as accurate science as what they use to disrupt and assure that that the negoiated rule making process did not reach a succesful conclusion.
S 1557 and HR 718 will return control of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore back to the NPS and let the professionals manage the Park, not Derb from Chapel Hill and Jason from DC but on the ground professionals who know what is happening everyday. Both S 1557 and HR 718 will give access to all Americans to America’s Beach. What a shame the last two summers have been. Thanks to Derb and Jason many people have suffered, jobs have been lost, businesses have closed and poor vacationing Americans have come to their beach for that one week a year that they have dreamed of to see the sign posted that says “STOP YOU ARE NOT WELCOMED HERE” Derb and Jason I hope you are proud of yourselves, I hope that you sleep at night, because I know of many who are not sleeping at night, crying their eyes out because they have lost homes and businesses. But you all do not care, do you.
Both S 1557 and HR 718 will allow you to walk to the beach, will allow you to walk on the beach, will allow you to walk down the beach, will allow you to spread your beach blanket and enjoy a day in the sun, sand and surf with you family, will allow you to fish, fly kites, play on the beach as you did as a child. And oh yes it will allow you to drive out to the beach and park so that you can do all of these things, and it will allow Americans with Disablities to have access to the beach.
To those of you who might be moved by Jason’s comments on driving and parking lots. Ask him how the NPS develoed the beach. Ask him how people access the beach. Ask him if there are pedestrian walk overs. Ask him if driving to the beach was not the preferred alternative why did the NPS build ramps for vehicles to access the beach, why didn’t the NPS provide more parking lots and more accesses on the seashore so you could park and then walk over the dunes on pedestrian walkways and down to the beach.
Shame on the two of you, trying to put fear in people’s minds when you talk about baby birds. There are more people who live on Hatteras Island who care more about the birds, their nests, their eggs and a successful hatch and fledging than all the people in all your offices combined. And turtles, when was the last time either of you stayed up all night, to help new turtles as the hatch make it to the waters edge and into the water. I tell you that you all do not care one bit abut these birds, turtles and people.
Observer, Anchorman, Derb, do not try to tell these people about the Consent Decree. You do not tell them that we never had a seat at the negoiating table, we were told take it or leave it and the leave it would have meant total closure of the beach. Now why don’t you tell the world that in your press releases, why don’t you tell them that the only reason we signed was because we had a gun at our head, with a choice of being shot in the head or shot in the foot, well we chose the foot, which has become the whole leg, thigh and is moving up our to our arms.
To all Americans, the fine men and women of Dare County and all who visit this beautiful land care about every creature that shares the Cape Hatteras National Seashore and we are the true conservationists and environmentalists. Please call your Congressman and your Senators ask them to support HR 718 and S 1557, these bills are good for American and Americans, these bills will be good for the birds and turtles. After all more birds hatched in 2008 under the succesful nesting of the Interim Management Plan then in 2009 under the Consent Decree. We need your help.
Thank you,
Warren (Email) ? 12 08 09 ? 22:16 “
++++++++++++++++++++++++
OUTSTANDING breakdown of the SELC article Irene and an excellent follow up Mr Berry. I truely hope this bill goes somewhere.
Great blog, Irene?hopefully the ?powers that be? will recognize the truth and be set free to do what?s right by overturning the consent decree and preserving the freedom for all Americans to use the Cape Hatteras beaches for recreation. We cannot emphasize enough that this is not just about ORV access, as the word spinners would have us believe. This consent decree denies ALL access to significant areas. This is about preserving our freedom.
THANKS IRENE! Once again you?ve shed the light of truth on another pack of lies and half-truths coming from the “dark side”. There is absolutely NO science-based data to back up thier claims, in fact there is no peer reviewed, published scientific data to back up the consent decree for that matter. It?s time to call them out on it. I hope the bills in both the house and senate pass, but what is really needed is a congressional judicial and scientific review of the CONsent decree to bring to light what a travesty it really is. It isn?t based on any peer reviewed scientific data, but instead is based on hypothosis, opinion and data that has been peer reviewed and REJECTED (the voegslong study). The only dangerous precedent I see is the one set by money hungry fake enviromentalist orginizations such as DOW, SELC and Audobon running OUR National Parks not to mention OUR RECREATIONAL AREAS such as the Cape Hatteras National Seashore RECREATIONAL AREA! I?d love to see the “evil three” in front of a Congressional committee, under oath, explain their position where the spin and BS they spit out on a regular basis would result with them being charged with contempt of Congress and purgery! Thanks to Sen?s Hagan and Burr for standing up to these punks and representing WE THE PEOPLE! Next step?get them in front of Congress, out in the open and expose them for what they really are-MONEY HUNGRY LAWYERS!
