Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, April 23, 1995 TAG: 9504250025
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-7 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: RICHMOND LENGTH: Medium
The government officials met Thursday and Friday in Richmond to air their differing opinions about access to False Cape State Park through the Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge. False Cape is a barrier spit cut off from Virginia Beach by the refuge.
Robert Shallenberger, chief of refuges for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, said, ``We're committed to put past differences behind us.''
The officials agreed to a one-year planning process to hash out a long-term solution, and set a deadline of March 1 to reach an agreement.
State and federal officials and agencies feuded over park access for nearly 30 years. The controversy escalated last year when the refuge restricted public use of its interior trails, or dikes, from November to June to protect migrating waterfowl.
Those dikes, used by hikers and bikers, are the main access to the park. False Cape also used the dikes to bus visitors to its environmental education center. Private vehicles are prohibited.
The seasonal closure forced park visitors to travel 10 miles round-trip on the beach to reach the park. The only other access is by boat.
Under the compromise plan, the refuge will close most of its land to the public from December through February. That is the same period the park's environmental education center is closed.
During those months, the park and refuge will jointly sponsor monthly bus tours for the public, and the park will be allowed two round trips per day to transport visitors in state vehicles along the beach.
``We didn't settle all our differences in two days,'' said R. Gary Waugh, a spokesman for the state Department of Conservation and Recreation.
by CNB