National Seashore Updates for the Week of November 16

From SamWalkerOBXNews.com A new report from the National Park Service ranks Cape Hatteras National Seashore as the 35th busiest national park in the country in 2024. And all three units of the Outer Banks Group of National Parks ranked in the top 15 for the number of visitors to their category of park. Cape Hatteras [...] Seashore News |  Full Article

The Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks and the Association of Park Rangers sent a letter on March 3 to Acting National Park Service (NPS) Director Jessica Bowron to initiate action in order to reinstate probationary employees who were recently fired. Bill Wade, Executive Director of the Association of National Park Rangers, confirmed that six [...] Seashore News |  Full Article

The North Carolina Beach Buggy Association (NCBBA) will hold its first Adopt-a-Beach clean-up of 2025 on March 22, and its first Adopt-A-Highway (AAH) clean-up of 2025 on April 12, and everyone is welcome and encouraged to participate in either event, or both. “Join the team – Be an active volunteer member,” stated the NCBBA in [...] Seashore News |  Full Article

Following the February dismissal of approximately 1,000 National Park Service (NPS) employees nationwide, coupled with a February 26 memo from the Office of Personnel Management on the National Workplace Optimization Initiative, questions remain as to how the NPS Outer Banks Group could be impacted in the future. Bill Wade, Executive Director of the Association of [...] Seashore News |  Full Article

Fort Raleigh National Historic Site (Fort Raleigh) has rescheduled its shoreline stabilization public meeting for 6 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025. Public comment on three preliminary alternatives for stabilizing approximately one mile of Fort Raleigh’s shoreline is open until Feb. 21, 2025, an extension of two weeks due to a weather-related public meeting postponement. Three preliminary alternatives are available for public comment in the Shoreline Stabilization [...] Seashore News |  Full Article

Outer Banks Forever, the official nonprofit partner of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore, provided an update in their January newsletter on the Jan. 7 fire at the Bodie Island Lighthouse’s Double Keepers’ Quarters. The organization noted that while remediation efforts were ongoing, the annual lighthouse climbing season, (which is scheduled to start in April), would [...] Seashore News |  Full Article

The Cape Hatteras National Seashore (CHNS) has reopened ORV ramps 2 and 4, most Hatteras Island ramps, and all Ocracoke Island ramps, according to a Thursday afternoon update. “After assessing conditions this morning at ramps 43 and 44, a decision was made to keep these two ramps closed to ORVs for the next 24-48 hours [...] Seashore News |  Full Article

National Park Service visitor facilities at Cape Hatteras National Seashore (Seashore), Fort Raleigh National Historic Site (Fort Raleigh) and Wright Brothers National Memorial will remain closed Thursday, Jan. 23. Fort Raleigh’s shoreline erosion public meeting, originally scheduled for Jan. 23, is postponed—a new date will be announced in the coming days. All off-road vehicle (ORV) [...] Seashore News |  Full Article

As a safety precaution, Cape Hatteras National Seashore has temporarily closed all ORV ramps due to difficult beach driving conditions. The combination of snow and sand has resulted in numerous vehicles getting stuck on Hatteras and Ocracoke Island beaches. At least 5-6 inches of snow fell overnight on Hatteras and Ocracoke Islands, and another half [...] Seashore News |  Full Article

Ahead of an impending winter storm, National Park Service visitor facilities at Cape Hatteras National Seashore (Seashore), Fort Raleigh National Historic Site (Fort Raleigh) and Wright Brothers National Memorial will close at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 21 and remain closed Wednesday, Jan. 22. Outdoor areas at the Seashore and Fort Raleigh will remain open. As [...] Seashore News |  Full Article

Fort Raleigh National Historic Site (Fort Raleigh) invites public comments on three preliminary alternatives for stabilizing approximately one mile of its shoreline. Public comment on the preliminary alternatives is open from Jan. 8-Feb. 7, 2025. Erosion along a section of Fort Raleigh’s shoreline poses a serious threat to potential archeologically significant sites and park facilities. [...] Seashore News |  Full Article

A deceased pygmy sperm whale calf was found washed up on the beach just east of South Beach Road in Buxton on Tuesday morning, January 7, at approximately 8:00 a.m. The whale was discovered by beachgoers who immediately notified the Cape Hatteras National Seashore (CHNS). CHNS personnel responded soon after the reported sighting, and removed [...] Seashore News |  Full Article