Great blog, Irene, and I know where your heart is. It really bugs me though that we all refer to these greedy, freakin? lawyer groups as ?environmentalists?. Dr. Berry has it right. We need defining adjectives: ?radical? and ?activist? and ?extreme? will do fine.
Visitation ? the facts using both NPS numbers which rely on questionable estimates and water consumption. Also, more bird numbers.
????????????????????????????????????????
2002 Before all the controversy 2,923,894
2003 First summer HI closed, right through Sept. 2,660,535
2004 2,208,189 down 17% from 2003
2004 First summer where bird closures were to the water and the controversy got really heated
2005 First time point was closed
2006 2,125,005 down 3.8% from 2004
2006 Prototype of Ineterim Plan with less restrictive shorter lived closures
2007 2,237,378 up 5.3% from 2006
2008 SELC suit beginning of the year with Consent Decree in May. Real estate reports of cancellations. Massive closures and much discontent on the part of visitors who did come.
2008 2,146,392 down 4.1% from 2007
2009 visitation figures YTD up 2.6% from last year as of July. Last year YTD was down 10.1% from 2007. So as of July, YTD we are still down by 7.5%. Yes, Anchorman you are right, the numbers show an increase.
2009 most of the May closures were in effect by March. I?m sure 2010 will be great.
As for the tourism report, read it carefully. All of Dare County. Nearly 2%, right with increased taxes and increased enforcement for tax collection of private rentals. Why not try a measurement that does not have a price increase factor included?that is, one that is directly related to one thing and one thing only bodies. One, furthermore, that is not dependent upon how often a car counter is used and how accurate the car counter is. One that is not dependent upon some outdated formula to factor out commuter traffic. What you say? What measurement could possibly do this?
Try water consumption. 2008 water consumption was down 15% or so from 2007. This year water consumption is down at least that much from 2008. This reduction in bodies is exactly what I have witnessed and is consistent with the fall off in revenue reported by individual businesses.
And does it really matter. In the face of a major recession. With the emphasis on recovery and job creation/saving. With the emphasis on stimulus. Does it make any sense to incurr any loss in tourism or take the chance of any such loss when the three most sensitive species under protection have not fared any better?
1. Piping Plover average fledge rate was 1.0 during the 2005-2006 Prototype Management period, .67 during 2007 Interim Plan Management. In contrast Piping Plover fledge rates were .64 and .67 during the past 2 years of Consent Decree Management.
2. The number of nesting pairs of Piping Plovers has actually decreased (down from 11 in 2008 to 9 this year).
3. American Oystercatcher population has decreased to 23 from the 24 observed in 2007 under the Interim Plan.
4. As of this date, fledged Oystercatcher chicks total 12?the same as in 2007 under the interim plan.
3. Sea Turtle nesting activity continues to vary widely but has held steady at 10-15 percent of the NC state total and with a false crawl ratio right around the target of 1 to 1.
Awesome blog, Irene, and great commentary from everyone else! It soes my heart good to hear the fire in everyones comments! We are FAR from beaten?
To have Democratic support in NC goes a long way to show that constituents voices are finally being heard over the din of misinformation and outright lies published by the SELC Cartel.
It has long been quite truthfully said that “It?s not about the birds” in the context of this situation, as the goal of these Environmental Extremists is clearly human-free beaches in CHNSRA. Happily, more average Americans are seeing through this tripe to the underlying ugliness that is at play here, and are trying to reverse such travesties.
It?s also quite evident that through the closures of spoils islands like Cora June and Dredge Island, that they have become massive rookeries that produce thousands of chicks to many of the “distressed” species in question. These birds have few worries of either mamallian predators or human disturbance in these settings, and seem to thrive there!
