Open Cape Hatteras

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alk747triodad

alk747triodad

SILVER Star
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https://forum.ih8mud.com/land-use/746170-action-needed-open-cape-hatteras.html

Since we are now officially signed on with the Blue Ribbon Coalition, will everyone take a moment and fire off a letter to their representatives. There is a highlighted link at the very end of the thread and it took me 60 seconds to fill in my info and press send. It automatically sends it to all reps based on your address. If all of ONSC would do this, we just might make a difference in getting this bill passed!

Kenny :beer:
 
Done!
 
Done, with a few added choice (but polite) words for my elected officials. Thanks for the link Kenny.

:beer: Ramon
 
Sen. Price's response - total BS:

Thank you for contacting me regarding access by off-road vehicles (ORVs) to beaches at the Cape Hatteras National Seashore (CHNS). I appreciate knowing of your concerns.

CHNS, the nation’s first national seashore, is managed by the National Park Service (NPS). Under federal law, NPS is required to develop a management plan for each park and seashore that balances the sometimes competing objectives of public access and enjoyment with preservation of wildlife and habitat. Federal law specifically requires the NPS to allow off-road vehicle use in some Park System units if it has been determined that that use would not adversely affect natural resources, and requires NPS to establish procedures for allowing such ORV use.

Despite efforts dating back to the 1970s, the Park Service was unable to finalize a plan for managing ORV use in the Cape Hatteras National Seashore until very recently. In 2007, the NPS instituted an Interim ORV management plan, however, this plan was challenged in court and was found to be deficient in protecting endangered wildlife that live in the park. Following this legal challenge, the NPS adopted a new court-approved ORV management strategy under a consent decree in 2008.

At the same time, the NPS undertook a multi-year negotiated rulemaking process to enable the agency to meet its legal mandate to develop a permanent ORV use plan. This process allowed various stakeholders to have input and help facilitate a consensus about management of the seashore. The final rule, which went into effect in March 2012, seems to strike a reasonable balance, providing access for ORV users as well as other visitors. It establishes both ORV routes and vehicle-free areas (VFAs) to help protect park resources and provides improved access to both with new parking areas, pedestrian access trails, and other road improvements.

Following adoption of the management plan, Rep. Walter Jones, who represents Dare and Hyde Counties in the U.S. House, introduced legislation (H.R. 819) to reinstate the 2007 Interim ORV management strategy. While I am sensitive to concerns about the potential economic impact of the final rule, there is no evidence that it has had an adverse effect. In fact, despite the fact that the consent decree and final rule placed certain limits on motorized beach access, the numbers of park visitors, piping plovers and turtle hatchlings have all increased in recent years. In the meantime, I believe it constitutes a fair approach to management of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore, and I do not support returning to a management plan that the Court has already deemed inadequate under the law.

I hope this information is helpful. I will continue to monitor the situation closely and hope you will keep in touch with your feedback and concerns.
Click to expand...
 
mtweller said:
Sen. Price's response - total BS:
Click to expand...

"the NPS undertook a multi-year negotiated rulemaking process to enable the agency to meet its legal mandate to develop a permanent ORV use plan. This process allowed various stakeholders to have input and help facilitate a consensus about management of the seashore. The final rule, which went into effect in March 2012, seems to strike a reasonable balance, providing access for ORV users as well as other visitors."

A plan that was forced on the citizens and visitors to OBX or the beaches would be closed to everyone! Total BS! :mad:
 
alk747triodad said:
"the NPS undertook a multi-year negotiated rulemaking process to enable the agency to meet its legal mandate to develop a permanent ORV use plan. This process allowed various stakeholders to have input and help facilitate a consensus about management of the seashore. The final rule, which went into effect in March 2012, seems to strike a reasonable balance, providing access for ORV users as well as other visitors."

A plan that was forced on the citizens and visitors to OBX or the beaches would be closed to everyone! Total BS! :mad:
Click to expand...

