August 2008 Letters to the Editor |
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New Letters to the Editor....08.25.2008
9:00 am
The public’s business should be public (In Aug. 18 editor’s column, “Shooting the Breeze,” on front page) Thank God for freedom of the press, and thank you for keeping us informed about all issues affecting Cape Hatteras and Ocracoke. Keep up the good work! Mary Breeden Virginia Beach, Va. Government operations must be transparent. You and The Island Free Press should be commended for your actions in reporting the facts as they become apparent. Tim O'Neill Severna Park, Md. Oh, how I like this paper. Folks out there don't know how good they have it. Good job again. Mike Berry Chapel Hill, N.C. I want to thank you for your continued unbiased coverage of the beach issues and can only wish that it will continue unabated. Many times this year, I have been asked by locals and non-locals where they could get all the information on the issues and have been very happy to refer them to this Web site, where all the truth is in one place for them to peruse. While it appears that Superintendent Murray is caught between a rock and a very hard place, it is indeed refreshing to hear him iterate such. We now know where the current administration stands. We can all be thankful that it will end soon and perhaps a breath of fresh air will permeate the land. Lawrence Cullen Frisco I agree wholeheartedly--public means public. Kudos for publishing the data. Ginny Luizer Buxton I couldn't agree with your more! Karen Hall Glen Allen, Va. Keep printing all the information. It is the only way to find out anything. We would not have known about the issue of want to close Ocracoke’s South Point for good, probably because they don’t think anyone will say much, but they may get surprised. We are all in this together, not to trade off one spot for another. Ernest Doshier Ocracoke More Beach Access Issues So very sad. This is what the National Park Service has become -- a caretaker for the birds and turtles. Excuse me, but it wasn't to long ago when NPS focused on its original intent, that of being a recreational area for this country's citizens. Campgrounds were full, and Cape Point was open year round. When you saw a ranger, usually the topic of conversation was, "Are you enjoying your park? Have you caught any fish?” Unfortunately NPS is going the way of this country – green and to the birds. Thank you so much EPA, Al Gore, and Nancy Pelosi. Jim McFarland Goodview, Va. As sad as it may be, I am beginning to think that we may lose the right to drive the beaches that was promised when the park was set up. Reading the letters from Goodwin, Westervelt, Alderman, and Wright (Letters to the Editor, Aug. 18) tells me that they are all right in some sense. Isn't it funny that there keep popping up reasons to keep the best areas closed -- an unseen bird here, a hidden nest there? Mr. Alderman is right about the rabid organizations want to take it all away. They don't care what it will do to the people on the island or the thousands who come there. They want to lock it away from those bad people that they see as infesting the area. It was tried with other national parks when the closed and refused to fix the roads in the parks out west. Without visitors they can say, "See. People don't really want to see this anyway, let us close more areas." That is why the most popular areas are closed the longest - to drive people away and say it wasn't really popular after all. It seems that even as close as Richmond, Va., is to the OBX, it is really a non-issue to our media outlets here. The way to change that is to do something media worthy. The Park Service isn't going to help, so why not make things a little more interesting. Follow Martin Luther King and the other social change notables and use "civil disobedience" to attract enough attention to affect change. Do not mistake this for a call for vandalism or individual action that will get people arrested for serious crimes, but for marches and protest that is organized and thought out. The "Please Help Us" message from Cape Point was a good start. The fishing rods in sand spikes by the virtual fence was cute, but not visible enough and not newsworthy enough. If you want a national response, you have to get national notice. Politicians do not usually work for the greater good of the public unless is politically expedient to do so. Sen. Dole didn't help with the bill to set aside the consent decree out of the goodness of her heart. She did it because it may help her get re-elected. Let us find ways to make it politically expedient to help the islanders rather than cave to the rabid bird people. Equate the plight of the OBX with what was done to the Native Americans - treaties broken, people lied to, people disenfranchised. Bert Smith Richmond, Va. Turtle nest vandalism Hopefully, this vandalism was just a one-time malicious and uncaring act. Before the "consent decree," I had never heard of so many nighttime accidental or "on purpose" incidents happening to the birds or turtle nests. Most damage was usually caused by storms near or far. I happened upon a 2008 Myrtle Beach tourist book (at a customer's home), and they tell tourists there to walk on the beach at night and just to watch out for loggerhead nests and, of course, keep lights out on the beach from May to October. I know you can't drive on the beach there, but the damage on Hatteras was done on foot. What makes the Hatteras turtles require buffer zones and not Myrtle Beach turtles? There must be more power, clout, or talking money down there. You reckon? Jill Marshall Ashland, Va. I can't believe that people can hate and be so ignorant. It's such a shame. The Outer Banks are feeling the downside to over development. Nigel Saylor Kitty Hawk I feel that we the people who live here have been punished enough. Ramp 34 just opened, and now my husband and I can sit on the beach. He can’t walk far in the sand, and Ramp 34 is the closest to us. The locals know and like the turtles and have never bothered them before. I think some of the visitors are really mad. Some had no idea how much beach was closed. You can not get the reality of it by reading the Park Service Web site. They say all this beach is open and it does not add up. Pat Conley Avon This type of action sickens me! This is exactly the type of behavior that I would hope no Island Free Press readers would ever engage in, so I realize that I am probably "preaching to the choir." This is a shameful act, violating nature and bringing more problems for those of us trying to preserve our beach access. Shame on you if you are responsible for doing this or anything similar to it! It is up to all of us as individuals to educate beach visitors to stay out of the closed areas. It is vital to