ORV and Plover MTG Scheduled

[Skitterpop]

Vehicle/plover update scheduled in seashore
PROVINCETOWN - Here's your chance to pipe up on nesting plovers, road closures and the whole summery snafu in the Cape Cod National Seashore.
The National Seashore has scheduled an "Off-Road Vehicle Plover Update" public meeting from 10 a.m. to noon on Dec. 9 at the Province Lands Visitor Center in Provincetown.
The goals: discussing how management of the Off Road Vehicle (ORV) corridor may be improved in the future when closures are necessitated by piping plover activity, and seeking possible solutions from the public. Earlier this year, all vehicle access to the Cape Cod National Seashore's eight-mile off-road vehicle corridor from Race Point Light in Provincetown to Longnook Beach in Truro was temporarily closed to protect the plovers, listed as threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act.

[JohnR]

I simply cannot make it out there that day. Can we get a list of people that can go that day and represent the ORV Angler?

Also, can we get the offical position of MBBA and other local clubs on these meetings?

Thanks!

John

[gone fishin]

John and all that have interest in this situation, The MBBA is actively
Involved in this situation. I am a member and can tell you that the MBBA is doing all it possibly can to gain more access to the beaches. The organization has obtained legal aid in the fight to save our access to the beaches of MA and will have representation at the meeting.
This access is not only for the ORV people, but is affecting those who walk on to fish and enjoy our resources.
The legal aid is not cheap and a couple of plug makers are considering a way to raise money for the aid. Perhaps there are others on this site that could come up with a fund raising idea also. This matter is not only the ORV users problem, but will effect all fishermen eventually.

Some info is available on the MBBA message board..............
http://www.mbba.net/message.htm

[Swimmer]

Good luck at the meeting.

[jkswimmer]

Hopfully the meeting is productive, I will try to attend.

[jkswimmer]

This past Spring and Summer, in compliance with a myriad of Federal and State rules and regulations, the Cape Cod National Seashore closed an overwhelming majority of it’s beaches to over sand vehicles in order to protect nesting and fledging piping plovers. The positive of this was the chicks were protected, while the negative was the business impact of these closures on local tackle shops, motel, condo and cottage rentals, restaurants etc. In light of this, representatives of the National Seashore met with various town governmental groups and held a Public Meeting on July 18th . Per Superintendent Price, “I am interested in hearing from folks that were impacted by the closures. I am hoping that the meeting will help assist seashore managers, off-road vehicle users, and the community to work together on this important issue.” Since that time the Seashore has been exploring various options and will be holding another Public Meeting on Sat., Dec. 9, from 10:00 a.m. to noon at the Province Lands Visitor Center on Race Pt. Rd., in Provincetown. Input from this meeting will be reviewed by the Seashore’s Off-Road Vehicle sub-committee, who are charged with presenting recommendations to the Cape Cod National Park Advisory Commission at its meeting on Dec.15. Please note, most ideas or recommendations presented will probably still have to undergo additional reviews by various Fish and Wildlife Agencies. It is critically important that all persons with opinions and ideas on this topic attend the Dec.9 meeting to ensure their voice is heard. If you cannot attend and wish to provide input, please send your e-mail to both me at rich@NelsonsBaitandTackle.com , and to Cape Cod National Seashore Superintendent George Price at George_Price@nps.gov, .


This comes thanks to Rich at Nelson's

[JohnR]

JK - I'm merging the two threads and leaving this pinned to the top of the board - thanks!

[fishonnelsons]

Thanks for the special attention to this topic. We need as much input, voices, letters etc. to this issue as possible. The key is we recognize the laws which protect the plovers, but insist their are options available to the Seashore Supt. to provide alternate access "on a temporary basis" when the plovers nesting areas combine to literally close 95% of the beaches to ORV access.

[BasicPatrick]

FYI my S-B friends. MBBA has retained the services of a major DC Law Firm to assist with a strategy to improve our access to CCNS at both the Backside and Nauset. This strategy has been made with realistic goals and input from some of the most knowledgeable experts in the pro-access community. MBBA made a commitment to fund this action all by themselves. This action will cost a minimum of $6000 and will most probably run much higher. At this past weekends meeting of the United Mobile Sport Fishermen held in NJ, (at which I was appointed Executive Director), the over thirty clubs from up and down the east coast realized the importance of this strategy and approved a donation of $2000 to assist MBBA in this endeavor. We, the local users, should really raise as much as possible to fight this battle. We, the recreational public, frequently loose these type of battles because we are outspent, especially in the legal department. I urge all groups, including this web/club/community, to do whatever fundraising it can in order to assist MBBA in representing our access interests. Also, urging towns like P-Town, Truro, Chatham and Orleans to do what they can to contribute to this effort is of the utmost importance. After this past election and with the current political trend in both USFW & NPS, we can count on a constant assault on our access to special places. The only way we can stand and fight to protect our access is by backing our community representatives (like MSBA, MBBA, UMS, RFA, etc.)

[Karl F]

Just a sampling of what we are up against:

http://audubonmagazine.org/features0...xclusives.html

http://audubonmagazine.org/features0701/incite.html

This is their mentality, and they have lots of money, lobbyists, and law firms.
We really need to unify all user groups, and fight as one.

[gone fishin]

Thanks for the info Karl.. It sure tells it as it is. 2007 summer is going to be critical. we will need all the support we can get.

[Maloney]

Karl, that article is an almost duplicate of what Mass Audubon published in that controversial edition of their Sanctuary Magazine back in the early 1990's about OSV access on the Vineyard and that blatantly propaganda photo of vehicles on Plymouth Beach.

[Karl F]

They stay on message all the time.. no deviation.
#'s & $.. and organization.. they have it down.
That is why I say Unity amongst all user groups is key on this, strong foe we are up against.

[jkswimmer]

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