The issue of access on Cape Hatteras National Seashore is among the most contentious in the National Park System. The presence of species that are recognized as threatened by both the federal government as well as the state of North Carolina requires the National Park Service to manage the seashore in such a way that protects and benefits these species.
Unfortunately, that management approach has not been welcomed or supported by all. There have been reports of harassment of seashore personnel, vandalism on the seashore, economic hardship, and long-time beach-goers who are finding it more and more difficult to reach long-treasured spots on the cape.
Traveler's attempt on April Fool's Day to take a pause from the heated atmosphere that has swirled about the seashore fell flat with some readers, including those at the Park Service. Recognizing those concerns and objections, the story has been taken down.
While the intent was not to further aggravate the situation, it regrettably appears to have done just that in some corners.
Traveler has long served as an open forum for the exchange of information and opinions about this controversy, and will continue to do so.
Comments
I will simply state that if the joke was that thousands of dead polar bears washed up on the shores of the hamptons and people were using pitchforks to load them into trucks before the newspapers found out.
Now that is funny
Or maybe we could say that a large group of scientist have just discovered that the world is warming at an alarming rate and the polar caps are melting ooooooh nevermind Gore did that one already.
As far as this joke I think some members of this special website are wearing thin and losing their cool so his joke has as stated above bears his true feelings and maybe he needs to lighten up especially if it means his job.
Tell your brother thank you for his sacrifice for our country,my hats off to him.I igree with you 100%.Maybe we just need to do like the mideast countries & say the hell with this government & take back what is ours!
While we can appreciate the need for folks to vent their anger, both over the Traveler and the access regulations at the seashore, we're trying to toe the line with those comments. We will not post threats, nor links to sites that carry threats.
Also, this site is not affiliated in any way with the National Park Service. We are independently operated. As such, criticism of the Park Service is not warranted in connection with this matter.
Knowing that there are so many self-centered and whiny people on Cape Hatteras will make me less likely to visit. If our soldiers are fighting in Iraq to support our "right" to destroy the planet then we're in worse shape than I'd thought. And didn't I just read that the beach is naturally eroding by 3 feet a year? Also, learn to spell. Now I'm done whining.
I too wish you had left it up and not caved. And I read it (and with foresight, even made a copy on word). For all the crying, I found the NPS was the major brunt of the joke, so you would have thought they would have enjoyed that. I guess the error was having any mention of their contignent, as everyone else is fair game in their book.
And as I've said elsewhere, they can dish it out - cheering each other on accusing NPS staff of all manner of misconduct and crimes short of having sex with children and animals - but they can't take it.
They had a federally-funded golden goose, and they killed it with their greed for more and more McMansions to hold more and more people far beyond the capacity of the resource.
There are some genuinely reasonable and rational members of the ORV contingent, though we'll never see them posting here or any of the other popular NPS-staff bashing boards. The vocal minority use whining and intimidation to silence any opposition who even tries to have a rational discussion with them.
LMAO! For the second time today.
Okay, I hope everyone has it all out of their systems.
Despite a joke that backfired, Traveler remains the best website concerning national parks anywhere.
Let's all take a big, deep breath and come back again tomorrow. All calmed down and smiling.
http://www.nps.gov