the nests and vital to us and our enjoyment of this beautiful beach. Nancy Johnson Zebulon, N.C. Guest Column: Bring back the night sky I completely agree with Joy Crist about the light pollution occurring on Hatteras. Residential security lights are another problem -- the ones that go on every night at dusk and stay on until dawn. Replacing the old style "barn" fixtures that scatter light out and up into the sky with directional "cobra" fixtures and flat lenses would help keep the light directed downward and not into neighbors' houses. Ask your electric cooperative about that possibility. Liz Browning Fox Chapel Hill, N.C. We first arrived at the Banks with a couple of sleeping bags and camped from the back of a pickup truck. As time went on (and my back wore out), we moved into beach houses. I've seen many, many changes, but one of the most dramatic is the loss of the stars. I live in rural Pennsylvania, and there is not much competition for the night sky. But I never saw anything like the natural night lights of the Outer Banks. Turn off your lights and witness a miracle. George Kulakowski Punxsutawney, Pa. My husband and I refer to ourselves as "locusts," half local, half tourist, who do not rent out our home, plan to retire in Avon in a few years, and spend the entire summer here. We can relate to "Bring Back the Night Sky" because we are surrounded by rental homes where the outside lights are left on all night. We purchased room darkening blinds for our bedroom and the room where our little grandson stays because two neighboring high intensity lights thwarted our attempts to sleep. The nearest house has an outside switch, so I have sneaked over and turned it off in the middle of the night, praying that no one decided to let their large dog out at that moment. The large yellow Wings store is a monstrosity, and I will never patronize it. I shudder to think it may be a portent of Hatteras Island eventually looking just like Nags Head, Kitty Hawk, and Kill Devil Hills -- with or without the four-lane highway. We applaud all North Carolina recycling efforts, but wonder why the state doesn't have a bottle law. In Massachusetts, the 5 cent deposit on cans and bottles curbs litter and provides income for Boy Scout troops, school groups, etc. who have regular can/bottle drives. Patricia Crist Wales, Mass. Screening of ‘Nights in Rodanthe’ I have had more fun telling family and friends that I was in a movie with Richard Gere and Diane Lane, even showed off a little bit with my dance scene on the pier. Hope I wasn't edited out, but, even so, what a great experience. Pat Piland Kitty Hawk Remembering Carey LeSieur Sandra, that was a beautifully written article, and the event itself looked like a lot of fun. Thank you so much for doing this in honor of my dear, dear friend. I love to think she is still affecting people in a positive way. Did you have any dreams where she dropped a few hints that you might want to try it, oh, "this way" to “make it better?" I have those dreams, and she is usually right. Oh, okay. Always right. Cecily Patterson Portland, Ore. Sandra (and Dr. Bentley) Crabtree are to be congratulated for their efforts in establishing the Carey LeSieur Foundation. And we have just read the article that Sandra wrote for your paper. It’s so wonderful to know that our daughter was so well thought of. Our many thanks go to all those who participated in the fundraiser to make it such a success – financially, as well as fun. Marie and Claude LeSieur Lewes, Del. New Letters to the Editor....08.18.2008 9:30 am Negotiated rulemaking and ORV access proposals Those of you who read about the proposed routes and areas, particularly that of the beach access group, need to keep in mind that what is presented is a preliminary proposal. The full committee has not yet seen these proposals. They are for discussion purposes only. I must take Island Free Press to task for publicizing both of these proposals. Since neither of them have been presented to the full subcommittee, much less the full committee, the publication of these proposals is premature, to say the least. They are a work-in-progress and should not be taken as precisely what is or is not going to be considered in the negotiation process. Dave Goodwin Buxton I have studied the recently published (www.islandfreepress.org) rival proposals for ORV and pedestrian access to our beaches, and must hope that they merely serve as starting points for discussion. The suggestion that the process may be choosing up factional sides and, in the vernacular, is willing the throw Ocracoke and our South Point "under the bus" is chilling. This must not be permitted. It is rumored that "Ocracoke doesn't care." While no one person can speak for Ocracoke, I believe this to be quite incorrect. Ocracoke has sharply limited resources for waging war on this incursion, and depends upon Hyde County government in such circumstances. Our outnumbered voices must not be misconstrued as surrender. Any enthusiast of Ocracoke, and Hatteras, knows that the repression of local and tourist access to our beaches has already gone too far. We are being confronted by fanatics interested not in the protection of a few small creatures but in their wielding of power with the help of a government too long overly sympathetic to their entreaties and money (See, for instance, bridge replacement, oil drilling, and nuclear power). One of our weaknesses may be the scattered nature of our protests, which appear as commentary and letters to numerous bulletin boards and publications. This "chatter" (and I use the term not to demean but to describe), is largely "preaching to the choir." If focused on persons or agencies with authority to remedy the problem, the chorus would be deafening. It has become clearer that we are fighting against both known and unsuspected bullies. Keeping this in mind, it would be wise for us to remember to keep our friends close and our enemies closer. Do not resign from the skirmishes, but direct protests to those who can be useful. Fred Westervelt Ocracoke With every passing day, it becomes more apparent that Defenders of Wildlife and the National Audubon Society want to make Bodie, Hatteras and Ocracoke islands a wildlife refuge. There is no data to support their requests for year round ORV closures anywhere on these islands. I hope the people who enjoy these areas and who have tried to have a positive outlook on this plight will take notice of this report and get upset enough to get involved, because if they don't, then all they know will be lost forever. I can no longer support the negotiated rulemaking process, If these are the long-term demands from the environmentalists, I encourage all beach access proponents to back out now from NegReg and save themselves for one final stand in the court of law. I