Race Point/Sticker Public Meeting

[Karl F]

The ORV subcommitte of the CCNS advisory commision will host a public meeting to gather input from the public as to how the sale and distribution of ORV stickers can be better managed by the NPS.
Wednesday, July 7 from 6:30 - 8 PM at the Province Lands visiors center on Race Point Rd. Provincetown.
Public meetings will be scheduled for August and September as well... no dates yet.

[fishweewee]

Effin' *BUMP*

[bassmaster]

Karl can ya pm Me when it gets close and would ya like to go wiff me?

[Karl F]

BM, yeah, got to try and do a shift change at work, so's I can go.
(I hate working Wednesday nights!!!!)
IF that flies, I'll go fer sure, and yeah, ride up in your truck with the sticker, and I'll bring rod and needles for after ?????

[bassmaster]

u can count on that
the ol lady wants to see the trailer trash can
Ya see it
wondering how old and bad it is if any

[Karl F]

Weeee thanks fer the bump.

BM, where U lookin' at trailer? If U ever want, I'll go lookin' at what your looking, I don't know all there is about 'em,but I've been doing this a while, might know a few things to look OUT for...
just PM me and I'm yours... uh .. for the lookin anyhoo

[BigFish]

Probably fish all day before and all night afterwards too!

[Backbeach Jake]

I'll see you there.

[fishermom]

Karl,
Due to a meeting on Thursday night I had to switch my schedule to Wednesday night !! Don't that just figure!! I would have ridden with you also! You are an awesome representative to be attending this meeting. Hopefully there will also be good representation from MBBA! Let us know how it all goes

[BigFish]

I will be there....MSBA and MBBA.

[Karl F]

Just got the word, shift change is a go, Iwill be there.
Wendy, I understand that Scott is going to go, and I am sure that Peter will go...
BigFish, I belong to them fine clubs too, but, knowing you will be inside, and your plug bag will be outsi---never mind

[JohnR]

Wish I could and help represent some of the "silent" masses but I've hammered the cookie jar pretty hard (that ans the 3 hr drive each way). Please keep us informed and I hope to attend one of the later Public hearings.

[Steve K]

Article in the Globe about this issue.


http://www.boston.com/news/local/art..._at_the_shore/

[Slipknot]

Maybe the government should close all roads since the pollution from the road runoff is killing frogs and other species.

I hate extremists

Go gettum boys and girls. Keep the beaches open, what little of it we have left. Thanks

[fishermom]

Steve,

thanks for the link to the article......

[BasicPatrick]

I wikll also be there as UMS Support for MBBA and as MSBA Political chair....

Say hello all

[bassmaster]

[Karl F]

BM, I hear ya... it does feel like you are banging your head against the wall.
They seem a little too married to the idea of leaving the cap in place, however it is early in the process, if it keeps being suggested, even though it would take a couple of years to implement, they would have to consider it.
Either way, I think the increases ($) in the annual will happen.

[Backbeach Jake]

The cap is set by Federal Law, as in Congress. That surprised me. My shocker was that they had no clue as to how many people were on the beach at any time. If you don't know that figure, how do you set a cap?

[BigFish]

I thought it was a pretty productive meeting overall....alot of good ideas were thrown into the mix and I thought all those involved on behalf of the National Seashore were truely impressed with some of the ideas. Hopefully, in the end, they will come to an arrangement that is, for the most part, beneficial to all. However, remember.....you can please some of the people some of the time but you can't please all the people all of the time.

[Karl F]

And WHAT were they implying with the "BEEFY FISHERMEN"



Off-roaders assail rules

By CONOR BERRY
STAFF WRITER
PROVINCETOWN - More than 50 people, from beefy fishermen to white-haired ladies, filled the auditorium of the Province Lands Visitor Center last night to offer their prescriptions on how to fix the Cape Cod National Seashore's annual distribution system for off-road vehicle permits.

The crowd, which hailed from Provincetown and Centerville to as far away as Key West, Fla., wasted no time offering its opinions. Suggestions ranged from giving first dibs to current permit holders to increasing the cost and availability of the finite number of stickers.

On April 10, the first day of ORV sticker sales, an estimated 2,000 motorists queued up outside the Race Point Beach Oversand Station, forming a 2-mile traffic jam down Route 6.

