Keep Protections in Place for Cape Hatteras Wildlife

Subject: Keep Protections in Place for Cape Hatteras Wildlife

I oppose companion bills H.R. 6233 and S. 3113, legislation that calls for a return to the failed management strategy that has degraded Cape Hatteras National Seashore and forced the piping plovers, loggerhead turtles and other imperiled wildlife that depend on these special beaches to pay the price. In the last decade alone, birds that were once common on these shores have declined by an average of 86%.

During peak season, as many as 2,200 vehicles line Cape Hatteras's long string of shoreline each day. During nesting season, these vehicles may damage or destroy the nests of already-imperiled shorebirds and turtles, pushing them closer to extinction.

The U.S. District Court of Eastern North Carolina issued a consent decree on April 30, 2008 to protect the fragile ecosystems of Cape Hatteras while the National Park Service develops long-overdue driving rules for these special beaches. Hatteras is the only national seashore without such a plan.

The consent decree puts much needed protections in place and is the result of collaboration and consensus among local residents, county governments, the National Park Service, environmental groups, scientists, scientists, sportfishers and a coalition of ORV groups who all share one goal: protecting this special place.

And it's working. Since some of the most sensitive areas were closed to vehicles, birds like the piping plover and the American oystercatcher have been bouncing back.

H.R. 6233, and its senate companion S. 3113, is short-sighted legislation that would be an enormous step backward for our wildlife and local communities. If this legislation passes, it will allow special interests to dictate how Cape Hatteras National Seashore is managed and set a dangerous precedent for attacking the laws that safeguard our parks and seashores.

Basing decisions on how to manage Cape Hatteras on the desires of a handful of special interests would be a disservice to the wildlife and natural resources this national seashore was established to protect -- not to mention the thousands of locals and visitors alike who enjoy these beaches every year.

[Your Comments]

Thank you for considering my views on this legislation.