cannot see how any man or woman who is a friend of any of these islands could possibly negotiate or decide at a table which beach stays open and which beaches are closed. Rob Alderman Buxton It appears to me that the environmental groups have specifically chosen the most popular areas for beach access as the ones they want banned, expecting the ORV users to be satisfied with the "crumbs," as beautiful as they might be but still more difficult to traverse. And, as I have said in other comments, what consideration is being given to access to the public (if we can call it that) beach for the handicapped? Without ORV access, many handicapped people will be completely unable to utilize our national seashore. Jeanie Wright Chesapeake, Va. Thank you, Irene Nolan, for another great article! The Island Free Press continues to provide the facts to all who are following the beach access issues. I would like to inquire if it possible for someone to start reporting on the NegReg. meetings? I have found some info on the National Park Service Web site, but it is not up to date. Thank you again for the best source of information regarding our beach access struggle. Malcolm Watts Chesterfield, Va. (Editor’s Note: There is no one currently available to report on the negotiated rulemaking meetings full time. We will attend meetings and report when we can and keep up with major issues. Other reports appear on the message boards of various fishing sites. Check our cyber Guide to Hatteras and Ocracoke islands on the main page to check for some boards.) It looks like there are very well informed and dedicated people on these important committees. Other than this wonderful E-paper and all the various links, some still don't get all the information. I went to ARRAS the other day and they are getting info to trail riders as they are being shut out of their space also. All areas of the negotiations look promising and above all, fair! I will continue to spread news and Web site locations wherever I can. Stand tall and stay strong and united. Jill Marshall Ashland, Va. Beach Access Issues It would be nice if all the rental and realty groups would give incoming renters and prospective clients a copy of the new ORV information brochure. Many of the folks coming down for vacation are not aware of the new regulations and may find themselves breaking the new rules for the beach. The more folks who know, the better. Betty T. Russell Martinsburg, W.Va. We just returned from 11 days at Cape Hatteras. It was, as always over the last 25 years, beautiful. We were fortunate enough to be there after Cape Point opened back up. This trip was the strangest experience ever though. It felt disturbingly like a police state. We got caught up in two road blocks coming off the beach, which included both the Park Service and the North Carolina State Police. The Park Service was cruising and watching the beaches constantly. Beachgoers were shouting to each other, "Here they come again!" We had to rush off the beach at 9:30 p.m. after grilling hotdogs and making s’mores with our kids because of the curfew. We are law-abiding citizens who absolutely love Cape Hatteras, but it made even us paranoid. It's a shame. It took away from the historically calm and relaxing atmosphere. To their benefit, the rangers were always very pleasant, and I'm sure just doing as directed. But it was like living in the fish bowl. We actually started to wonder what the "greater cause" is down there. Does it really have to do with turtles and birds or is it an even bigger issue that no one knows about yet. On a brighter note, we spent as much money as we could to support the local businesses down there and loved seeing these people, as we do every year. We will continue to pray for the island. It needs it. The Everette Family Mechanicsville, Va. I will be coming down the end of September and the middle of October. How can I help? I love the Outer Banks and have been surf fishing for over 25 years. How can we work together to keep the beaches open? Jack Jefferson Durham, N.C. (Editor’s Note: If you want to help with beach access issues, go to the Web site of the Cape Hatteras Access Preservation Alliance, http://www.capehatterasapa.com/) Glad to see someone (Lawrence Cullen in letters of Aug. 11) had a response for Mr. J. Baemel from Ohio. Perhaps, Mr. Baemel needs to stay in Ohio. R. Leland Georgetown, S.C. Sea turtles nesting in record numbers This is an interesting, descriptive article. A friend sent me the article, and it is as if I am on the beach watching the whole process and wanting the babies to get to their destination. Rachel Porter Granite Quarry, N.C. Turtles, eggs, and nesting: A simple primer I thoroughly enjoyed Jeffrey Golding's turtle primer! It answered a lot of questions that I didn't know I had. Karin Brian Coatesville, Pa. Very good article. Well written and informative. Thank You. Edward Lippincott Belmar, N.J. Guest Column: Bring back the night sky Welcome fellow star-lover. You are not alone. Among other things, try this Web site, http://www.darksky.org/mc/page.do .It belongs to the Dark Sky Society and can help you work with your local government to solve this problem. Please note that I didn't say "fight" or "fix." You are not embarking on a war or quest, but an educational experience for local government to help you find your sky again. Start with your neighbors and help them shield their lights to cut down on sky glow in the neighborhood. Talk with the owners of the store with the bright lights. Explain how much they can save if they just turn the lights out when they go home. Be their friend, not their enemy. Volunteer to show anyone the beauty of the sky from a dark area. A turnout between Buxton and Avon is good. I am a yearly visitor to the Cape Point Campground and have spent many hours marveling at the clarity of the southern Milky Way visible from that site. Sometimes after a storm, the air is so clear that it seems you can reach out and touch the asterism that I call the Fan in Sagittarius. I have gotten many mosquito bites because of this, but still I will look for many minutes every night it is clear. You might also enjoy the Sky and Telescope Web page. They have a section on binocular and visual astronomy. Enjoy! Bert Smith Richmond Here, here, Joy. I really miss the dark ages of Avon. I remember it being so dark one evening in '81 that walking between our rental houses required a flashlight to see the road. The "night lights" have gotten so bad that we have even resorted to midnight raids to "unscrew" the evil floodlights left blaring. We now only rent park boundary homes. At least one side is in the shadows. When do the "shut off the lights" bumper stickers go into production? My only fear is that the dark might attract more plovers. Chuck Woodworth
Middleburg, Va.
