Whether kite surfing is an appropriate form of recreation at Cape Cod National Seashore in Massachusetts is a topic the park staff wants to discuss with the public.

Cape Cod Superintendent George Price said a public comment period will open Friday on the seashore's withdrawal of its current rules and plans to reissue rules on kite surfing within the boundaries. Kite surfing has become a popular activity in recent years, according to park staff. But concerns with resource protection and public safety impacts led the National Park Service to institute partial year and location restrictions, starting in 2008. Members of the kite surfing community have objected, stating restrictions are unnecessary.

The National Park Service invites interested parties to submit comments and concerns about kite surfing at the seashore, and the appropriateness of reinstating the current rules, or some alternative set of rules, during a 30-day public comment period from October 14–November 14. Seashore staff will also hold an open house at the Salt Pond Visitor Center on October 26, from 5 p.m. –7 p.m. where members of the public may submit their comments in person and meet with seashore staff to ask questions about the process and the issues.

Public comments will be reviewed by seashore staff and evaluated against NPS laws, policies, and management goals. A new determination will be made by the superintendent regarding the rules for kite surfing within the seashore, based on the totality of the information available to him, including public comment. This determination and any changes to the current restrictions will be announced in the Federal Register and elsewhere prior to the 2017 summer season.

Comments may be mailed to:

Superintendent

Cape Cod National Seashore

99 Marconi Site Road

Wellfleet, MA 02667

Or submitted electronically via the Cape Cod National Seashore public comment webpage.