The National Audubon Society, Defenders of Wildlife, and the Southern Environmental Law Center weighed in yesterday on the National Park Service?s Draft Environmental Statement on off-road vehicle management on the Cape Hatteras Seashore.
And they don?t like the Park Service?s preferred Alternative F ? one of six scenarios put forward in the document.
So now we know that neither side in the struggle for access to the seashore like what they saw in the 810 pages.
Those who advocate more access for pedestrians and vehicles have said they support none of the alternatives. Instead they support an alternative put forward by the Coalition for Beach Access.
The environmental groups, on the other hand, do like one alternative ? sort of.
They like Alternative D, which the Park Service has identified as the environmentally preferred alternative, though not its preferred choice. It is also the most restrictive of all of the alternatives in terms of public access.
The big three ? Audubon, Defenders, and SELC ? outlined their comments in a joint statement yesterday.
The groups said they could support Alternative D with some modifications.
They want more pedestrian-only access and, of course, less ORV access. They would allow pedestrian access in areas where colonial waterbird and shorebird breeding behavior is observed. And they want more specific areas identified as closed year-round?not just seasonally ? to ORVs and reserved for pedestrians and wintering shorebirds.
They are also asking for more parking spaces and dune walkovers. We assume that would be to accommodate more people walking to the beach. (Wonder if that would be paved parking areas? The seashore sure could use more asphalt.)
Also, the groups have said that they would agree to access corridors to Cape Point and to South Point on Ocracoke ? subject to the usual resource closures.
Now that is a change that would make everyone happy.
After a brief overview of their comments, the groups went on to sing the praises of the consent decree during past two years.
You know by now how it goes.
In just two years, birds and turtles have made a startling recovery, visitation to the seashore has increased, and business is better than ever, despite closures and a crippling national recession.
These statements are backed up with the usual half-truths and misleading information.
I?ve addressed these claims with facts and perspective in at least seven blogs in the past year.
So I will spare you a re-run. Besides, I fear I am preaching to the choir.
There are however, people, members of the environmental groups and of the media, how will accept these claims as fact. This is unfortunate ? and embarrassing for the media.
The environmental groups, led by SELC, have developed a very clever strategy ? just say it?s true often enough and everyone will believe it?s true.
Then you use clever touches in the releases ? pictures of baby birds squashed in tire tracks or beaches jammed with ORVs on summer weekends.
My personal favorite claim in this most recent statement is:
?The Park Service?s preferred alternative F sets aside only 16 miles of the 68 miles of seashore year-round as non-ORV areas for pedestrians, families, and wildlife.?
I like that ?families? touch.
However, I would challenge any of these protectors of families to find more of them on any summer weekend in areas closed to ORVs than in areas open to ORV access.
It?s not just fishermen who want ORV access. It?s families ? who are bringing youngsters, babies and baby equipment, canopies, outdoor games, life jackets, boogie boards, grills, and coolers of drinks and food to camp out for a day at the beach.
Again, you know how it goes.
I am publishing the full text of the Audubon/Wildlife/SELC media release with a link to the SELC Web site where you can find more charts and graphs and statistics.
Then I am providing links to the seven blogs I have written about what is wrong with the picture they are painting.
You can go back and refresh your memory about the facts or catch one you may have missed.
JOINT STATEMENT FROM AUDUBON/DEFENDERS/SELC
(Issued on May 12, 2010)
National Audubon Society, Defenders of Wildlife, and the Southern Environmental Law Center submitted comments yesterday Tuesday, May 11, regarding the National Park Service?s Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) on Cape Hatteras National Seashore?s Off-road Vehicle Management Plan.
Collectively, these organizations represent 1.5 million members and supporters.
As a unit of the National Park System, Cape Hatteras has been required for decades under federal law to establish guidelines for off-road vehicles (ORVs) that minimize harm to wildlife and natural values of the seashore in accordance with the best available science.
Comments submitted by the conservation groups outlined several measures necessary for the Park Service to meet its legal mandates to conserve and protect the natural resources of the Seashore, leave them unimpaired for future generations, and provide an appropriate balance between continued ORV use and other public uses of the seashore, including pedestrian and family use.
The conservation groups support a final ORV management plan based on the environmentally preferred Alternative D in the DEIS, modified to:
? Allow pedestrian access subject to standard resource closures when shorebird or colonial waterbird breeding behavior is observed.
?Allow 100-foot ORV access corridors to Cape Point and South Ocracoke, subject to standard resource closures when shorebird breeding activity is observed.
? Increase the number of parking spaces and dune walkovers.