New Letters to the Editor....08.11.2008 8:30 am Beach Access Issues
It was interesting to hear Derb Carter claim in his Senate testimony that he was at the Point just the Saturday before. I was with a group of about a dozen fishermen who set up at the ORV closure at the “narrows” early in the morning and stayed until it was late. Many of them are involved with negotiated rulemaking and would have known Carter on sight. Yet throughout the day, including many hikes to and from the Point, nobody ever saw him. The only possibility is that he was in the back of an ORV seen to be driven by another negotiated rulemaking committee member, which pulled up to the closure briefly and turned around. If this is true, then Derb’s "trip to the Point," just like his "points" made before the Senate, was stretched about a mile further than reality. He only made it to the “narrows.” Dennis Gray Dayton, Ohio In response to Mr. J. Baemel, Chillicothe, Ohio (Letters to the Editor, August 4, 2008): I am sorry your last visit to our islands left you with such a poor opinion of this region. We who live here think it is a small piece of heaven where we can live and enjoy and, yes, enhance it as its keepers. Perhaps if you would have been able to get around the myriad obstacles (signs, poles, string) on the beaches, you would have been able to photograph more of the species you appear to have missed, or perhaps you, unlike the birds, simply missed the areas where the different species have chosen to habituate. Others who live here can tell you the birds indeed are still here. I wonder what species you have missed? Could you be more specific, please. You complain that "some" businesses are complaining about open access to the beaches and accuse "him" of spouting "misleading statements." Have you listened to the statements of Derb Carter or Jason Rylander? Yes, sir, there are miles of beaches opened, but the problem is that there is no access to them because the closures (in most cases) are dune to water. What good to count a mile as open if no one is allowed to go there? In your view, you see the development as "staggering and disgusting." Perhaps your view was limited to the upper parts of the Banks, rather than the islands of Hatteras and Ocracoke. Did you realize you were able to photograph, to your hearts delight, in the one third of Hatteras Island that is called Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge? That is if "they" let you walk freely around. That’s right. One third of Hatteras Island already has been set aside as a full-time preserve. Where does man fit in to your pleasure? Surely, you would also like to preserve that precious species (human kind) now and for future generations! We hope you will visit us again and be able to roam and photograph all you will. That is why we are fighting for the rights of all individuals, even photographers, who want to be able to live with nature and enjoy all of its gifts. So, we battle on, in order to keep your beaches free, open, and accessible to all. By the way are there any piping plovers in Ohio? If not, why not? Lawrence Cullen Buxton The Virginian-Pilot editors are showing once again their ignorance of the facts and unwillingness to research the ORV issue before spouting off. My answer to that is to look for another big city newspaper when I return to my beach house this fall. Donald Delwiche Fairport, N.Y. This whole thing is playing out like a tragedy for all the surfers, surf fishers, and beach lovers who have treasured the access guaranteed when the National Park Service took over the islands. Fat chance of the "environmentalists" giving up their catbird seat. We will be on the islands next week (between the bird and turtle total beach closures) and I am going to kiss the sand at Cape Point. We have been ORV users in the Cape Hatteras National Seashore for 21 years, and if "the plaintiffs" have their way, no one will even be able to walk to the best waves, fishing, and shelling on the islands. Can't wait to see our friends at Tower Circle, Conner’s, and Natural Art. Jim and Paula Brown Baltimore, Md. While I welcome the re-opening of "some beaches," I can't help feeling as though a loaf of bread has been taken away and a slice returned -- and we're supposed to be grateful for that. Regarding turtle nesting, didn't that used to be accomplished by fencing off a few square yards around the nest and posting a warning sign? In 33 years of coming down here (and now being a homeowner) I never recall seeing any footprints in the nesting "reserves." So why now do whole beaches have to be closed? What's going on? I still think there's more to these closures than just a sudden heightened concern for wildlife by a bunch of out-of-control do-gooders. (And please, let's stop calling the "other side" a "special interest group." It maligns a useful term. A "special interest group" is, of course, a group representing something you're not into. So if you're for new roads and I want more trains, each of us is a "special interest group." Being part of a special interest group doesn't define the good or bad guys, only different guys. You get the picture, folks. But I digress.) I don't live here full-time, although I've already spent seven weeks here this year and have been an annual Hatteras visitor for 33 years. I'd love to see an individual or organization (probably local and year-round) with the history, time, connections, and willingness to investigate what's really behind these beach closures and why they're happening now. Ultimately, it must be about money or power -- these things almost always are. We need answers to "Whose money? And why?" and "What power is being grabbed? And why?" With those answers, I'll bet we'd go a long way to understanding this issue and knowing how to better combat it. One more thing: let's not blame the piping plover. This poor little bird has been the tool used to close beaches for various reasons up and down the East Ccoast, including Moonstone in Rhode Island and Great Point in Nantucket. As I have heard it, in neither of those cases have the plover populations increased substantially. I could be wrong about that, and I'd welcome a correction if one