My query is this: Why not create a series of spoils islands in the sound, using bottom material from every dredging operation? Individual islands could be purposefully shaped to appeal to some of the more “fragile” species such as PIPL and LETE, amongst others.
Audobon has been know to do just that in some of their land holdings, and even go so far as to use calls and decoys to lure certain species to pre-selected areas. Why could this not work for CHNSRA, thus giving the birds AND humans seperate places to enjoy their lives?
I for one feel we should MAKE this argument resoundingly about the birds, and offer forward thinking solutions that none of these groups will be able to walk away from. We ARE the true stewards of this park, and through deep thought, due diligence, and some very hard work, we can take the power away from those who wish to mold this park unit
into something none of us will recognize.
Our children and our grandchildren stand to lose the most out of this, as these extremist groups would like nothing better than to have this area “Preserved for Future Generations” of people who will only be able to view such lovliness through a fence, keeping humanity permanently seperated from their animal brethren in the name of ?Subverted? environmental concerns.
Please bear in mind that occupancy tax revenue is not an accurate way to gauge the number of Hatteras Island visitors since it only reflects a percentage of the rental charges. It?s ?smoke and mirrors? depending on the base rate. Instead, I?d be interested to know the general extent to which real estate management companies and motels discounted rates in 2009 to save their necks.
1. Piping Plover average fledge rate was 1.0 during the 2005-2006 Prototype Management period, .67 during 2007 Interim Plan Management. In contrast Piping Plover fledge rates were .64 and .67 during the past 2 years of Consent Decree Management.
2. The number of nesting pairs of Piping Plovers has actually decreased (down from 11 in 2008 to 9 this year).
3. American Oystercatcher population has decreased to 23 from the 24 observed in 2007 under the Interim Plan.
4. As of this date, fledged Oystercatcher chicks total 12—the same as in 2007 under the interim plan.
3. Sea Turtle nesting activity continues to vary widely but has held steady at 10-15 percent of the NC state total and with a false crawl ratio right around the target of 1 to 1.
?where Ginny does her best Derb impression.
Look folks, there?s not enough data to make any claims about what management strategy is best, and even IF, there was a productivity increase under the consent decree, how do you tease out that the NPS, from everything I?ve heard, has stepped up predator removal almost every year this decade? You can?t by any statistical method of which I?m aware because even if all the years had the same management strategy, there?s going to be random natural variation to productivity ? blind luck or chance.
Personally, I don?t like the consent decree and don?t believe it?s required, but that?s my personal opinion and I can?t say the science does or doesn?t support it because there?s simply not enough data for the consent decree or any other method that we could compare to it.
Irene, I believe this is wrong,
WE SAY:
The National Park Service wanted the lawsuit to go away.
From what I?ve heard, none of the NPS -local, regional or even DC, had much say about the disposition of the lawsuit ? it was all the DOI and their solicitor from DC, perhaps you should check it out and issue a correction if need be?
Crotalus,
Welcome back to the blog.
I don?t think a correction is necessary, but I do want to make clear that I do not think local NPS had much to say about the disposition of the lawsuit. Regiional and DC ? well, maybe. And it was Daniel Wenk from DC office of NPS who was dispatched to the subcommittee hearings last year to trash the interim plan.
I agree with you that the solicitors are in charege ? DOI and NPS solicitors, the same thing, I guess.
I will be happy to publish a correction if someone in DC can tell me exactly which solicitor threw the local park service under the bus by not defending the interim plan.
I don?t think that will happen.
Thank you Irene,your press is great, with good facts.
Kay Hagen does know about Cape Hatteras National Seashore, she was here Micheal Peele cooked her and her family BBQ and fried local fish in Hatteras, our Governor Beverly Perdue was there also, both of the women know the value of the revenue coming from Dare County. for Derb Carter to discount Kay Hagen?s knowlege of our concerns on Hatteras Island is wrong, apparently her view of the Park Service and The Outer Banks is more broad than Derb cares for.
