Southern Environmental Law Center, Defenders Of Wildlife and the Audubon Society announced today that they had filed suit in the Federal Court of Eastern North Carolina over the NPS management of beach driving on Cape Hatteras National Seashore Recreational Area. They contend that the Negotiated Rulemaking process is too slow and immediate action to restrict ORV access is needed to protect endangered species and migratory birds. They want a new beach driving plan in place for the 2008 breeding season.
What will happen next is anybody’s guess. We will have to see how the NPS reacts to the suit. The link below will take you to the SELC’s spin on the situation and you can read both the suit filed today and the Notice Of Intent to also sue under the Endangered Species Act.
I hope that by reading the above material and visiting the OBPA website that perhaps you have been compelled to participate in helping to preserve our right to free access at Cape Hatteras and the Outer Banks. If you are interested in helping I have one link that is fast and easy. The folks at www.savehatterasandocracoke.com have developed an online processes of notifying each of the important individuals and agencies in charge of maintaining the beach access of the Outer Banks, simply called the PleaCast. By submitting your name and address through their website PleaCast an email gets sent directly to folks like the Southern Environmental Law Center, the Defenders of Wildlife, the Audubon Society, and two important Sentors, Burr and Doyle. I am begging for everyone that reads this blog to spend 2 minutes, follow the links provided, and let at least 1 friend know what is going on. Lets work together to preserve the FREE ACCESS of Cape Hatteras and the North Carolina Outer Banks (OBX)!