is needed. But I'm sure that the number of birds gained, if any, was hardly worth the trade-off in time, effort, energy, and financial and emotional expense devoted to trying to fight unnecessary closures. Let's keep up the good fight, lose the "poor us" mentality, and put our effort into discovering "the story behind the story." Paul Payton Frisco We just came back here to Maryland after our annual Outer Banks vacation. I was truly saddened and upset when we heard all the news about this horrible “consent decree.” After talking with some local business owners and friends we have made down around the islands in the 15 years we have been coming down, I became more and more outraged, as was my husband. I truly wish I could do more to help get the beach accessibility back for everyone, especially those of you who live there and we who love to visit! But I will tell you, I did come right home and wrote letters to both Sens. Dole and Burr and to U.S. Rep. Jones showing my support for the bills they want to pass. Faxed them out today! Again, I wish I could do more and I am glad for this site of yours to keep me updated! Have a great rest of the summer! Victoria Nash Smithsburg, Md. I concur that the results, as far as economics, will not show up until next year. While we will continue to come back simply because we have "islanders" who are family, many more will not. The Delaware and Maryland coasts and the northern capes had vehicle permitting in place years ago. Has anyone looked into why this has not been in place for Hatteras and Ocracoke? We have to pay the state a tax to fish. Why not a tax to drive on the beach, payable back to Dare and Hyde and Currituck counties for ramp/access improvements and upkeep? Just some musings from someone who has too much sand in his shoes to not keep coming back. See you in October. Richard Howle Richmond, Va. I have two weeks reserved this year and cannot get out of them, but next year I will think very hard about going if I cannot fish. That is over $4,000 that our group of eight will not spend there next year on lodging, meals, gas, and tackle. James Clark Richmond, Va. My name is Hal Lester, and my wife Robin and I own Finnegan’s in Buxton. Even as I sit in my office reading this article a customer has wandered in asking questions about the beach closures. They want to know what part of beach is left open? How long will it be closed? How did this happen? Who is responsible? And then the statement, “Well I won't be back.” We hear this every day. The numbers from The Virginian-Pilot on the economic effects of these closures are nothing but propaganda disbursed by an organization obviously in with the Audubon Society. Unfortunately, people read their lies and believe them to be true. We have cancelled our subscription to their biased paper. Perhaps someday they will lose 30 percent or more of their subscriptions and advertisers, and we'll see how they like it. Hal Lester Buxton I was a little surprised that the NPS backed the consent decree, but perhaps they don't want to go against others of their family in Interior and Justice -- Big Brother. It’s a shame its come to this. My only question is that I haven't read or heard if Mike Murray agrees with the consent decree. What did he say? Remember he went through all of this before with the interim plan-negotiating rule-making process at Cape Cod National Seashore Recreational Area. Mike Martin Avon I guess I am confused. I think that I have read it somewhere that these birds (the least tern, the piping plover, the oystercatcher) will only nest at specific locations along the Outer Banks of North Carolina with other colonies found in other states. It that is truly the case, why is that I have seen these birds in other parts of the state. Just tonight at my son's football practice, I saw at least two piping plovers on the ground next to new tennis courts that are being built at the sports complex. Also, this past spring I was playing miniature golf with my son, and at the 12th hole there was a "nesting" piping plover, complete with a clutch of eggs. It didn't seem to have a problem with the people who were there to play golf. So if these birds can "only" survive at the ocean's edge why is it that I see them in other parts of the state some 300 hundred miles away? Sounds to me like someone is piping a little too much plover. A sound case cannot be made for closing of any beaches along the Outer Banks if the nesting practices of these birds are the only criteria. To find them in places other than the beach area, such as the Piedmont or mountains, would make their argument null and void. David Cheek Clemmons, N.C. The guy who spotted the chick on Ocracoke Point - did anyone search him for a shoebox or cage? Just asking. The other thing is what about some bypasses around the turtle nests? Where is it written that there can only be so many ramps onto the beach? Bert Smith Richmond, Va. We have just returned from a two-week stay at Myrtle Beach, Morehead City, Nags Head and Buxton. My sons had been surfing the Outer Banks for three weeks, and I met them and surfed as well. We really noticed the lack of people in Buxton, Frisco, Hatteras, and even Ocracoke. The beach closures really are affecting the economy. This is the first year in 30 years we said the heck with fishing. The beach closures have really affected the good fishing spots. It was very strange to come over the bridge and not see any trucks at Oregon Inlet. I hope we are able to get things back to normal soon. Where have the eastern North Carolina representatives been in all this? By the way they need to also pave Highway 12 and replace the bridge. It is a crime people are not realizing what a gem the southern part of the Outer Banks is. Mark O’Ravitz Scottsdale, Ariz. A tribute to the stupidity of closing the beaches to off road vehicles. I had plans of selling a property that I own in Virginia and purchasing two properties at the Outer Banks before this ridiculous closure to ORVs. Yes, that one point has changed my mind. I surf fish. I'm not walking out to the surf. I'll find some other area to invest in. Ferd Berferd Sterling, Va. Vote to help the Bodie Island Lighthouse