| Threat of BEACHFRONT CLOSURES (2001)
Subject: USFWS New Revised CCP due out... Date: Thu, 8 Feb 2001 07:44:14 EST Dear Scott's Bait and Tackle - I was told by JB Kasper and Bo DeLoenard that you guys were involved at Hogate two years ago so I'm shooting you over this new info. Thanks, Bill Halpin Action Alert (02/06/01) Tell USFWS to keep beaches open to pedestrians and buggies: This is a post from Fishtrek: "For those that might be interested in the JERSEY COAST REFUGES COMPREHENSIVE CONSERVATION PLAN, I talked with Steve A. this morning. A notice is supposed to go into the Federal Register by Friday & another 30-day public comment time period is supposed to go on before the final adaptation. Now is the time to request a copy of this document. It will also be posted on their website http://forsythe.fws.gov. Currently they have a hot button for the Proposed version, The new version is supposed to be posted under the same section replacing the old. REQUEST YOUR COPIES NOW by contacting Steve Atzert or email Cindy Heffley from the web site." We have another chance to make our voices heard. Please get a copy of the plan and say the same thing you are all saying on these boards to the USFWS. You will regret it if you do nothing and they shut down a stretch of beach were you fish, swim, walk. USFWS has a map(http://pipingplover.fws.gov/images/appa_3.gif) on their plover site (http://pipingplover.fws.gov/ ) with arrows to every site they are intending to close in NJ for Plovers and there are arrows to every inlet from Cape May to IBSP and to the Hook, pointing to both sides of most inlets. If they are successful that means no beach/jetty fishing at Cape May (already closed April-Oct) Hereford, Townsend's(in the works to be closed), Corson's, GE, Absecon, Brigantine (already seasonally closed), Holgate (closed Seasonally to pedestrians and buggies), Sandy Hook (closed seasonally). Need I say more. On 02/04/01 Eric Gundrum, moderator for www.pierandsurf.com's NJ section, Bill Donovan, the Managing Editor of the NJ Angler magazine, Bob DeLoenard, President of the NJ Beach Buggy Association (NJBBA) and I met today at the NJBBA meeting in New Egypt as a part of there general meeting to discuss how we proceed in 2001 towards the USFWS closure of beach buggy access at Holgate and pedestrian access closure at Two Mile Unit in Cape May. We are all still 100% committed to getting beach buggy and pedestrian access restored to these places and are looking for anyone who is willing to join in the effort. You can contact me at e-mail: Seaanglerbill@aol.com or Eric Gundrum at surfrat245@aol.com for more detailed info, or on how to get involved. Below I'm leaving a copy of some of the proposed actions USFWS service will be attempting to implement for 2001 that can be found on there Piping Plover site: http://pipingplover.fws.gov/ Please take note of the bottom paragraph- it seems as if Brigantine and Island Beach will be under assualt from the USFWS again in 2001. Bill Halpin Seaanglerbill@aol.com (610) 649-0494 text found at: http://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/pdf/pprp99.pdf "We must act decisively to decrease plover nest predation and increase chick survival. We propose the following framework and specific actions to reverse current trends and begin recovery of piping plover populations in New Jersey: * Increase the focus of protection and management on state and federal beaches including state parks and natural areas, national parks, and national wildlife refuges. * Develop and execute written management agreements with municipalities that provide for a progressive shift of some management responsibilities to local governments and which reduce detrimental activities such as beach raking. * Increase efforts to reduce predation of nests and chicks through predator trapping and shooting programs in addition to current methods (e.g predator exclosures). * Seek and implement opportunities to maintain a full range of natural coastal formation processes,including overwash. * Increase the involvement and participation of non-governmental conservation organizations. RECOVERY MANAGEMENT PRIORITY ACTIONS * Eliminate ORV traffic from nesting areas at North Brigantine Natural Area during the brood rearing period. * Provide "vehicle-free" zones at Island Beach State Park in potential nesting habitat to encourage recolonization by piping plovers." USFWS Web Site: http://forsythe.fws.gov/ http://forsythe.fws.gov/cpy.htm |
Return to Holgate