? And designate specific areas closed year-round to ORV use for pedestrians and wintering shorebirds.
Additional comments in support of a final ORV management plan based on a modified environmentally preferred Alternative D were also filed by the Natural Resources Defense Council, National Parks Conservation Association, The Wilderness Society, American Bird Conservancy, Ascutney Mountain Audubon Society, Center for Biological Diversity, Conservation International, Delaware Valley Ornithological Club, Delmarva Ornithological Society, Sacharuna Foundation, Salem Audubon Society, Saving Birds Thru Habitat, and Wildlands CPR.
In the DEIS, the preferred alternative F put forward by the Park Service falls short of the U.S. Department of Interior?s own scientists? recommendations regarding the measures needed to protect wildlife within the national park. The Park Service?s preferred alternative F sets aside only 16 miles of the 68 miles of seashore year-round as non-ORV areas for pedestrians, families, and wildlife.
Both wildlife numbers and park visitation numbers are up under the 2008 consent decree?s temporary management of ORVs in the park. The last two years had record numbers of turtle nests and the highest number of nesting piping plovers since 1998, as well as a net average increase of nearly 100,000 park visitors in 2008-2009 during months affected by the consent decree, compared to the same time period during the three previous years, 2005-2007. Not only did park visitation remain solid, but Dare County rental occupancy for both 2008 and 2009 reached a record high over a 15-year period despite two years of a nationwide economic recession.
Other beaches on the Atlantic coast that have instituted ORV regulations for natural resource protection have also shown economic resilience to the changes, according to a 1998 study done by Industrial Economics, Inc., for the Division of Economics of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
For more information
http://www.southernenvironment.org/cases/beach_driving_on_cape_hatteras_national_seashore/updates/
SHOOTING THE BREEZE BLOGS ON MISLEADING INFORMATION
What the SELC won?t show you?.WITH SLIDE SHOW
http://islandfreepress.org/PivotBlog/pivot/entry.php?id=35#comm
Buxton takes a beating from beach closures
http://islandfreepress.org/PivotBlog/pivot/entry.php?id=19#body
SELC?s latest spin on the consent decree
http://islandfreepress.org/PivotBlog/pivot/entry.php?id=36#body
The Continuing Adventures of Defenders, Audubon, and SELC in Wonderland
http://islandfreepress.org/PivotBlog/pivot/entry.php?id=47#body
Is Cape Hatteras a National Park or a Wildlife Refuge?
http://islandfreepress.org/PivotBlog/pivot/entry.php?id=59#body
Another misleading and misinformed SELC media release
http://islandfreepress.org/PivotBlog/pivot/entry.php?id=60#body
More on the misleading media campaign to declare the consent decree a success
http://islandfreepress.org/PivotBlog/pivot/entry.php?id=61#body
They sing false praises knowing that the NPS and the ORV public knows it is false. However, the remainder of the public doesn?t know any better and at the end of the day this is about public opinion.
And lets face it. The Enviromentalist are Gold Medalist in the area of swaying public opinion with half truths.
?more of the same old spin?I am sure the timing of the release is no accident either?after the comment period closes????
“Allow 100-foot ORV access corridors to Cape Point and South Ocracoke, subject to standard resource closures when shorebird breeding activity is observed.”?gotta love this too?.a total empty “olive branch” ?.fully knowing that those beaches will be shut down anyway..ie the Decree?.and why just Cape Point and South Ocracoke??what about the other areas?.probably don?t want to displease his honor and give any relief, albeit a farce, for the Oregon Inlet.
speaking of timing and ?coincidences? ?ramp 44 to Cape Point was just closed down?.gee I wonder?
Jersey Dave with one statement ?a total empty ?olive branch??you just described every jesture ever given by the NPS or the enviro?s during this whole thing.
I believe that this would all be different if the NPS would face the facts that they did not drop the Recreation Area from the name for truncating. Look up the qualifications given for a Recreation Area, We fit nearly every catagory. that means recreation before wildlife as intended originally (Per the NPS history) and that is why Pea Island was created to pacify the Eco?s of the day. People need to realize that 99% of people who drive a vehicle on the beach do so to get to the recreation and not to recreate!!!!!!
Oh and by the way Irene why is it that even when specifically instructed to use the full name of the park in formal documents the NPS cand the Enviros get away without it?
Ho hum.
?•Allow 100-foot ORV access corridors to Cape Point and South Ocracoke, subject to standard resource closures when shorebird breeding activity is observed.?
What is not said;
Bodie Island spit, closed (north side)
Hatteras Spit, closed (south end of Hatteras Island)
Ocracoke Island Spit, closed (north end Ocracoke)
So two 100 foot corridors that will close as soon as a bird scrapes a little sand is worth how much access?