Any time a wonderful structure such as a lighthouse can be restored or kept for others to enjoy is a great achievement. Wanda Martin Keswick, Va. Diving on German submarines Jordan Tomberlin's article on the NOAA-led expeditions to survey the three World War II German U-boats off the Outer Banks was excellent. I appreciate her mixture of personal observations, based on sailing with our team 40 miles into the Atlantic Ocean, and the historical information she provided. We look forward to working with her on our next expedition. Dr. Timothy J. Runyan Manager, Maritime Heritage Program NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries New Letters to the Editor....08.04.2008 9:30 am Beach Access Issues – Senate hearing The National Park Service has finally revealed its true colors. It's been my opinion over the past several years or so that the NPS would rather not have people on the beach. Almost all of the actions of the NPS seem to be anti-people. The good people of Hatteras Island who are dealing in good faith with the NPS may have been deceived. John Winnicki Frisco American government was created for the people, by the people, and of the people, but apparently that concept no longer exists. The well being of the people on Hatteras and Ocracoke islands and the economy of these islands have become obsolete. Birds, with thousands of barrier islands to nest on, have been given priority. What a very sad state of affairs! Lynn Jordan Salvo Shame on the National Park Service! This is just another example of the crazed special interest groups having more power than the citizens who live, work, and try to survive in what is a special area of our country. I just wonder if these special interest groups will work as hard if offshore drilling is done. Pam Thomas Alexandria, Va. Now we know why the National Park Service rolled in court. They were ordered by the Department of the Interior. Derb Carter should be made to take a lie detector test. Great testimony by Warren Judge. Jim Weston Avon This is great and very timely. You appropriately lead with what may have been the biggest surprise (perhaps the only) in yesterday's hearing. Keep up the good work. Chris Nowak Wake Forest, N.C. Unbelievable! The NPS/DOI bites itself in the (leg) to the favor of SELC, which continues to spin lies and deceit through its mouthpiece, Derb Carter. Please, Lord, don't allow our congress to fall for this blatant trickery! Hawk Hawkins Mechanicsville, Va. The report on the Senate subcommittee hearing is very interesting, complete and to the point as usual. At least now the traitor reveals himself and shows what side he is really on. I sort of wondered about the lack of resistance, in court, by the Park Service, to the idea of closing the beaches. I mistook it for the usual federal incompetence rather than what it was -- collusion. It can be very useful in a legal proceeding to have an ally on the opposing side who will lay down on command and play dead. Lies and pseudo-science aren't questioned, outright impropriety is ignored, and there is no one to cry foul when your opponent is your friend. There has been a trend in recent years for people of the rabid sort to infiltrate agencies given stewardship of our parks and public areas, so that they could influence policy away from the stated purpose of these agencies and toward a more "people hating" way of managing. If an area becomes too popular, find a way to drive those people away. If something is well funded and supported by the people, find a way to get rid of that support by making them hate the agency that supervises that area. We are working on that same idea here in Virginia with the VDGIF where they are taking away our shooting ranges and talking about charging us to use the wildlife management areas our tax dollars have already paid for. I suppose that there is no one in the Senate who is surprised that the interested parties in the consent decree were ambushed and made party to a travesty because they couldn't stand the idea of having the beaches closed completely. People who are drowning will clutch at any straw that floats by, if straw is all that is there. If you make them a party to the travesty you accomplish two things -- get them off your back now and keep them off because you can't appeal a decision you were a party to without looking like a fool. Here is another dirty little secret -- the same group responsible for saving your birds is the one prompting the massacre of raccoons, deer, feral cats, foxes, and all other predators that nature has put in place out there to keep the rest of nature in line. That’s right folks. The defenders of animals are promoting the slaughter of these animals to promote the nesting of these birds. Last dirty little secret -- there are many areas, marked on the Google map, as being open, but inaccessible, because of small closures on either end of the area. There are several places where this does not have to be. A good example is South Beach. There is a road that leaves the east end of the Frisco Campground that goes to a water tower and from there to the beach. This bypasses the turtle nest that is causing the full beach closure, but is not being used. Why? The road that ran parallel to the beach, south of Cape Point Campground, used to continue on and come out a couple of places on South Beach. Why isn't that being used? Why aren't new ramps being opened up to bypass small bird areas, instead of closing whole large sections of beach? Oh, yes, I forgot, the most obvious answer to all these questions is that we have a traitor in our midst who is helping chase away all these bad people. Keep fighting, chipping away at the lies and the deceit, ignore the critics (they ignore you) and fight for what we believe is right. Bert Smith Richmond, Va. More Beach Access Issues This is in response to a letter from P. Wolf from Kill Devil Hills (Letters to the Editor, July 28, 2008). You seem to speak with forked tongue. Quote from your letter: "Basing decisions on how to manage Cape Hatteras on the desires of a handful of special interests would be a disservice... " That is exactly what has happened with the consent decree. A handful of special