Seashore tweaks beach buggy rules

[Karl F]

Cape Cod Time's Midday news

Seashore tweaks beach buggy rules.

SOUTH WELLFLEET - Beach buggy enthusiasts spoke, the Seashore listened, and the result is a tweaked off-road vehicle permitting process for 2005.

The changes are designed to reduce congestion and delays at the permitting station and provide easier, less expensive access to 7-day permits. There are, however, several fee increases for other off-road permits.

The park will be mailing out a newsletter this week to all 2004 off-road permit holders, detailing the 2005 permitting process.

Cape Cod National Seashore acting superintendent Mike Murray said he felt optimistic that the changes would be a "significant improvement" to the permit distribution system. In 2004, annual permits were sold out in ten days.

Three public meetings hosted by the Cape Cod National Seashore Advisory Commission's ORV subcommittee helped cook up the revised approach.

Annual off-road vehicle permits will go on sale at the Oversand Station at Race Point in Provincetown on March 30 next year, earlier than in previous years. The permit fee has jumped from $100 in 2004 to $150 in 2005, said CCNS Chief Ranger Stephen Prokop, and a maximum of 3,000 annual permits will be sold, a drop from the 3,200 available in 2004.

The number of annual permits sold will be limited to 150 per day and, as a result, will be available from March 30 through at least April 18.

The number of 7-day permits has been increased from 200 in 2004 to 400 in 2005 and the price has dropped from $45 to $30. Up to 50 percent of the 7-day permits will be available through an advanced sales system (at the Cape Cod National Seashore's Web site) beginning March 1, 2005. The remaining 50 percent of 7-day permits will continue to be available on a first-come, first-served basis throughout the season.

The annual self-contained vehicle permit will cost $225 in 2005, up from $150 in 2004.

Information about the permit process will also be discussed at the upcoming meeting of the Cape Cod National Seashore Advisory Commission, 1 p.m. Monday at seashore headquarters in South Wellfleet.

[TheSpecialist]

[Karl F]

I think.. the only thing I like, is that if you know you want a weekly, and you know what week, you can go and reserve it on-line... other than that, it's fluff.... theyw ere going to go to $300 for self-contained... they should have!

[Rappin Mikey]

Sea ya in line!

[ReelChitty]

Yeah freaking huge lines.

[bassmaster]

bull #^&#^&#^&#^&
so who is selling bootleg stickers?
put me on the list............

[Maloney]

Hey, for guys like me who fish down there mayby once or twice a year during long weekends or vacation, the reservation system offers some hope. As my wife would look at it, $ 30 for a weekly and $ 120 saved for female, girly type of stuff that I would be forced to go to.

Hey wait a minute, this sux!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Karl F]

[BigFish]

[Flaptail]

I guess I know when I will be taking a few days off in the spring. March 30th is a Wednesday, hopefully it will be snaowing like a bastard or pouring that day. Good thing I got those new ski pants. Gonna be cold.

[Karl F]

ya better go the 29th,,, see thats the plan... first 150 every day, rest get sent home... So, if ya get there about noon on the 29th, bring a beach chair, with the built in port-a-potti, you'll be OK for getting one on the 30th! see...they decided on doing ONLY 150 a day, so the stickers don't run out so fast... ain't gavahment smart!

[beamie]

Karl,

It is posts like this that make me glad I'm 95% boat and 5% dock fisherman. Though someday I wouldn't mind getting sand in my shoes.

[Karl F]

beamie

I'm drooling on a couple of possible Sea-Crafts... only down side, I have been told the boat fishing around here is almost as crowded and crazy as the beach fishing... and the wife would probaly give me the heave-ho, if I "arrived" with a boat behind my truck........

[ProfessorM]

I have been a MBBA member for about twenty years, #643, but I have not put a vehicle on the sand in about 8 years. I still renew every year because I belive in what the MBBA stands for, but the hassle of getting permits and not living on the Cape anymore has dampened my enthusiasm. I have become 80% boat fishing. Yes I do miss fishing out of my truck alot but you can still walk. And yes it is almost as much a hassle to fish from a boat around the Cape. You just have to go nights till around 11 AM. That way you avoid all the idiots on the water. P.M.

[Flaptail]

Got my notice in the mail today with an attached form to fill out and have ready with License, registration and 150.00 bucks. I guess they think this will help reduce time in line.

[macojoe]

I guess the state will figure out how to make a fun family thing into a huge expence!!!

Well I guess my new F150 will never have beach rust, sand blasted paint or a sand blasted windsheild!!
I am going to miss that smashing of the windsheild every other year!! Thats ghow offten I needed one

And lets not forget that funk smell from the wet waders on the seats! My wife would spry my truck with perfume all the time!

Well it was a great time while it lasted!! It will keep climbing you will see!!

They just don't want any one to do anything fun cheap any more!!