Visitors to Cape Hatteras National Seashore soon will have 29 new access points for exploring the seashore's beaches under a plan stemming from its off-road vehicle management plan.
The projects, ranging from parking lots and off-road vehicle ramps to handicap accessible boardwalks, were outlined in the seashore's Construction of New Development that Facilities Public Access Environment Assessment. After nearly two years of planning, the project list was approved in mid-November by the National Park Service's Southeast Region office.
The new access areas will create or improve 15 parking areas, 1 paved and 2 unpaved roads, 5 off-road vehicle ramps, 5 foot paths, 11 accessible boardwalks, and the elevation of an existing flood-prone road section. These access improvements will facilitate ORV and pedestrian access to areas of the Seashore and increase access for visitors with disabilities while minimizing conflicts between a wide variety of recreational users in the seashore, park officials said in a release.
The improved access points will protect the seashore's natural, cultural, scenic and aesthetic aspects as well as address mutual concerns with local communities and governments who expressed concerns about potential safety issues with road shoulder parking along NC Hwy 12.
Map of new access points to be developed. NPS graphic.
The projects:
* A 10-car parking at the former site of the U.S. Coast Guard Station on Bodie Island
* A handicap accessible boardwalk at Coquina Beach on Bodie Island
* Additional access road from NC-12 to fee station at Coquina Beach
* An ORV ramp and 10-car parking area 0.5 miles south of Coquina Beach (New Ramp 2.5)
* A 10-car parking area with foot trail to Bodie Island Spit at Ramp 4
* A 20-car parking area and handicap accessible boardwalk at Ramp 23 (Salvo)
* A 10-car parking area about 1.0 mile south of Ramp 23 with foot trail to the beach
* An ORV Ramp 25.5 with foot trail or boardwalk to the beach
* A 5-car parking area and foot trail to beach (beachside) at soundside Ramp 48
* An ORV Ramp 32.5 (Little Kinnakeet) with a 10-car parking area and foot trail to the beach
* A handicap accessible boardwalk at Ramp 34
* A handicap accessible boardwalk to sound at Haulover Beach Parking Area
* A 15-car parking area west side of highway at/near Kite Point
* A 15-car parking area at soundside access #59 with foot trail from highway to beach
* A 5-car parking area west side of highway at/near soundside access 60
* A 50-car parking area at the former Buxton Coast Guard Station with handicap accessible boardwalk
* A handicap accessible boardwalk at Lighthouse Beach
* A 3-car parking area at Loran Road w/ new handicap accessible boardwalk to the beach
* An elevated section of Lighthouse Rd to address flooding at ramps 43 and 44
* An unpaved IDR between Ramp 45 and 49 w/new ORV Ramp 48 to the beach (Ramp has been moved from 47.5 to 48)
* Widen Ramp 49 and add connector road and 5 car parking area to Billy Mitchell Rd. near Frisco Campground
* A handicap accessible boardwalk at the Ramp 55 parking area on Hatteras Island
* An unimproved 20-car parking area near the Pole Road/Spur Road intersection
* A handicap accessible boardwalk at/near north ferry terminal parking area on Ocracoke * An ORV Ramp 59.5 at north Ocracoke
* A 5-car parking area at the west side of highway entrance of Borrow Pit Road
* An ORV Ramp 63 across from Scrag Cedar Road
* A handicap accessible boardwalk at the Ocracoke Pony Pens
* A handicap accessible boardwalk at the Ocracoke Day Use Area
Comments
Thank you Buxton for your calm, reasoned responses. I think I'm beginning to get a clear picture of the nature of the conflict at Cape Hatteras. If Beachdumb is representing the ORV user groups and their tactics, then they appear to shout down opposing views, call those with other prospectives liars ("not telling the whole truth") and crazy ("delusional"). It doesn't sound like there is much hope of a reasonable exchange of ideas and differing thoughts. I also checked the Cape Hatteras web site and found that, contrary to beachdumbs assertion that kite flying was prohibted, that kite flying is only prohibited within and above all bird closures. That sounds like a reasonable limitation to me and is far from a complete ban on kite flying. After all isn't all visitor use prohibited within resouorce closures. So Buxton you have a ring of truth to your messages. Thank you again.
I don't know, Old Ranger. Your post sounds like more liberal enviro wacko talk.
Thank you Buxton and Old Ranger, I learned much from your posts. If I can digress for a minute, Perpetual seasonal, on the issue of seasonal and temporary employment hires in the private and federal sectors, there is a very interesting article in the "Nation" magazine (December 16th issue), titled "Holiday Crush". Really well done by author Gabriel Thompson, it is a description of her "brief stressful life as a warehouse TEMP in Southern California's Inland empire, the beating heart of America's online shopping frenzy". An interesting read, it touches on both the private sector and federal agency abuse of this type of employment opportunity. She has also written a book on the issue, "Working in the Shadows". Your concerns about TEMP employment are gaining some national attention.
Abuse? Someone voluntarily entering into an employment agreement isn't being abused unless there is some fraud or misrepresentation.
It becomes abuse when employers use that kind of job to hire good people on the cheap who, in today's job market, cannot find anything else and are forced to accept anything they can get. One more wedge driven into the income disparity of America.
The fraud and misrepresentation comes from those who support the status quo.
But it all depends upon one's perspective, I guess.
According to some, the people who accept these jobs are fools and those who don't are leaches living on welfare.
Ah, well . . . . .
But we digress. Meanwhile, on Cape Hatteras, ice coats the beaches. Anyone for surfing?
Yep, and those that work to improve themselves are smart and get ahead. Handouts, not work, increase income disparity - as evidenced by the largest disparity we see today in conjuction with the largest level of entitlements ever.
I sense we're drifting away from the topic at hand. Perhaps another subject, such as the Ozark National Scenic Riverways draft GMP, is worthy of some comment since this topic seems fished out.