N.C. lawmakers introduce bills to reopen Hatteras seashore to OHVs
Jessica Estepa, E&E reporter
E&E: Friday, March 8, 2013
North Carolina lawmakers reignited yesterday a long-running battle over beach access for off-highway vehicles with the reintroduction of legislation that would lift a ban on off-roading at the Cape Hatteras National Seashore.
The bill, S. 486, from Sens. Richard Burr (R) and Kay Hagan (D), would overturn the National Park Service's final management plan for Cape Hatteras that took effect in February 2012. A House Natural Resources Committee subpanel will consider companion legislation, H.R. 819, from Rep. Walter Jones (R) at a hearing next week.
At issue is the final management plan's ban on off-highway vehicles that is meant to protect wildlife on Hatteras beaches. The rule designates 42 percent of the seashore as year-round ORV routes and another 19 percent as seasonal routes. The rest of the land is off limits to OHVs.
Backers of the legislation say the OHV restrictions prevent public enjoyment of the seashore.
"Restricting [off-highway vehicle] use on the Cape Hatteras National Seashore negatively impacts local communities and the local economy," Burr said in an email. "We must not block our citizens' access to North Carolina's scenic treasures. I am confident we can come to a compromise that allows people to have access while at the same time addressing any potential environmental concerns."
Burr, Hagan and Jones are proposing to put in place an interim management plan that allows vehicle use on the seashore. It would boost visits to the area, they say.
"Our coast is a key part of North Carolina's tourism economy and a favorite destination for families from across the country," Hagan said. "I will keep working with Senator Burr to ensure that unnecessary federal regulations do not harm Dare County's economy, which is dependent on beach access."
The bill is identical to legislation introduced last year after the management plan was finalized. Neither the House nor the Senate version was ever brought to a vote.
During last year's hearing for the Senate version, Hatteras residents came out in support of the bill, while the Park Service and environmentalists argued the interim plan was meant to be temporary. The final plan takes a longer-term approach to the seashore's use, they said (E&E Daily, June 28, 2012).
Indeed, environmentalists yesterday came out again to oppose the bill, saying that in the year since the new rule went effect, local tourism went up, as did the number of beach-nesting sea turtles.
"Visitation is up, wildlife is making a comeback and the local economy is improving, all under the Park Service's current off-road vehicle management plan," Defenders of Wildlife attorney Jason Rylander said in a statement. "You can't argue with success, but some politicians insist on doing just that."
