thought Cape Cod National Seashore is bad?

[2na]

look what these c suckers are pulling at beaches around the country. They don't want you to even leave a footprint. Unbelievable. And I thought that we were being singled out for special attention because we are in MA -


Summertime Blues
by Audrey Hudson



Planning a vacation this summer to Miami’s Biscayne Bay for a little fishing?

Think again, because the National Park Service wants to set aside a large swath of the pristine area as a marine reserve zone, so you might have to leave the fishing poles at home. And the boat.

Perhaps horseback riding is more your speed and the family plans to ride through California’s Sequoia or Kings Canyon National Parks? Sorry, but all of the permits were pulled for those activities this summer.

Or maybe you just want to lounge on the soft sands of North Carolina’s Outer Banks and read a novel, fly a kite with the kids, toss a Frisbee to the dog, and watch dad catch some fish?

No, no, no and no.

Beachcombers along specific stretches of those legendary shores are seeing signs telling them to leave their kites and pets at home, and to watch where they step.

“Leave no footprints behind. Walk in water where footprints wash away,” read the signs posted in February by federal officials.

Beaches that once welcomed fisherman to drive up to the water’s edge are also off-limits to the vehicles, and so is fishing.

These vacation destinations are all national parks that once encouraged such recreational uses and enjoyment but their new “no trespassing” attitudes have angered the local communities, and some in Congress as well.

In March, Rep. Walter Jones (R–N.C.) challenged the restrictions imposed by the beach signs, which were the result of battles with environmentalists to protect certain species.

The park service that operates the Cape Hatteras National Seashore pledged to replace them, and the new signs will read: “Walk near water’s edge. Stay below high tide line.”

Still not allowed: kites, pets, vehicles, or fishing. Sunbathing is permissible if you don’t mind getting hit by the waves every few minutes.

Beach access

“The federal government needs to remember that Cape Hatteras was established to be a recreational area for the American people,” Jones said. “But taxpayers can’t recreate without access to the beach. The goal of management ought to be a balanced approach between visitor access and species protection.”

Roping off national parks to the public and limiting opportunities for recreation, which in some cases were at the request of environmental groups, is a growing trend that lawmakers say they will examine during an oversight hearing of a House Resources subcommittee on April 27.

Florida’s Biscayne National Park is one of the largest urban recreational fishing and boating parks in the United States, but federal park employees say the coral reef is declining; so, boating and fishing must be restricted in certain areas.

Florida Republican Reps. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Mario Diaz-Balart and David Rivera are challenging the proposed rule, which would close off 20 percent of the park to boating and fishing.

“The park service appears to have decided that it knows best, and that allows it to ignore the public in the pursuit of its own notions of sound conservation,” a group of Florida marine and fishing organizations said earlier this month in a letter to the editor of Soundings Trade Only Today.

Companies fold and jobs lost

In California, Republican Rep. Devin Nunes says that by eliminating horseback rides to the backcountry, the National Park Service has essentially blocked the only access that many Americans, including those with disabilities and the elderly, have to wilderness areas. The new restrictions are the result of a lawsuit brought by environmentalists who say the activity may be a threat to nature.

Losing the permits means that at least 15 companies that provided horseback rides are out of work this summer, along with an estimated 500 employees.

“This is just another example of the Obama administration actively killing jobs,” Nunes said. “They have the authority to seek permission from the courts to put these folks back to work, yet they have so far refused to entertain the option.”

“Ironically, the Obama administration is pushing backcountry horsemen out of business at the same time it is urging Americans to ‘get outdoors.’ The White House could demonstrate an interest in protecting these outdoor jobs with a simple act,” Nunes said.

Nunes wrote to Interior Secretary Ken Salazar April 17 asking that the administration intervene to reissue the permits.

“The national parks are funded by these taxpayers who have the right to access these parks,” Nunes said.

A spokeswoman for the National Park Service said they have received Nunes’ letter but have not issued a response. They are also aware of the congressional hearing, but no testimony has been drafted.

A statement from the park service office in North Carolina said the new rules there “will protect and preserve the unique natural and cultural resources of this dynamic barrier ecosystem while permitting the use of vehicles on seashore beaches and provide a variety of safe visitor experiences while minimizing conflicts among various users.”

Additionally, the park superintendent of Biscayne National Park says that restricting fishing to 7 percent of that park will increase opportunities for snorkeling and promote a healthy coral reef.

“Biscayne’s coral reef is its Old Faithful, the signature feature that draws visitors time and again,” Mark Lewis said in an April 9 letter to Soundings Trade Only Today. “Let’s showcase the reef and make this the wonderful tourism destination it should be,” Lewis said.

