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.