Eddie Jones

Are More Beach Closings Planned?

The US Fish & Wildlife has reopened their public comment period on critical habitat for endangered species of birds which could result in more beach closings, especially at Cape Lookout and on Ocroacoke Island. The USF&W states that closing the beaches would have little impact on the local economy.

True. There are no shops at Cape Lookout or on the beach at Ocracoke.

Still, the beaches under consideration are part of the National Seashore, not wildlife preserves. I'm all for protecting the wildlife. Hey, I was pretty wild myself in college.

But terns don't vote, people do, and I'd like to have a turn on the beach, too.

You may send comments to the USF&W at: ncplovercomments@fws.gov or by snail mail to: Pete Benjamin, Field Supervisor, USF&W, P.O. Box 33726, Raleigh, NC 27636-3726

This surf spot off Cape Lookout Point
would be closed to all but the birds.

Jetties May Make Return To NC

"The Coastal Resources Commission may permit the construction of a terminal groin in conjunction with a pilot project to study the use of terminal groins to stabilize ocean inlets," so reads SENATE BILL 599. This is a long way of saying the Senate wants to allow jetties on the coast, again.

Jetty proponents argue the hard structures are a necessary tool for maintaining inlets and our coastline.

True. Jetties stabilize waterways to the sea. If you're a boater this is a good thing. Due to the current administration's refusal to fund the maintenace of the existing waterways, boaters on the coast are on the verge of losing easy access to the ocean. A series of jetties around inlets might help.

Opponents of the bill fear the passage of 599 will open the way for jetties along all beaches, turning our coast into a New Jersey nightmare.

Speaking purely from a surfer's perspective, I'd like to see more jetties. The three in front of the Hatteras lighthouse used to produce great barrels. The jetty at Masonboro Inlet has made this a premier spot., and for years the rocks off Fort Fisher in Kure Beach provided one of the longest lefts on the East Coast.

But there is a cost to jetties and one of those costs is the beach itself. If you like walking on the beach, you're going to hate treking over jetties. If you love good surf, you probably secretly hope the bill passes. And if you're a boater you just want enough water in the inlet to float your boat.

Contact your state legislature and let them hear from you.