Beach Driving Plan Still Lacking

Loggerhead Hatchling (Photo: USFWS)

The National Park Service has released a final Environmental Impact Statement regarding its plan for managing driving on the beaches of Cape Hatteras National Seashore. Unfortunately, the plan falls short of what the Park Service’s own biologists say is needed to safeguard the seashore’s wildlife, including nesting sea turtles and piping plovers.

Defenders of Wildlife and other organizations have been pressing the Park Service since 2005 to create a responsible beach driving management plan that will permit recreation on the popular beaches of Cape Hatteras while protecting the seashore’s sensitive wildlife. There’s no reason why the beach can’t support wildlife alongside with the thousands of visitors who travel to Cape Hatteras each year, says Defenders’ Jason Rylander:

“As demonstrated by record numbers of visitors and wildlife this year, it is entirely possible for Cape Hatteras to be responsibly shared and enjoyed.  We hope the Park Service’s final plan will strike an appropriate balance that meets the needs of the Seashore’s many users.”