I have seen alot about this in the past week, but it has been suprisingly absent from the local media here in Virginia Beach. This is a REALLY BIG deal. This lawsuit will effectivly close Cape point and it surrounding areas, Hatteras inlet- north and south sides, oregon inlet- north and south sides, and ocracoke inlet- noth and south sides TO ALL HUMAN INTERACTION. This means no driving down the beach, no walking on the beach, and no fishing off the beach. This WILL crush the tourist based economy of the outer banks and many peoples lives will be negatively impacted from this. For those of you who dont know, this is because the highly endangered piping plover, a bird stupid enough to build its nest on the beach where predators like foxes and seagulls can eat its eggs and waves can wash away its eggs, has recently been spotted in a very few small nesting areas on the outerbanks. Their largesting nesting area in the world is actually on the roof of the food lion at a strip mall in nags head.
Well maybe they should build a few ocean front Food Lions instead of closing the beach.
I wonder if any one of these "smart" people have actually thought about the local economy? Really, what industries are on those banks that are NOT dependent on tourist dollars? If there's no beach (and essentially there won't be), what purpose is there for people to visit?
one way to help is to join the north carilina beach buggy assoc. www.ncbba.org only a few bucks a year and they send out letters to let you know what when and how to help. there also is the obpa outer banks preservation assoc. these two groups are the ones doing most of the fighting to stop this.
you think fuel prices are going to hurt your businesses wait until dad can't bring the kids and the wife down to go onthe beach while he is going fihsing.
Barry, you've got that one right. I'm waiting to book my week in Hatteras this fall until I see what happens with the hearing. If I can't drive on the beach, I'm not going, there's a couple grand out of the local economy. I'm sure many others feel the same way.
Personally, I blame the NPS for allowing this to happen BY NOT HAVING THEIR MANAGEMENT PLAN DONE. This gave those tree hugging vultures the ammo they needed to start this injunction in the first place. If I'm a judge, I'm ruling that the injunction be granted until such time as the NPS becomes compliant.
As a property owner in Hatteras I am embarased I have not kept up with the details of the pending lawsuit.
As I understand what is going on, the plaintiffs seek injunctive relief to stop off-road traffic on the beach. I am not aware of the lawsuit seeking a closure of the beach to human interaction as was reported above. Can someone please fill me in on this?
My understanding thus far is that the lawsuit is promulgated on the fact the the National Park Service has not developed an Off-road vehicle plan for the Hatteras Seashore and in absense of such a plan the beach must be closed of vehicular traffic. I am speculating that the reason the US Dept. of Justice announced it will not contest (defend the Park service) the suit is that as matter of law, the plaintiff's allegations are correct ( no plan is in place).? Is this correct?
Can someone also please provide a Reader's Digest version of:
(a) what descretion the Federal judge has in not granting the injunctive relief sought given other relevant circumtances (I suppose primarily the economic impact on the community and use by all citizens);
(b) Can the Judge find for the plaintiff's in part and reject in part by temporarily leaving the beaches open to off-road vehicles and Order the Park Service to come up with a plan in a predetermined time frame?
I know this is serious business and these ecomaniacs are using the plover as ammunition, but I would gladly move my ass out of the way if one of those tiny birds wanted to nest where my truck was parked. Where the hell has common sense gone to in this nation? I'm sure that the night time beach activity actually helps twart predation which is probably, no, most likely the problem. The park service should remove the raccoons that are out there. I bet that is 99% of the problem. Just get out of your vehicle at the cleaning stations and watch how many come running. Do the ecomaniacs have a study showing that vehicular traffic is the problem. I bet you could put a whole chicken farm out there and in one night they would all be gone.
rob alderman organized that meeting, and with all the fishermen that love to fish cape point, he got hundreds to show up in short notice, rob has done ALOT for the cause.
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