Controversy on the Outer Banks

We visited North Carolina's Outer Banks this past week. I was completely unaware of bitter battle raging between residents, mostly on Hatteras Island, and the National Park Service who manages Cape Hatteras National Seashore. Two years ago, the Audubon Society and others sued the NPS over failure to regulate ORV use and failure to protect several threatened and endangered species, including the American Oystercather, Piping Plover and various sea turtles. As a result of that lawsuit, the NPS has begun a process to regulate ORV use on the beaches. This includes closure of beaches to ORV in the vicinity of turtle nests. I viewed a map of the island called a "status map". It showed every known turtle nest. Apparently that map is constantly being updated. I was told that each nest is monitored by volunteers. During critical periods when eggs are about to be hatched, they are monitored 24 hours a day. The hatchlings make a mad dash to the sea, usually at night. They are easy prey for gulls and other birds. Tire tracks can make an insurmountable barrier preventing them from making it safely to the ocean. Additionally, nighttime driving with headlights disorients the hatchlings.

Due to the various beach closures, locals claim businesses are suffering. Fisherman still have 41 miles of beach to drive on but avoid areas with numerous closures. you drive down Rt 12 you'll see many homemade signs making reference to keeping the beaches open. the really nasty signs have all been removed. Earlier this year, businesses were refusing service to NPS employees and posting very pointed and unsettling signs. Rumor has it that a visitor to the area contacted the ACLU which advised the businesses that denial of service to government employees was a felony. This brought down many of the signs.