Information about Beach Access

*** On November 15, 2010 the National Park Service released the Final Environmental Impact Study (FEIS). There will not be a public comment period on the FEIS. There will be a Record of Decision filed no sooner than 30 days after the EPA publishes the Notice of Availability in the Federal Register. Once the Record of Decision is filed, Superintendent Murray is expected to release a proposed ORV Rule which will then have a 60 day period for public comment.

Click here to for links to the FEIS from Preserve Beach Access.

We urge all people who are interested in maintaining open access to Cape Hatteras National Seashore to make their views known by writing to their congressional delegates in their home states. Since the National Seashore is Federal Property citizens need to make their feelings known directly to their federal representatives. For a list of the representatives and their contact information in your state visit www.house.gov or www.senate.gov.

*** Public comment period for the DEIS ended on May 12, 2010. ***

*** On March 24, 2010 the National Park Service announced the public hearings for the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Cape Hatteras National Seashore Off-Road Management Plan (DEIS). Public participation in these hearings is critical. Please plan to attend at least one. ***

Ocracoke, NC – Monday, April 26, 2010, 9:00 am to 11:00 am
Ocracoke School, 1 Schoolhouse Road, Ocracoke, NC 27960
(Doors open at 8:30 am for sign-in, the meeting will begin at 9:00 am)

Buxton, NC – Monday, April 26, 2010, 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Cape Hatteras Secondary School, 48576 Hwy. 12, Buxton, NC 27920
(Doors open at 4:30 pm for sign-in, the meeting will begin at 5:00 pm)

Kill Devil Hills, NC – Tuesday, April 27, 2010, 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Wright Brothers National Memorial First Flight Centennial Pavilion,
1000 Croatan Hwy., M.P. 7 ½, Kill Devil Hills, NC 27948
(Doors open at 5:30 pm for sign-in, the meeting will begin at 6:00 pm)

Raleigh, NC – Wednesday, April 28, 2010, 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm
McKimmon Conference & Training Center (NC State University Campus),
1101 Gorman Street, Raleigh, NC 27695
(Doors open at 5:30 pm for sign-in, the meeting will begin at 6:00 pm)

Hampton, VA – Thursday, April 29, 2010, 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Holiday Inn & Conference Center,
1815 West Mercury Boulevard, Hampton, VA 23666
(Doors open at 5:30 pm for sign-in, the meeting will begin at 6:00 pm)

Click here for the printable PDF of Public Hearing dates and locations.

*** On March 23, 2010 the National Park Service announced that the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has published A Review and Synthesis of the Scientific Information Related to the Biology and Management of Species of Special Concern at Cape Hatteras National Seashore, North Carolina, 100 page report, by Jonathan B. Cohen and others. ***

Click here to learn about and download the new USGS report.

The previously released 2005 USGS management, monitoring, and protection protocols for threatened and endangered species and species of special concern at Cape Hatteras remain posted on the NPS Planning, Environment and Public Comment (PEPC) website (under the Interim Protected Species Management Strategy document list; document name starts with "2006 03Mar
02...") is also available for review.

Click here to learn about and download the 6 sections of the 2005 USGS report.

*** On March 12, 2010 the National Park Service announced that the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Notice of Availability (NOA) for the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Cape Hatteras National Seashore Off-Road Management Plan (DEIS) has been published in the Federal Register. The EPA NOA officially initiates the 60-day public comment period on the DEIS. ***

The National Park Service will accept comments on the DEIS until midnight (Mountain Daylight Time) May 11, 2010.
Electronic comments may be submitted online at the NPS Planning, Environment and Public Comment (PEPC) web site. NPS encourages commenting electronically through PEPC.

If you wish to submit your written comments in hard copy (e.g. in a letter), you may send them by U.S. Postal Service or other mail delivery service or hand-deliver them to:
Mike Murray, Superintendent, Cape Hatteras National Seashore
1401 National Park Drive
Manteo, NC 27954

Oral statements and written comments will also be accepted during the hearing-style public meetings. Comments will not be accepted by fax, email, or in any other way than those specified above. Bulk comments in any format (hard copy or electronic) submitted on behalf of others will not be accepted.

Dates, times, and locations of the hearing style public meetings will be announced in a press release, email announcements, and online.

*** On March 5, 2010 the National Park Service announced the availability of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Cape Hatteras National Seashore Off-Road Management Plan (DEIS). Electronic copies of the DEIS are available for public review on the NPS Planning, Environment and Public Comment website. ***

In addition to making a public comment to the DEIS during the comment period, we urge all people who are interested in maintaining open access to Cape Hatteras National Seashore to make their views known by writing to their congressional delegates in their home states. Since the National Seashore is Federal Property citizens need to make their feelings known directly to their federal representatives. For a list of the representatives and their contact information in your state visit www.house.gov or www.senate.gov.

Dare County online resource:

Dare County's Preserve Beach Access website

Find information about:

Read the letter from Audubon North Carolina which outlines their ultimate goals.

Read Governor Perdue's letter to Congress urging support for bill HR 718

Review the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Cape Hatteras National Seashore Off-Road Vehicle Management Plan

National Park Service online resources:

Current Cape Hatteras Interactive Beach Access Map (using Google Earth)

Cape Hatteras National Seashore Off Road Vehicle Use website

Cape Hatteras National Seashore Beach Access FAQ sheet

Cape Hatteras National Seashore Official News Releases

2008 Consent Decree

The US District Judge has signed off on the settlement between the National Park Service (NPS) and the Defenders of Wildlife and National Audubon Society which will allow off road vehicle (ORV) use on Cape Hatteras and Ocracoke Island beaches.

The consent decree outlines temporary rules for ORV use in the interim while the Negotiated Rulemaking committee works towards a permanent plan.

The pre-nesting closures, established March 15th, 2008 are similar in location and area to the pre-nesting closures of 2007. The decree states that the closures will comprise of buffer zones for breeding activity of protected shorebirds, as well as fledgling chicks. These buffer zones range in diameter from 50m to 1000m for vehicles, and 50m to 300m for pedestrians, and can change dependent on the territorial movements of the protected birds. In several of these areas, vehicle corridors will be established so ORVs can access open beaches past the closures.

Additional closures may be established from the initial March 15th closure locations if a pre-nesting or breeding behavior is observed in a different area of the Cape Hatteras shoreline.

Unlike the 2007 closures, vehicle corridors will not be widened or moved to accommodate ORVs if the beaches shift or erosion occurs. If disturbance from vehicles or pedestrians occurs, as observed by National Park Service management staff, the buffer zones will be expanded by 50m increments until there are no further disturbances.

To increase the chances of successful turtle nesting, beach driving will be prohibited from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. from May 1st through September 15th. Between September 16th and November 15th, the NPS may issue night permits for authorized nonessential beach driving between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.

Once the piping plover chicks hatch, the chicks will be observed from dawn to dusk by trained NPS staff. Education materials on the protected shorebirds and sea turtles will also be available at all ORV access points, and the NPS will put forth an effort to develop educational programs on the protected shorebirds and turtles.

Click here to read the Agreement Reached to Preserve Wildlife and Recreation Opportunities on Cape Hatteras National Seashore.

Click here to read the Consent Decree filed April 16th, 2008.

Click here to view the closure maps filed with the Consent Decree.

Click here to read Surf or Sound Realty's Official Position Statement regarding beach driving in Cape Hatteras National Seashore.