Nauset News

[Karl F]

Fresh from CCtimes update:
(Knew it was coming, still sucks.)
Lower Cape beaches close to protect plovers

ORLEANS- In an unprecedented move,
many of the Lower Cape's ocean beaches are now closed to off-road vehicle traffic in order to protect the federally endangered piping plover.

Last night the town of Orleans decided to close its part of Nauset Beach, starting June 21.

For the first time ever, all vehicle access to the Cape Cod National Seashore's off-road vehicle corridor has been temporarily closed to protect piping plovers. Partial closures of the oversand route have been common in years past, but, as in Orleans this year, this time it's the whole enchilada.

The approximately 8-mile, off-road vehicle corridor runs from Race Point Light in Provincetown to Longnook Beach in Truro.

On June 7 Chatham police closed its portion south of Trail 7, also to protect the nesting shorebirds.

The roughly 8-mile-long stretch of beach in Orleans and Chatham is a mecca for thousands of beachgoers each year, most of whom drive there. The area is also home to more a dozen beach camp homes.

Parts of the beach usually close each year to protect the shorebird, but often there's a trail that ORV drivers can use to detour around the nesting plovers.

This year there are two piping plover nests located one-half mile from the Nauset Beach parking lot at the start of the off-road vehicle trail in Orleans.

The town says the piping plover eggs might hatch between June 21 and June 25 and the beach needs to be closed to adhere to state and federal endangered species laws.

The Orleans Park Commissioners last night voted to close all of that town's outer beach when the eggs hatch, estimated to be between June 21 and June 25.

The latest closure will be in effect from the time the eggs hatch until the chicks fledge, which normally takes 28-35 days. That means that all of the heavily traversed outer beach could be closed to vehicles through the end of July.

The town sells about 6,000 off-road vehicle permits each year to those wanting access to the secluded swath of beach. Those fees alone bring in more than $500,000.

It is likely that thousands of outer beach-goers from all across the country will be disappointed by this closure. If you bought a Nauset oversand vehicle permit this summer from the town and have an opinion about these developments, please call Times reporter Jason Kolnos at 508-916-0406 before 5 p.m. today.