Step up Derb, Walker, & Jason; tell the whole truth, not truth with holes in it.
When they say ?families?,they mean BIRD families-not human families?remember,Derb is a lawyer.
Glad I didn?t read the release on a full stomach.
Speaking of Hattaras Spit? why is it still closed. NPS report for the past few weeks? Hatteras Spit and the wash over? O, zero, zilch, nada, nothing in the way of PPL sightings let alone nesting. How?s that CD helping the return of the non resident PPL?s going there Judge Boyle.
It ain?t about the birds!!!!!
Irene
Speaking of “conservationists and naturalists” have you appreciated our latest slew of signs? They are a beautiful addition to our beaches and roads. How people must enjoy their visits to “signland.” Look to the left, signs. Look to the right, Signs. Stop, crawl to the top of the dunes and what do you see? SIGNS! Oh that the money spent on these paper signatures of the Park (service?) would be spent on people hungary for a job or even just a meal. We need to prioritize our directions and actions to the real need of the PUBLIC rather than to antagonize that Public.
By the way, there is a double row of SIGNS on the beach toward the point,aaaaaaaaaaaa
that?s closed now. Do you suppose that they put up a third row of SIGNS?
Would be interesting to get a signs per mile count on the beaches of HI.
I consider myself an environmentalist and I am an unabashed tree-hugger. But I find it incomprhensable that as hundreds of thousands of barrels of oil spew into the Gulf these groups expend this much energy fighting with lovers of the Outer Banks who have lived in harmony with nature for so many years. To Audubon, et. al, if you want my continued support (and contribution) expend your resources where it really matters.
George
These people won?t fight the oil companies because they won?t win. Dollar for dollar they don?t stand a chance and I don?t doubt that they get nice contributions from them.
Besides that, it is still not about the birds. They are just a means to what they want, control.
Actually, Hank and George, you may be pleased to know that Defenders and SELC filed a lawsuit just today in Alabama challenging the Minerals Management Service?s numerous and egregious failures with respect to the authorization of exploratory drilling operations for oil and gas leases in the Gulf of Mexico, including the authorization of BP’s Deepwater Horizon exploratory drilling operation.
Oil drilling and production could come to the coasts of NC and VA. The groups you now criticize are likely to be on the front lines of that fight as well.
JR, I hate to burst your bubble but I?m afraid that you and your friends will have to get in line behind all the groups and local governments on the Outer Banks who for years have been waging war to keep drilling off shore away from our coast.
And I think it is wonderful that Defenders and SELC have filed suit in Alabama but it is too bad you waited for a crisis to do so when it has long been accepted that such a castrophe would occur ? the only question left to answer was when. But it is easier to use such actions for fundraising and other promotional purposes when there is a crisis at the forefront and when such actions won?t irk as many politicians.
Actually, JR, I believe the question George had was about going after the HUGE oil companies. MMS is a government entity, part of Dept of Interior. If and when these groups win who do you think gets to pay them? Do you pay taxes?? I do!! Meanwhile BP, et al, will continue to make their billions in profits every quarter.
Mother Nature, thank you. I agree but the sad fact is there will probably be plenty of free flowing oil off our wonderful island in the not too distant future once this mess gets in the Gulf Stream. Worse yet, when it starts reaching the beaches we won?t be able to try to clean it up because we are not allowed on those beaches. Thanks SELC, DOW, AUTOBAN. Who ya? gonna sue then.
The following have OBPA 2011 Prize Calendars
Fishing Hole ? RWS
Blue Whale ? RWS
Hatteras Jack ? RWS
Frank and Frans ? Avon
Red Drum Tackle ? Buxton
Teach?s Lair ? Hatteras Village
Frisco Rod and Gun ? Frisco
Frisco Tackle ? Frisco
Tradewinds ? Ocracoke
mmmm bet the only public comment that gets followed up on will be the Alt D reccomendation
Something that all of us should remember, take to heart, and memorize completely ? the people haters will never consider this issue closed, whatever they get it will not be enough, not until every man, woman and child is removed from the islands, and then they will start on the mainland shore. These are the same type of people involved in “sensible”, “common sense” gun laws and confiscation schemes. Whatever they get is never enough, is never strict enough and never takes away enough, because it it ever is ENOUGH then their reason to exist goes away and the money dries us and they cant get rich off of duping their fellow Americans. They will lie, do fictitious research, pseudo-science and anything else necessary to keep up the fight. The solution ? fight for 110% reversal of their goals and accept nothing less!