Bill would restore full Hatteras access

Written by admin on June 18, 2008 – 9:28 pm -

Off-road vehicle access to Cape Hatteras National Seashore, now restricted to protect threatened shore birds, would be restored by bills introduced Wednesday in Congress by N.C. lawmakers.

The legislation was proposed by Sens. Elizabeth Dole and Richard Burr and Rep. Walter Jones, all Republicans from North Carolina. A federal consent decree that took effect last month has restricted off-road vehicle and citizen access to parts of the seashore at certain times to protect threatened piping plovers and other birds that are nesting there.

“The consent decree has once again shown that managing the seashore through the courts without public input is always a bad idea,” Jones said.

Burr, ranking Republican on a national park subcommittee in the Senate, said he expected that a compromise could be reached between people who need access to the shore “while at the same time addressing any potential environmental concerns.”

The National Audubon Society and Defenders of Wildlife had filed a lawsuit to protect declining bird populations from off-road vehicles because the park service hadn’t completed its obligation to develop a permanent plan for managing the problem.

Local businesses have said they are being harmed by the restrictions that have kept sportsmen and other visitors away. Article From Charlotte Observer

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