Ten days later, the permits that allow four-wheel drive vehicles, campers and mobile homes to operate on Seashore beaches were sold out, spurring complaints from those who couldn't obtain one.

The 10-day sellout of all 3,400 ORV permits was a Seashore record.

The first-come, first-served distribution system came under fire by some last night, particularly out-of-staters citing the difficulty of getting to the Seashore in person to get a sticker.

Acting Seashore Superintendent Michael Murray, Chief Ranger Steve Prokop, North District Ranger Craig Thatcher, the Seashore Advisory Commission's ORV subcommittee and other park officials listened for more than an hour, as audience members made suggestions, debated the finer points, applauded and hissed at various proposals.

Two more meetings are planned - one for mid-August and another for after Labor Day, Seashore officials said.

The Seashore will use public input from last night's meeting, the upcoming sessions, e-mail messages and letters to determine whether it should change its ORV permit policy. But one thing that's not likely to change soon, according to Murray, is the 3,400 permit limit. The cap is an established Seashore regulation, and it would take at least two years to amend the process, he said.

Don Nelson of Manchester, N.H., described many seasonal ORV permit holders as a "nucleus" of repeat customers who know each other.

In return for their many years of patronage, "There's no reason why we shouldn't get something back," said Nelson, who has used a pickup truck to go fishing on Seashore beaches for 31 years.

A seasonal ORV permit, good from April 15 through Nov. 15, costs $100. A self-contained vehicle permit, for campers or mobile homes, costs $150. Weekly beach-driving permits are available throughout the six-month season for $45.

One person suggested raising the price of seasonal permits, while making the cost of weekly permits "more reasonable," a proposal that received hearty applause from most in the audience.

A number of other options were discussed, from changing the start date for distributing permits to setting a cap on the daily distribution amount to allowing people to sign up for permits in advance.

(Published: July 8, 2004)



_____________

[Karl F]

article in the Cape Codder:
http://www2.townonline.com/brewster/...rticleid=36087

[BigFish]

Karl thanks for keeping us up to date....much appreciated!

[Bobbike]

Thanks for the link,,interesting reading

[striprman]

I think it would be best not to sell permits but to just drive there, and if the beach doesn't have the alotment of vehicles then you give them 10 bucks and then you go to the beach. Why do you need seasonal and weekly passes? Call them up, see how many vehicles are on the beach and if it is less than the alotment, then drive there, pay your money and go. Is that a dumb idea? Seems pretty simple. I know, you drove all the way from whereever to go to the beach and its full, if you had a sticker you could get on.
Well I think everyone should be allowed to go to the beach, not just ones with stickers. How about, you get to go to the beach...10-20 times a season, that way, everyone that wants to go can have a chance to get out there at some point during the season.

[Karl F]

The Seashore Advisory Commission's Off-Road Vehicle Subcommittee will host a meeting from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Aug. 14 at the Province Lands Visitor Center on Race Point Road in Provincetown.

The third and final public meeting on this subject will take place from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Sept. 8 at the visitor center.



(got your FYI fishermom... thanks , hope to see you soon, got to talk at you about something...)

[Sweetwater]

Originally posted by Karl F
The Seashore Advisory Commission's Off-Road Vehicle Subcommittee will host a meeting from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Aug. 14 at the Province Lands Visitor Center on Race Point Road in Provincetown.

Did anyone attend this meeting? If so, what types of suggestions or comments were put forth?

[Backbeach Jake]

Was there , was bacically a rehash of the first meeting. They'd taken our first suggestions and explored the legality of them. Found that mail ins were out. Gave preferential treatment. One day , 7 day and 30 day stickers were mentioned. Changing the ratio of short term to annual stickers seem to be the path. More short term at very attractive prices, say 20 bucks for a weekly and annuals at say 200 clams. It does make sense. Mind you, this is only a proposal and not etched in ink. We really could have used more beach drivers. Rangers nearly outnumbered us.

[BigFish]

Everybody likes to piss and moan Backbeach but nobody wants to do anything about it! I think they should give automatic stickers to those who have taken the time to go down there just for the meetings and give some input!

[chris L]

lowering the cost and raising the amount they give out on weekly permits I think is the way to go . I for one would give up my annual for weekly's .