Wildlife Protection on North Carolina National Seashore
Preserving wildlife and recreation opportunities on Cape Hatteras
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SELC’s efforts to rein in excessive beach driving have led to a resurgence of nesting shorebird and sea turtle populations on the Cape Hatteras National Seashore.
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Get the inside story from SELC attorney Julie Youngman. - Filed under: Coast & Wetlands
- Meet the attorneys on this case: Derb Carter Geoff Gisler Julie Youngman
Beach Driving on Hatteras
As many as 2,500 vehicles per day litter Outer Banks beaches during peak season. ©Sidney Maddock
Piping Plover Nest
A piping plover nest. Piping plover populations have declined 57% as beach driving has intensified.
Black Skimmer in Car Rut
Tire ruts trap young birds such as this black skimmer chick that are nesting or attempting to nest.
Black Skimmer
Only 2 black skimmers remain, a decline from over 300 eight years ago on Cape Hatteras.
Driving on the beach along Cape Hatteras National Seashore in North Carolina is a long-standing tradition among fishermen heading to remote spots to take advantage of the world-renowned surf fishing of the region. But it is a tradition that has gotten out of control, turning the beach into a virtual highway and putting wildlife and people at risk.
Species at Risk
In addition to fishermen, daily beach-goers are using their trucks and SUVs for convenient beach access. In their path are nests of shorebirds and other animals including the threatened piping plover and sea turtles, whose existence on the seashore is imperiled by hundreds of vehicles per day. As a result, these species have been declining at a rapid pace.
A Responsibility to Regulate
As stewards of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore, the National Park Service is charged with regulating beach driving. The agency is currently formulating future rules for driving at Hatteras. SELC and others are working with the park service to develop permanent rules that protect both people and wildlife. However, the park service admited it will take at least three years to complete a permanent solution. Scientists and other experts agreed that many species could be eliminated from the seashore in that time. SELC filed suit to ensure their survival.
A Temporary Solution
As a result of the lawsuit, SELC, our conservation partners and attorneys for the National Park Service, as well as local governments and recreational users of the seashore, arrived at a consent decree--approved by a federal judge in April 2008--that governs beach driving in the interim period. The agreement is now protecting wildlife at Cape Hatteras National Seashore while still allowing residents and visitors to enjoy fishing, surfing, beach driving and other activities. Wildlife on Cape Hatteras National Seashore is already showing signs of recovery after additional sections of the beach were closed in 2008 under the consent decree that provides additional protection.
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