Jones has authored legislation specifically to address the situation in North Carolina, which he says would preserve access to the Cape Hatteras National Seashore.

Jones’ bill tells Salazar that pedestrian and vehicle access for recreation should be restricted on small portions of the beach and for a shorter period of time.

Park service ‘heavy-handed’

John Couch, who owns the Red Drum Tackle Shop in Buxton, N.C. and is president of the Outer Banks Preservation Association, said the community supports protections for the birds and turtles, but that the park service is being unreasonable and “heavy-handed” by cutting off miles and miles of access to the beaches and the recreation it provides.

“Experiences that visitors expect are now closed off because of hugely excessive and unprecedented buffer zones that just closes off the beach,” Couch said. “These are immense obstacles.”

Couch says the restrictions have already proven to be bad for the tourism industry.

“These overzealous restrictions have taken a heavy toll on the tackle shop; business is off by 30 and 50 percent. It’s bad,” Couch said.

“On the other side, the environmentalists have good intentions, but this plan is not working. I’m suffering as a member of the business community. I have no expectation of what to expect,” Couch said.

“It’s fine and dandy to protect the environment, but at the same time we have a mandate to provide protection of resources, as well as enhance the future and present recreational opportunities. But that’s not what’s going on. Now it’s a single mandate which is to protect the environment,” Couch said.

Couch said humans are not the threat to the birds and turtles, but severe storms and predators such as foxes, possums, raccoons, otter, mink and nutria are its natural enemies.

“Man doesn’t have a hand in this,” Couch said.

During one outing with the Park Service to the beach to discuss the new human restrictions, Couch said he and others watched as a ranger pulled out a rifle and killed a nearby fox

“They shot the thing right there in front of us,” Couch said.

“We’re all for the birds and the turtles, but when government and pressure from environmentalists close down the beach access in an inequitable favor to these birds at the expense of the economy and the visitors, that’s wrong,” Couch said. “We can protect the birds and provide for the sustainability of the island community.”

“We’re trying to sell the beach, we’re trying to sell family fun, and all our visitors want to do is fish, sun, and pick up some seashells.”

[chathamblue30]

This stuff hammered the outer cape and all the business in the area as well. Driving the boat down the backside of the cape there are so few people on the beaches now. What a shame such a great and local resource is shut down due to parking or plovers or whatever other idea the nit wits can come up with. This is supposed to be a public resource not a public resource subject to restrictions created by self interest groups.

[Joe]

Go to the city pool in Fairhaven where the water was so filthy that a corpse on the bottom was not noticed for two days.
It's not a republican or democrat issue - it's an economic issue. People who can afford a beach house, don't want proletarian filth stinking up their view. The reduction of access has been diminishing through every administration since the 1960's.
It's down to the top few percent that can afford a beach house. If a lack of access to the general public, takes the local economy with it - they care as much as about that, as they do about the people in China handling poison to make Ipads, and the people in Thailand making sneakers for .30 cents an hour for the companies whose stock they hold.
Locals are one click above filth - good for cutting the grass and wiping some ass and not much else.

[Mike P]

Don't make me move this thread to the Political forum.

[saltfly]

Originally Posted by Mike P

Don't make me move this thread to the Political forum.

[likwid]

Originally Posted by Joe

Go to the city pool in Fairhaven where the water was so filthy that a corpse on the bottom was not noticed for two days.

Fairhaven?

Try again.

Anyhow, not like anything that happens in MA can compare to the imploding hilarity that is RI.

[Slipknot]

quote : " The new restrictions are the result of a lawsuit brought by environmentalists who say the activity may be a threat to nature."


Well I say that the Environmentalists may be a threat to my pursuit of happiness.

[FishermanTim]

Originally Posted by Slipknot

quote : " The new restrictions are the result of a lawsuit brought by environmentalists who say the activity may be a threat to nature."


Well I say that the Environmentalists may be a threat to my pursuit of happiness.

Environmentalists are becoming a threat to the natural order of the universe. Thy will stop at next to nothing to protect a species or a cause that is doomed to fail, all at the expense (meaning $$$$) of the taxpayers that have paid for the land ion question.

Get an amphibious vehicle, drive it up onto the shore (like on the shores of Normandy) and unload the loudest bunch of beach bums you can find. Since you didn't travel over the sand to get there, any complaints can be directed at the plovers 'cause that's the only thing that will care about the noise!!!

[Joe]

Originally Posted by likwid

Fairhaven?

