Economic impacts are not a factor for our Government, when it comes to Hatteras Island.

CHAPA sues over the fact that no real economic survey was done over “Critical Habitat”. The judge agrees and says, ‘Do It For Real’.

USFWS comes back with a report from a contractor who has never set foot on the Island and just quotes from Dun & Bradstreet national data trends.

And back to court we go.

Then there is the mysterious “Replacement Economy” that I kept hearing about in RegNeg.

I’m confused as to whether we are pursuing Physics, nature abhores a vacum or Hollywood, close it and they will come.

Anyone who thinks that the environmental groups give a damn is living a dream.
John Alley - 01 05 09 - 22:32

Sure this new "replacement" group will come if the ORVs are off the beach. Just look at how many "replacements" are "flocking" to Pea Island today.

Ted A. Hamilton
(aka Salvo Jimmy)
Ted A. Hamilton - 02 05 09 - 07:09

What happened to – THIS LAND IS OUR LAND , we tax payers are paying these enviro- nuts to take our freedoms away .

We just got back to MI. from camping for a week , seen all the new signs / beach pollution , NPS was real interested in our little dog , just think were paying these people to screw us.

To you locals , don’t give a inch , they will take a mile , look’s like there shutting down the OBX May to September , trouble is most people don’t know it yet .
bob kinzer - 02 05 09 - 09:01

This particular blog is excellent. It is the most detailed analytical reporting by any editor and media source that indicates the expanding costs and harm of the consent decree.

The consent decree and closures have no significant benefit to birds and has zero benefit to humans. Closures such as those around Buxton threaten a widespread increase in environmental degradation. The consent decree and the closure of the Point have created an “unhealthy environmental condition” of the highest order for the people of Buxton and Hatteras Island.

Let me explain what I have observed environmental health scientist for the past four decades.

Environment is the set of all conditions, including economic, that affect the life and health of living organisms, including humans. We primarly manage environments for the health benefits of humans.

“Health is the state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity.” (The definition is found on the charter page of the World Health Organization.)

A poor economy is always associated with poor health: human suffering—mental, social, and eventually physical breakdown.

The leading cause of poor health and environmental degradation/breakdown worldwide is poverty.

A negative feedback in environmental quality is always created in the face of poverty Always, the poor must defend themselves; they eventually resort to challenging rule of law, resorting to chaiotic behavior, and drawing down on or misusing natural resources.

With the poverty we see growing on Hatteras Island, there are dwindling financial resources/capital by which to manage or keep the environment in order. For example, consider the decline in tax revenues necessary to maintain waste management systems and infrastructure or the absence of private capital to keep built structures in repair.

The closure of the Point is not a public good; it is indeed a public nuisance.
Mike Berry () - 03 05 09 - 14:12

At long last the NPS is trying to see how important vehicle access is to the recreational area and local economy.

Ramp counters have been installed at various locations and I am glad for some real hard data.

The problem is that the data is being gathered under abnormal conditions.

The Consent Decree and economic conditions, have drasticly reduced the visitation. The data sample that will guide the NPS in it’s NEPA process is flawed by a short sample time and unnatural outside influence.

It reminds me of a term paper that I knew was due for months. The day before it was due, I locked myself into the library for 12 hours and managed to get a “C”.

I hate to think that after 37 years of denial, the NPS is going to turn in something just to get a passing grade from the environmental groups.

The history and culture of the Outer Banks, not to mention the entire American public, deserves more than a half hearted effort.
John Alley - 03 05 09 - 22:01

Irene, thank you for being so on top of this. My wife and I own two island properties (and stay in one fequently); we have been coming to (and loving) the Cape since at least 1975.

I am usually proud to call myself an environmentalist, but I am not an extremist. I served on my town’s Environmental Commission for three years, have substituted CFLs where feasible, reycle as much as they’ll take, and so on. That said, the behavior of the government agencies, the courts, and the megalithic environmental groups like Audubon has been frustrating and reprehensible in the case of Cape Hatteras.

To me, part of environmentalism – the biggest part – is treating the land and nature (including birds, fish, and animals) with respect, taking (and/or using) what we need and leaving the rest for future generaions, and maintaining a balance between mankind and all aspects. But the curent regulations favor only birds to the detriment of humans. True, there is no need for humans to ride roughshod over our land (or beaches), and appropriate access limits (which would be limited to true nesting and other fragile areas only) are appropiate. But wholesale closures such as this are not appropriate in my view, and seem arbitrary and excessively punitive to a population which has done nothing wrong.