Good job Irene! The thing about the carefully chosen word ?subvert? is that is a loaded gun that backfires when used outside of the facts. The fact is that the consent decree subverts the intent of congress to create a recreation area. It subverts the intent to allow the residents to use the beaches as they always have been uses. It subverts the substance and intent of the endangered species act. It subverts the will of the people who continue to visit the area despite the draconian measures being taken to ?protect? non native species and species at the extreme edges of their habitat. Have we ?subverted? enough? I certainly think we have! Oh, wait a minute, there is one more ? it has subverted the mission and good name of the Park Department and all those who work for it.
Irene said:
I don’t think a correction is necessary, but I do want to make clear that I do not think local NPS had much to say about the disposition of the lawsuit. Regiional and DC — well, maybe. And it was Daniel Wenk from DC office of NPS who was dispatched to the subcommittee hearings last year to trash the interim plan.
I agree with you that the solicitors are in charege — DOI and NPS solicitors, the same thing, I guess.
I will be happy to publish a correction if someone in DC can tell me exactly which solicitor threw the local park service under the bus by not defending the interim plan.
I don’t think that will happen.
Well, just what did Wenk say?
Mr. Chairman and members of the subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today to present the Department of the Interior’s views
At no time does he state he?s representing the NPS?s views or his personal views. He was following orders. So for you to throw the NPS under the bus in such a manner isn?t exactly “fair and balanced” journalism ? especially in the light of the fact there are business owners on the seashore who are forbidding NPS employees ? the grunts on the ground ? from stepping foot on their property.
You share responsibiltiy in fomenting that attitude.
The NPS employees are responsible for their own actions. They are directed to perform a mission, how they conduct themselves in that mission is their choice and responsibility. The NPS employees I have interacted with and seen in action are not friendly or courteous and have treated park users like criminals. The NPS is formenting that attitude.
Crotalus,
These are the facts from a July, 2008, article on The Island Free Press Web site. And you think I am the person throwing the NPS under the bus?
From the article
A deputy director of the National Park Service told a U.S. Senate subcommittee on Monday, July 30, that the Department of the Interior does not support a bill to overturn a consent decree and reinstate the interim strategy for ORV use on the Cape Hatteras National Seashore.
Daniel L. Wenk, deputy director for operations for the National Park Service, told the panel that the Department of the Interior must balance protecting park resources and providing for recreation for the public.
“We believe,” he said, “that the consent decree will achieve this better than the interim plan.”
“A return to managing the Seashore under the Interim Management Strategy,” Wenk said in his written comments, “would result in a reduction in the size, frequency, and timing of the buffers protecting federally and state-listed species, and a likely reduction in the increase in nesting activity observed in 2008.”
Irene,
No, I don?t think you?re the only one. The DOI preceded you. (You really don?t believe Wenk wrote that himself, do you?)
Woody,
That?s not been my experience. But maybe they treat me as respectful as I treat them?
Dare County Press Release
http://www.preservebeachaccess.org/newsr..
Crotalus is right that there have been some businesses that have been rude to local NPS who are only trying to do their job, but there are others of us who have gone beyond being nice to them in our stores to trying to insulate them from the ones that have not been kind to them. On the other hand, I can say that a few of the local (Hatteras Island or Manteo) staff have been unkind in remarks to businesses that continue be kind to those that just do their jobs in a professional way.
If you have gone through Reg. Neg. and been consumed by it you know those that athey are doing just their job and those that are over zealous and believe their position outranks all civilians who pay their wages. I can honestly say that the present biologists on the ground on Hatteras have never been anything but helpful to me when asked for clarification or answers to questions I have raised.
But when you leave Hatteras Island and go to a few in Manteo and to Atlanta Regional and DC Headquarters, I trust none of them. I sat in a meeting last year with a deputy secretary of the Interior who kissed our butts and went back to DC and threw us to the curb.
Irene has again posted the true facts of what is going on and we can only hope that the people with the ability to get the right things done does so.
It never ceases to amaze me just how far these people will go to distort the reality of the “decree of forced consent”. Whats interesting, and has been since this process began, is the utter libelous proclamation and statement “as fact” that has been so much a part of this issue. This latest attempt on the part of DOW/ Audubon to hide the reality of the travesty that is the CD serves as a perfect example of the need to have congress re-write ESA and step up to the plate at CHNSRA and force the National Park Service and the Department of Interior to obey the law authored by our elected representatives.