Try again.

Anyhow, not like anything that happens in MA can compare to the imploding hilarity that is RI.

Sorry, Fall River

[zimmy]

9 Miles of the 72 miles of Cape Hatteras Recreation Area open to buggies as of last week. More closing all the time for "bird activity." No driving after 9 pm may to nov. That means enormous areas completely unaccesible at times and other areas permanently closed to people, in addition to the long established pea island sanctuary. It isn't a dem vs repub issue. Open access was supproted by dem administrations and the demise of access occured during rep. administrations. It is a threat to all of us. Right your reps. and ask them to support house res. HR 4094. I wrote mine. she never responded. One less vote for her.

[Joe]

Really think about the loss of access in the aggregate. Restrictions based upon resident only access. The b.s. privatization of roads that were built, plowed, and maintained by public tax dollars. The rise of exclusive waterfront neighborhoods without street parking. Nighttime parking restrictions for no real reason. Closures due to complaints by residents without evidence. The illegal blocking, or privatization of roadways leading to historical-right-of ways.
In the bird protection areas and the recent restrictions placed upon access to the National Seashore areas, sure they were the impetus. But how much of the striper coast consists of National Seashore?
To pin it on the environmentalists, and to paint them as the greatest threat, is a gross over-simplification of the issue in its totality.

[zimmy]

Originally Posted by Joe

To pin it on the environmentalists, and to paint them as the greatest threat, is a gross over-simplification of the issue in its totality.

Good point. It wasn't the environmentalists that took away most of the CT shore. In fact, as much as I hate the Audubon for their actions in NC, their sanctuary in CT has protected access that is partially lost to a" private road" and would have likely been totally lost otherwise. National parks and seashores have protected huge expanses of land for use by all Americans, while protecting biodiversity. Their is a powerful segment pushing to turn them all into preserves through bad science and that is a problem.

[Raven]

I am by no means an environmentalist. Let me make that perfectly clear.

I could give a Rat's ass about sea birds. I do like growing food because of the wide spread use of pesticides (read food poisoning) and prefer a Robin eating my bugs to using pesticides to kill them and to save money because of the rising cost of food. I have more than 30 robins in my yard at any given time.
That being Said... I have many letters to write now, stating that i have no intentions of setting foot in these States or spending a dime there....that prohibit fishing! beach access! or leaving foot prints in the sand.
Thank you 2NA for bringing this to my attention.

[zimmy]

Originally Posted by Raven

I have many letters to write now, stating that i have no intentions of setting foot in these States or spending a dime there....that prohibit fishing! beach access! or leaving foot prints in the sand.

Want to make sure you know it is the National Park Service, not the states, that are placing the restrictions in most cases. At least in NC, the state and local communities are getting hammered by the loss of business.

[Raven]

point well taken

[stripermaineiac]

Maybe it's time with all the budget cut backs to pressure doing away with some of these environazi positions . When rangers want to keep people out so they don't have to do their jobs they no longer need to have a job.

[zimmy]

Originally Posted by stripermaineiac

Maybe it's time with all the budget cut backs to pressure doing away with some of these environazi positions . When rangers want to keep people out so they don't have to do their jobs they no longer need to have a job.

I think the issue is very rarely the rangers on the ground. Rangers don't set the policies.

[2na]

the rangers have nothing to do with this. Rangers are the enforcement arm of the NPS and do not set policy. Believe me, most of the rangers feel exactly the same way that we do about these restrictions and the tyranny of the eco nazis.

The real fault of this rests at the feet of the unelected bureaucrats, the career hacks that infest our government. They are the true ruling class, because they set the rules and they are basically unaccountable - they never face election, and, unless they pull something like the head of GSA did with that party in Vegas on our dime and get themselves fired they are untouchable. These are the people who need to be stopped.

Just like my thread a week back about the NPS shutting down Hatches Harbor and Race Point - the head of CCNS, the federal area head of Fish & Wildlife and the MA head of Fish & Wildlife made the decision, without any public input, two days before the beach opened for the season.

This is not how it is supposed to be in America.

[Slipknot]

Originally Posted by 2na

Just like my thread a week back about the NPS shutting down Hatches Harbor and Race Point - the head of CCNS, the federal area head of Fish & Wildlife and the MA head of Fish & Wildlife made the decision, without any public input, two days before the beach opened for the season.

This is not how it is supposed to be in America.

Really???
they can do that? I don't see how they are allowed to do that

Names? addresses? Names of their bosses??? please

cowtow to the bird nuts great

[jonserfish]

I would get arrested daily!