At a personal level, our rentals have been hurt by the recession, and this has been aggravated by the beach closures. History has shown that the economic survival of the area depends on generous beach access. Even though my wife and I have rarely driven on the beach, we recognize its economic impact and social and historical significance; I’m sure the current generation forgets that until after World War II, driving on the beach was the only means (other than by boat) of getting around the lower Outer Banks.

My point is simple: responsible beach access must be restored for the economic well-being of the area and for the joys that it entails. Most true environmentalists who I know understand and strive to maintain a proper balance between mankind and nature. The current situation regarding beach driving is way out of whack. Let’s keep working and organizing to spread truthful information about this situation and the Hatteras-Ocracoke-specific conditions, with our goal being to convince new (and hopefully more enlightened) federal and state leadership to do what works best for this area and its residents and visitors who love it.
Paul in NJ (and NC) () - 04 05 09 - 01:33

My family and I will continue to camp on Hatteras Island, we buy groceries in buxton and also eat in buxton just so we can do our part to help small business. Hang in there and hopefully they will soon go back to the way it was before the tree huggers messed with stuff they didn’t need to. I believe beach goers did more for the environment than bird watchers. We always pick up litter and I never ever saw an ORV in the dunes bothering birds or anyother wildlife. Keep saying your prayers and keep the faith. We will see you at least 2 times a month.
Todd Springer () - 04 05 09 - 15:10

John wrote:

“At long last the NPS is trying to see how important vehicle access is to the recreational area and local economy.

Ramp counters have been installed at various locations and I am glad for some real hard.”

John, what makes you think that the NPS will use the vehicle counter data to keep the beaches open? Nothing I have seen the NPS do of late would indicate that to me:

It seems to me they relinquished their administrative authority to the rule of consent decree without much of a fight.

It seems to me they are quite content to continue to enforce consent decree resource enclosure vandalism rules that penalize the entire beach visiting public rather than just the vandals. (Two more vandalism incidents result in expanded buffers- http://www.islandfreepress.org/2009Archi..)

It seems to me they have only concern about creating dangerous access obstacles for park visitor to open beaches rather than working to provide alternative safe access such as trails or trams to open beaches. (Update on pedestrian access to Cape Point – http://islandfreepress.org/PivotBlog/piv..)

It also seems to me they are rather eager to ticket rather that warn in dealing with minor, inadvertent pre-nesting enclosure violations. (Teens may catch criminal record for fishing in closed beach- http://hamptonroads.com/2009/03/teens-ma..)

And they seem to me to be generally oblivious or unconcerned about how beach closures are currently impacting the local economy and welfare. (This blog article)

If they are really concerned about these issues, why have they not been back to court at every opportunity to try and sensibly modify the consent decree for the general welfare and safety of all?

No, judging from the above, my guess is they will use the vehicle counter data to further limit beach access, probably by limiting beach access to a maximum number of vehicles at any one time.
[OBXTraveler] - 05 05 09 - 10:20

I used to drive down from Suffolk two or three times a year to camp, surf, and fish. All the restrictions and changes have made it so difficult to plan, my last two outings have been to the mountains. I guess when the nesting warblers run us out of the mountains, we can sit home and play video games. That will save gas and make the Audubon bunch happy. That will also leave more fuel for them to fly to the Galapagos, rain forests and other nice places they can afford and the average fisherman or camper can not. Funny how the “naturalists” are often the last ones who should ever visit a place or the last ones who should build a house in the forest.
Andy Cain - 05 05 09 - 13:03

Come to Ocracoke! Only a small amount of our beaches are closed to vehicular traffic. If you do not drive on the beach, you could spend two weeks exploring all the open beach and not visit the same beach twice within those two weeks.
I LOVE OCRACOKE - 06 05 09 - 07:42

The counters are flawed on so many levels I cannot begin to tell you. Imagine what else triggers these things when ORV’s are not present. The false counts given could even show that plenty of vehicles access the beaches? I really love Ocracoke also but wait till the plovers show up then tell us how much is open to the public then. Economics of thousands vesus 100 birds? If the Enviros really think they are making a difference by thier attempts to fool mother nature then why are these birds not fluorishing on Pea Island which by the way has been ORV Free for the entire time the park has been open? If anyone can find an enviro to answer this please post it here or on Red Drum Tackles forums!!!!!!!!
Samsdad () - 14 05 09 - 11:55