Not to mention the fact that the NPS dropped the ball twice - once when the park was established, and then again in the 70's when the President tasked the with submitting a long term plan - which never happened. That's why the door is open for all the tree hugging libs to shut down the beaches. It's hard to fight a multinational organization such as the Audubon Society that collects money based on a "Save the xxxxx" campaign, and the donations flow in like honey from people that have no clue - "why don't these lazy rednecks just walk to the beach like everyone else?" attitude.

:beer: R
 
Don't know if anybody caught this from the land use forum from BRC.

On June 18, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee passed S 486 "Preserving Access to Cape Hatteras Beaches Act." We are indebted to North Carolina Senators' Richard Burr and Kay Hagan for the leadership they have shown by first introducing the original bill S 486 and then by the enormous effort they and their staffs have put forward to arrive at a compromise that was supported by the full committee yesterday. The Senators understand the access issues for those who live, work and visit the CHNSRA. The Senators have fought for and are continuing to fight for a solution to these issues that will provide a proper balance between resource protection and recreational use at the nation's first National Seashore Recreational Area.
 
I got my answer today on H.R. 819--

Thank you for contacting our office regarding H.R. 819, the Preserving Access to Cape Hatteras National Seashore Recreational Area Act. We appreciate hearing from you.

H.R. 819 was introduced by Rep. Jones (R-NC) and referred to the House Natural Resources and House Judiciary committees. This legislation would authorize pedestrian and motorized vehicles access to Cape Hatteras National Seashore Recreational Area. During the 112th Congress, this bill passed the House, with my support, in the Natural Resources Jobs and Public Lands Package, which included 14 Natural Resources Committee bills. Should H.R. 819 come before the House during this Congress, we will support it.

Again, thank you for taking the time to share your views. Please feel free to contact our office if we may be of assistance in the future.

Sincerely,
(signed)
Howard Coble
Member of Congress
 
Yea now if we can get the rest of the country on board. Prob is the Eco groups have big money
 
Yes they are.

We are trying to roller skate uphill on ice here, while many different groups are rolling barrels down that hill at us.

the Greenies have this going for them. Everyone wants to "save" the environment at heart, I do, you do, we all do. What differs is the level of education on what exactly harms the environment. Off roaders, while everyone enjoys it while the take a jeep trip in Utah or the outer banks, are still a small percentage of the population.

So all green peace has to do is say hey off roaders are ruining the environment and show a few pics of giant tractor tired mud trucks whipping around in an ugly mud pit or a turtle on a beach that has been run over and most people will say sure i'll give you a few bux. Others donate for other reasons like save the rain forest or the dolphins but all the money sits in the same account. You can't pick and choose. I like a lot of what the sierra club does but I can't give them money to help protect things and then tell them not to use it to close of 14 miles of trail at Tellico (I know that was trouts unlimited) Which brings me to other groups such as hunting groups, trout unlimited and even, with the case of Johnson Valley in CA, the US military. All those groups have no real interest like green peace does but target getting off roaders off of their territory because it is an easy thing to do.

To fight this battle we would have to up the cost of trail access both to the Forest Service and to one unified group that can fight the battles. Another problem is that there is many off roading advocates groups. If there was just one huge one they would be able to fight battles better.

We also need to ramp up volunteerism. I don't think we do that bad with this at Uwharrie as we normally get all things needed done, but we are lucky here that Uwharrie is now the only public place in the state with real off road trails.

Then on top of that there needs to be a way to enforce kicking people that break rules (ATV, dirt bike riders that go off trail, or people spinning tire excessively with giant tires and causing massive erosion) That right there is a huge hurdle because the park service doesn't have the means to enforce this, to them it is much easier and cost effective to just close the gate for everyone instead of those that break the rules.


Down the road i'm sure there is going to be next to no off roading on public land unless a strong central unification it made and well funded.
 
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