There is no question whether the Seashore was established as a Recreational area and that the enjoyment of the beaches by fisherman, swimmers, boaters and the like was the primary purpose and mission of this area. Congress clearly divided the area into two unique sections and consistently reaffirmed that mission through the years. Rylander and company will constantly quote the “Organic Act” but when when it?s pointed out that the establishment of the Seashore and all of it?s relevant legislation regarding the recreational mission is part of same they fall silent.
Many a Federal law has been broken by DOI to bring us to this point. One day there will be a reckoning and we will reclaim that which is ours ; providing relief to the people that come to these islands to escape the hassles of life, as congress intended, and the residents who open their home to visitors from afar.
As we fight this fight, do not forget that we know this beach in a way that many who oppose do not. forget not that just a couple years ago, during the first meeting of the reg-neg committee at Cape Point, Rylander didn?t know the difference between the “Hook” and the Pamlico Sound.
Golder and Maddox used to windsurf the dredge pond, disturbing the nesting AMOYS, Plovers,Terns and Black Skimmers??nice. Derb just works out to be an attorney that lives off of taxpayer dollars.
Please call your Reps. and tell them to support these bills, don?t ask, tell..they work for you, not the other way around.
Thanks Irene,
Wheat
Regarding Frank Folb?s post, I too see many business owners, employees and others who interact with the NPS on a daily basis take the high road and foster a working relationship with people simply trying to do their jobs. However, for anyone to deny that there is no arrogance coming from some staff and high-profile management at Cape Hatteras and Manteo in regard to their dealings with residents is naive and mistaken. It is some of the worst I have seen in 40 years. I concede that it works both ways. Danny Couch
Danny Couch:
However, for anyone to deny that there is no arrogance coming from some staff and high-profile management at Cape Hatteras and Manteo in regard to their dealings with residents is naive and mistaken. It is some of the worst I have seen in 40 years.
Specifics?
I agree the visitation numbers used by SELC are being presented to show no damage and are heavily skewed by June and July.
Visitation in Jan-May 2009 was the second lowest YTD total since 2000 (2005 was slightly lower) June/July 2009 had a huge YtY increase from 2008, however 2008 was one of the lowest visited years in the past 10 years which makes for a % wise attractive compare. June/July 2009 are still at or below average visitation over the last 10 years.
The post from Ginny got me thinking about the decline in 2004. It is amazing to go back all the way to 1996 and see that the Park Recreational visitors took a major drop in 2004 and has never recovered. The average annual Rec visitors from 1996-2003 was 2.63 million/year, and in 2004-2009 it is $2.2 million per year?..a decline of 17%. When you consider the huge increase in rental housing and general beach populariy over that period that is an amazing decline.
Being an avid catch and release fisherman when I visit Hatteras I too am upset with all of the ramp and beach closure?s. I?m even a member of PETA and stand up for animal rights, but there?s nothing right about killing 238 mammals, including foxes that are rare to the island to begin with in order to protect the bird?s and the nest?s. This is absurd, they trap and kill these poor animals for just doing what is natural. The foxes, racoon?s, opossum?s and cat?s have to hunt in order to survive, that?s nature and how it work?s. Hey, I?m all about protecting an endangered species of bird?s but to kill another living thing is so hipocritical and unfair. These Audubon people and their crooked lawyer?s need to be stopped or at least educated on what their doing is wrong. I live in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio and have the Preserve Beach Access bumper sticker on my 4X4 jeep and will always support the people, beaches and wildlife of the outer banks. Let?s all unite and gain back access to the beaches and live among the wildlife instead of living seperately. Peace & respect.
Crotalus asked for specifics:
There are many that I have heard about and just one I will point you to. Go back to Irene?s Island Free Press site and go to letters and commentary. The first letter posted last week on beach access issues about a couple with two labs that love the water who probably will not return. Yes, the law has not changed, but NPS attitude of rangers has. Have you seen the radar on Highway 12. I have. There is much more but I will not go into them. I do hope that Paul Stevens does not have his hands tied because I think if he is allowed to be Paul as I know him he could return some of the respect NPS Law Enforcement used to have. (Okay some I am old and can remember some good times) If you do not mind coming by Frank and Fran?s I will sit with you and tell you of those good times and of the height of over zealousness we see now.