Friday, August 22, 2008

Help Wanted

Today's Greeting
What next?! Please read this letter, and if you can, follow the link and send your message. It's easy and so important.

Dear Helen,
Cape Hatteras National Seashore is a key wintering and stopover site for migratory shorebirds, and an ABC-designated Globally Important Bird Area. The Wilderness Society has launched a campaign to block moves by Congress that would reinstate beach access to off-road vehicles, which can kill the newly-hatched young of nesting Piping Plovers, Least Terns, and Black Skimmers, and disturb staging Red Knots.
We are asking BirdWire activists to help them in this campaign. Please contact your Representative today and ask them to say no to the proposed changed rules.
Sincerely,
George Fenwick,President, American Bird Conservancy
For decades, the National Park Service ignored the law and refused to place required regulations on motorized beach driving at Cape Hatteras, N.C. Because of this, off-road vehicles disturbed, ran over, and crushed threatened shorebirds and their nests, and killed endangered sea turtles. The habitat damage that vehicles left behind just got worse.
Finally, limited protections were agreed to for the birds and turtles. But the new off-road vehicle rules that are helping populations recover are in danger of being tossed out by Congress.
Protections for species that depend on the shoreline may be lost if your elected officials don't hear from you now - contact them today!
Lawmakers recently proposed legislation that would do away with protections to the Seashore's most sensitive habitats -- areas where loggerhead turtles and threatened shorebird species, such as Least Terns and Piping Plovers, nest and feed.
Please tell your elected officials immediately that you strongly oppose this irresponsible and short-sighted legislation.

Best wishes,
Kathy KilmerDirector, Electronic CommunicationsThe Wilderness Society

Hatteras National Seashore

Hatteras Lighthouse

How could anyone want to spoil this?

Ocracoke Pony

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

I've already acted...hope you get lots more who say the same!

The Birdlady said...

Thank you so much, June.

Shelley said...

I will act now! I wonder what goes thru these people's heads (the ones who want to allow it and the ones who want to use the off road vehicles here) - how could you want to harm beauty w/ selfish desires. I'm sure there are plenty of other places to go off roading.
P.S. Another great photo today!

Anonymous said...

I quite agree Helen, how could anyone want to spoil that area, mindless idiots perhaps.?

Mary said...

That looks like a wonderful place and I hope the action works to stop these vehicles. Why people want to spoil something that beautiful is so hard to undersatnd.

Jayne said...

It never ceases to amaze me how we never stop to think of the damage we do in the name of our perceived freedom to have "fun." It will only be years from now when we'll lament the disappearance of our natural ecosystem, that we'll stop and wonder what we were thinking.

kjpweb said...

Help granted! ;)

Cheers, Klaus

This Is My Blog - fishing guy said...

Helen: It does seem like a waste for a few to ruin an important area. I loved your pictures on this post.

Willard said...

I hope this bad move is stopped.

I continually ask the same question about a lot of situations that you do in that one caption. I guess the answer is that a lot of people do want to spoil the good things, but I cannot understand their thinking. It's the same type of thinking that leads to poaching in our National Parks, etc.

You certainly posted a wonderful set of photographs showing what is to be lost if this is permitted.

DeniseinVA said...

How on earth can they think of destroying such a beautiful part of nature? Your photos do tell the story. A lovely set of photos. I hope there will be enough of an uproar to stop them.

2sweetnsaxy said...

That looks like a great place. I sure hope they don't let those vehicles in there.

Eve said...

Hi Helen,
This is a great way to help prevent this needless destruction. I'll jump over and see what I can do. Thanks.