By Catherine Kozak
The Virginian-Pilot
May 27, 2008
HATTERAS, N.C.
Sections of beach north of Avon were closed Monday because of an American oystercatcher. There was a violation of closure in
Salvo south of Ramp 23 on Saturday that resulted in an increase in a buffer. (Sunday afternoon ramp 23 South was busy from 11 am
until about 4:30 pm. A number of your BOD gathered to review the success of the Annual Meeting and Pig Pickin. The day was
perfect and although busy Ramp 23 S did not seem crowded. Director Ken Smith caught a nice 6#+ Black Drum on the first cast, his
second Black Drum of the day, and Director Metzgar was busy all afternoon catching Blues….Mike)
And as the first holiday weekend of the summer season began Friday, a two-egg American oystercatcher nest was found on
Hatteras Inlet Spit about 1.3 miles south of Ramp 55. That made the last of the favored off-road areas in Cape Hatteras National
Seashore inaccessible to vehicles.
At Bodie Island Spit near Oregon Inlet, closures have made it impossible to reach open beaches beyond the buffers. But about two
miles of beach at Ramp 2 south of Coquina Beach remained open to off-road vehicles, as well as a short section to the south of
Ramp 4.
More than 400 vehicles visited Oregon Inlet on Saturday, said Paul Stevens, park service law enforcement specialist. Because of the
narrow corridor, a no-cruising policy had to be put in place.
On Sunday, the vehicle count went up to about 700. For about an hour in the mid afternoon, traffic was limited to one vehicle on for
every vehicle that came off. By Monday, the vehicle numbers had dropped to about 350.The park service has made the closures
available on Google Earth for the public to view, but the site is not in real time. (I will post the link on the website later this week
…Mike)
Because the situation with buffer locations and sizes is a moving target, even the park staff is having difficulty keeping up with which
beaches are closed and when, and if pedestrians have access or not.
Cape Point is open but requires wading in the water below the low tide line, around the closure, to access. The area is being
observed routinely so please avoid the closure when you wade. The walk to the Point is about 1 ½ miles from the enclosure…
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