P-Town Closures 6/11

[Slipknot]

From what Karl has told me it seems like an uphill battle to fight those bird/nature groups. Once they get off the endangered list maybe things will get easier but I doubt that since they will just manipulate the numbers most likely


here is the reply I got by email

Vehicle access to the Seashore's beaches has been temporarily closed to protect piping plovers. Plover management at the Seashore follows the guidelines developed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service and the Piping Plover Recovery Team in 1996. These guidelines call for vehicle-free areas to extend at least 200 meters on each side of a plover nest for the first week after hatching, and after a week, at least 100 meters around the brood until the chicks fledge. In some instances, based on the behavior of the chicks, the buffer may need to be expanded. Vehicle access was closed at the Race Point North and Race Point South accesses earlier this month when nearby nests hatched. This past weekend, nests adjacent to the remaining vehicle access routes along the Pole Line Road hatched, closing these access points to vehicles until the chicks fledge or move out of the area.

Vehicle closures on portions of the beach occur every year, but this is the first time all vehicle access has been closed. These closures are temporary, and will last only until plover broods fledge or when trained staff observe the brood a safe distance from vehicle access points for a period of time and don’t expect the brood to return. During the negotiated rulemaking that formed the basis of the park's oversands vehicle program, the parties involved agreed to avoid adversely affecting plovers by adopting the recovery plan guidelines. When we became aware of the likelihood of a complete vehicle closure, we asked for help from the US Fish and Wildlife Service to see if there was another approach that would provide some kind of vehicle access while meeting the negotiated rule's plover protection objectives. Despite our best combined efforts, no other option was available to us to get vehicles on the beach without substantial risk of direct harm to plover chicks.

We deeply appreciate everyone's patience, and we assure you that vehicle access will be restored as soon as it is possible to do so without harming the plovers. We have a legal responsibility for piping plover management and we have an obligation with the Off-Road Vehicle Community. We work very hard to accommodate access when we are able, and have to make hard decisions on closures only when required. We apologize to those who must change their plans, but hope everyone can understand the long-term benefits of this action. Current oversand corridor information is available 24-hours a day on a prerecorded message line and can be accessed by calling 508-487-3698. As soon as sections of the corridor reopen this message line will be updated.

----- Forwarded by Carrie Phillips/CACO/NPS on 06/13/2006 05:27 PM -----

Scottee Nista
To: Carrie Phillips/CACO/NPS@NPS
06/13/2006 08:40 cc:
AM EDT Subject: Fw: From ParkNet - beach access closures





Scottee Nista
Cape Cod National Seashore
99 Marconi Site Road
Wellfleet, MA 02667
(508) 349-3785 x202

[Pt.JudeJoe]

Why don't they pick up the nest and move it 200 meters back from the beach where people drive?

[ReelChitty]

Heading down to the cape in 6 hours looks like I better bring the walking shoes, what a load of crap who knew such a little bird could be such a big problem.

[backbeach]

"we apologize to those who have to change their plans" HAHAHAHA! right! Like they care that the vacation you bid and can't change months ago is out the window...all the preparation, investment, and hopes to have a decent family vacation are stuffed... Gee every year it closes earlier and for longer, hmmm these birds really seem to be struggling... Then when more of us give up the permits, they'll say; "Our studies indicate that there is a reduced demand for oversand vehicular access, therefore we propose to make the CCNS a bird sanctuary. If you want to go see the beach, join Mass Audabon, then pony up a daily fee to observe the guided tour from the misguided idiots that took the National Seashore away from us. I think I'll go into another sport with a brighter future, maybe hunting Buffalo on the open plains...what a crock of ... BTW have fun with your campers in the parking lots,MBBA and others who sold out to get the tin condos on the beach as a trade for miles of the most productive surf on the planet being padlocked....