Should beach driving be banned to protect wildlife?
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Ban beach driving?
Submitted by mwilliam on April 1, 2008 - 4:20pm.
current events | N&O
Know what you are asking
Submitted by Alexy (not verified) on April 2, 2008 - 10:20am.
I would ask you look at the lawsuit currently to be heard on 4/4/08 in Federal Court Raleigh NC. The suit seeks an immediate and total ban on traffic for the CHNS area. that means that a nest if located would close the beachdunes and area inland for 1000 feet to ORV AND PEOPLE. So you could not even walk on the beach. Read the suit and know what they are asking . This suit would effectively close the beach.
Keep Beach Driving
Submitted by Carol Garris (not verified) on April 2, 2008 - 10:43am.
Tina, there are a few facts that you stated incorrectly. First of all, the ban is not for a season, but for 3 or more years. Secondly, whenever there is a turtle nest the area is roped off and it is left undisturbed. I live down here and I have NEVER seen anyone disturb a turtle's nest. There are volunteers who ride the beach during nesting season looking for nests.
There are already bird nesting enclosures erected in the areas named in the article. They are roped off every year prior to any pre-nesting behavior by birds. In fact, there is a 13 mile refuge that does not allow any beach driving on it. By the time you take in all of the permanent and temporary closures erected, we really don't have many places left to drive on the beach and fish.
They want to close it 12
Submitted by John Benson (not verified) on April 2, 2008 - 2:23pm.
They want to close it 12 months of the year, 24 hours per day. There are presently many protections in place, especially for the turtles. All of us who drive on the beaches and fish, picnic, surf, court, etc love and protect the turtles and other animals visiting the beaches.
You are so
Submitted by Visitor (not verified) on April 3, 2008 - 9:43pm.
You are so wrong........humans do own the world........read the Bible.....God made the world and all in it to humans....and as for walking to the beach..get real lady....who in the heck can walk that far and long and carrying fishing equipment.......you say to share with all creatures?........lets see you build a house in the mts and try to share with a man eating mt lion......after he rips your ass apart and half eats you....then will you come to your senses and realize that man cannot share with ALL creatures......and that the beach belongs to all humans....not just birds...
It seems that Tina has never
Submitted by Visitor (not verified) on April 13, 2008 - 10:51am.
It seems that Tina has never visited the Outer Banks beaches in person. She would know that most fishing areas are not within walking distance, even if ample parking were available somehere.
Tina K
Submitted by Visitor (not verified) on April 13, 2008 - 7:38pm.
Tina, have u ever been to the Outer Banks? Do u know anything about this area? Have u ever surfed fished? Do u know what supports the local economy? Do u know there are no jobs but the ones the locals provided. Do u know how many places are ran by the families that live at the Outer Banks? DO YOUR HOMEWORK BEFORE u make comments as u did!!
Just the facts please
Submitted by Elizabeth Doyle (not verified) on April 2, 2008 - 8:07am.
The surf fishing industry is what supports Hatteras & Ocracoke Islands in the spring & fall. Eastern Surfing Association (ESA) holds its competition at Cape Hatteras in the fall. The closure would NOT be for 3 months only.
This is a complicated case, compromise is what's needed. Federal lawsuits waste everyone's time, energy & money. In all the years we have driven ORV (off road vehicle) on Hatteras & Ocracoke I personally have observed some of the best stewards of the Outer Banks. Picking up others trash, safe speeds, staying in the ruts & avoiding roped off areas.
How many of you like to turn a dog loose on the beach when nobody is around? Have you noticed that dogs just love to chase birds? Over the Easter weekend the birds were more harassed by off leash dogs than by ORV usage which is driving above the birds feeding zone. Please inform yourselves! It has nothing to do w/ us versus them. We're all in this together...
Beaches
Submitted by Visitor Joe Bough (not verified) on April 2, 2008 - 9:15am.
Keep the beaches free and open! There is enough room for all of us>
Prevent and Protect, But Don't Prohibit
Submitted by Caitlyn Haase (not verified) on April 2, 2008 - 9:34am.
What fisherman fishes just 3 months out of the year?
One way to get some facts would be to visit the Outer Beaches Preservation Association site: www.obpa.org. Take a minute to look at the beaches that would be affected as well as how many areas are already preservation sites on Hatteras Island. While I agree that stricter laws, better vigilance, and education/awareness of this important issue is needed not only to prevent reckless driving on the beaches, but also littering and general human impact, prohibition of ORV access is not the answer. The proposed legislation would force both fishermen and beach-goers into tiny, confined areas neither would be able to fully enjoy. (You can't swim in a sea of fishhooks. You can't fish if the fish are scared off by swimmers.) As you can see, such legislation more importantly could cripple a very fragile, very lucrative economy for the state and could ruin OBX residents' livelihoods. And not only that, but it would also restrict access to the number one beach in the U.S.: Ocracoke.
Ban Beach Driving
Yes, it should be banned. The beach is the turtles nesting ground. It will not hurt humans to walk for 3 months out of 12 to set up their fishing gear. This is comparable to putting a house in the middle of a highway and raising kids.
When will humans realize that they do not own the world? Until we share will all creatures, there will never be peace.