interests (DOW and Audubon) have overridden with the consent decree a lawfully developed plan (Interim Plan) that complied with the law. The hammer they used was basically a legal/administrative technicality -- a final NPS plan that was approved at lower NPS levels never got an approval signature at the director level, even though the plan was in use for nearly 30 years. Thus the lack of a signature allowed a handful of special interests to dictate how to manage the seashore. Ted Hamilton Salvo This note is in reply to a letter to the editor posted on July 28 By P. Wolf of Kill Devil Hills. I have read your letter with great interest and was disappointed to find contained many inconsistencies. I indeed share your concern for the beauty and preservation of the environments of Hatteras and Ocracoke islands. I live here! Most of us down here can certainly empathize with you about the promises of the government. We are, as your people were, being betrayed by the authorities who create and "enforce" the law. Your people had their treaties betrayed, and we have the official creation of this national recreation area being betrayed at this time. You see, the only law we are discussing is the one passed by Congress to create this place of national rest and retreat. Presidential orders are just that, decrees by one person for whatever reason he sees fit, with or without the will of the people being considered. Worse than that, the will of an activist federal judge is certainly a far cry from the sanctioned acts of Congress. You claim that the majority of visitors are guilty of desecrating the beaches. Really? It has been my experience that the "majority" of the people who use our beaches are conscientious and strive to keep these beaches cleaner when they came. I can't remember when the Audubon, Defenders of Wildlife, or Southern Environmental Law Center have sponsored a general beach cleanup as the others you have mentioned do at least once a year. It appears that they feel a "clean-up" is the keeping of the beaches free from human use. The majority of the people are good folks who need the beaches better patrolled by those who are supposed to do that, rather than place strings and signs all over the place to "protect" its beauty. You state that the rights of the animals are God given. I agree, but man was given dominion over the animals and needs to use discretion in that charge. Where were the Audubon, DOW, and SELC when scores of God's animals were slaughtered in the name of preserving some nests? Perhaps they choose to defend only those animals that suit their agenda. In conclusion, an answer to your question: There is absolutely nothing wrong with defending wildlife. I know of no group that does not profess to want to have the beauty that surrounds us preserved. It is the ones who act out that calling who should have the day, not the lawyers sitting behind their desks spreading half-truths in order to pursue a hidden agenda. I am afraid it is not working. The rumor has it that the net gain was three (piping plover) chicks fledged at the cost of tens of thousands of dollars spent by the Park Service -- that’s yours and my tax dollars -- and uncounted losses by local businesses. The interim plan worked much better with less expense than the plan placed by the Audubon, Defenders of Wildlife, SELC, and Judge Boyle. Lawrence Cullen Buxton I have been coming to Hatteras Island for 28 years. This year we brought 22 people with us. A big draw for us is surf fishing from the back of our ORV. If you don't think that 22 people bring a lot of revenue to this resort area, then you need to think again. I am extremely frustrated at the naturalists who have gotten this decree and have taken control of this national resource from the Park Service where it belongs. This decree needs to be reversed! Because of this decree, I will no longer support the Audubon Society. I will be searching for political causes to support that will reopen beach access to everybody. Rich Stevens Annandale, Va. About the Guest Column by Jeffrey Golding on passing legislation to overturn the consent decree: I am going to join the Audubon and tell my representatives back in Ohio to vote against this. Also, want you to know I didn't give any of my $3,000 in tourist dollars to businesses displacing this "Save our beaches" propaganda! Does your site actually agree with the stuff this guy is belching? John Baemel Chillicothe, Ohio It is great urgency that I write because I fear I have a unique perspective that most people close to the issue of beach closures on the Outer Banks do not have. No, I have absolutely no ties with any wildlife organizations, but what I saw happening to the Outer Banks will prompt me to join as many as I can. You see, I have only visited the Outer Banks two times in my life -- once in July, 1986, as a young newlywed, and once again in July of this year. Let me say that the difference in the two visits in terms of the reduction in wildlife (namely bird species) I was able to photograph was pronounced and astonishing. What made it more disturbing is the lengths that the business owners in these communities along the Outer Banks are organizing against the beach closures that aim to reverse the reduction in bird population. In some instances their slogans were downright misleading. Save our beaches? These establishments were merely trying to play on public sympathy at the expense of wildlife habitat. I, for one, visited your state in both instances because of the diverse habitat the Outer Banks presents the wildlife of the region. The level of development that has happened in the 22 years since my last visit is staggering (and disgusting) to say the least. The northern towns in the Outer Banks area are starting to rival the Myrtle Beach, S.C., area in terms of commercial development. Does this country really need more putt-putt courses? Does your state not place value on preserving wildlife habitat for future generations to enjoy? Some should explain to your whining business-owners and self-preserving special interest groups that there were still miles of beach that remain open, regardless of the closures for nesting birds and sea turtles. Once these species are gone as a result of human activity, they will not be coming back. One only has to look back a scant 90 years to the passenger pigeon. Once numbering in the billions in 19th century North America, they were hunted and poisoned to extinction by the early part of the 20th century. Do we really need another extinct species as a result of human mismanagement? John Baemel Chillicothe, Ohio I live in Salvo and walk the beach every morning. The only ATV that I see is from the Park Service. Is it possible that a Park Service employee drove over the nest that was vandalized south of Ramp 23? Frank Jakob Salvo The consent decree is having dramatic impact on Cape Hatteras National Park usage Park visitation down 20% year to year! Dave County Taxable Revenue down 16%! The impact of the judicial consent decree that limited beach access at Cape Hatteras National Seashore is having a major and direct impact on park usage and the local economy. According to National Park Service information, total visits to the park were down by 144,548 visits in June, 2008, or over 20 percent. Total visits to the park have declined by almost 15 percent for the total year. (1) According to the North Carolina Department of Revenue, the state taxable revenue reported in Dare County in the May period declined by 16 percent ($11.8 million), compared to May, 2007. For the same period, Hyde County revenue was down 15 percent. During the same time period, taxable revenue for the state of North Carolina was flat. (2) Walking and ORV beach access are major attractions for visitors to the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. The unnecessary limits put in place by the consent decree are now having a dramatic impact on the park usage and the local economy. • June Park visitor access downs 20.92 percent • June Park Service campground usage down 24 percent • Vehicles on Bodie Island down 27 percent in June No other national park in the area experienced such a significant decline. Visits to Wright Brothers National Memorial are up 8.26 percent year to year. (3) Visits to Blue Ridge Parkway National Park are down only 3.7 percent this year. (4) Sources (1) Cape Hatteras National Seashore Monthly Public Use Report, http://www.nature.nps.gov/stats/viewReport.cfm (2) NC Department of Revenue, Monthly Sales and Use Tax Statistics for the Fiscal Year a. http://www.dor.state.nc.us/publications/monthlysales.html b. Dare County Taxable Sales: May 2008 = $64.2M, May 2007 = $76.1M. (May data reflects sales primarily in April, which was the first month of ORV and beach walker restrictions .) (3) Wright Brothers National Memorial Monthly Public Use Report http://www.nature.nps.gov/stats/viewReport.cfm (4) The Blue Ridge Parkway National Park Monthly Public Use Report http://www.nature.nps.gov/stats/viewReport.cfm Stuart McRae Cary, N.C. I do not see where driving on the beach at night is a big problem. The incident of vandalism were was most likely young kids out of school for the summer who were most likely driving impaired anyway and never even saw the bird closure signs to begin with. I have been a surf fisherman since I was 6 years old on Hatteras Island and have been driving everything from cars to two-wheel drive vans on the beach for the last 25 years and have never once gone into a bird area, driven on dunes, or even built a bonfire on the beach. That is one activity that should be banned altogether on Hatteras. I sure hope that the NPS can keep the beaches open to us responsible people. By the way, I really feel that they should go to a surf fishing vehicle permit rather than have the beaches open to the general public. James Dorn Corapeake, N.C. I accessed your site from a "Save Our Beaches" flyer I received while on vacation in Hatteras. My family has been vacationing there annually (sometimes semi-annually, if we are lucky!) for almost 10 years now. I am a bit of a "greenie" but certainly believe in moderation and cooperation in terms of environmentalism and conservation. I feel that the closures on the beach are perhaps misguided or over-reaching, although the thoughts behind them are somewhat reasonable. We certainly need to do our part to protect the seashore and the ecosystem that it is a part of. However, careful and planned use of this resource can certainly result in public access and wildlife preservation. So, I wanted to send in a brief e-mail to sort of "state my point" but also to ask if I need to log on to a site some where to "cast a vote" or make my point heard. I figured you may be able to help me get there. I realize I am only one of millions of folks that use the beaches (and use them responsibly, for that matter!) but believe in taking the time to make sure your voice is heard. Too many times we all sit back figuring that the "right" thing will happen and that there will always be a happy ending. We figure that some one else will send the email, write the letter, pick up the loose end. So, I wanted to be sure that I actually took just a few moments out of my day to let some one else know that I support wise use of the beach and that our access should be allowed in well-thought and eco-friendly ways. Thanks for taking the time to read this and please remember to point me in the right direction so that my voice can be heard with the others. Ryon and Jen McKinney and Family Dayton, Tenn. (Editor’s Note: Groups that are supporting free and open beach access have a petition that you can sign electronically. The link is http://www.gopetition.com/online/18790.html You can also send letters to your senators and representatives. All you need to do is supply your address. -- To send a letter to the Senate and the House from the standpoint of maintaining access for you as an angler, http://capwiz.com/asafish/issues/alert/?alertid=11572071 -- To send a letter to the House from the standpoint of maintaining access for you as an ORV user, http://www.arra-access.com/campaign/nc_hatteras_access?rk=H7Ax84pqqitlE You can also send your opinion to the superintendent of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore, Mike Murray, at mike_murray@nps.gov.) |
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