THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, November 10, 1994 TAG: 9411100629
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY DEBBIE MESSINA, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: Medium: 75 lines
The number of False Cape State Park visitors has sunk to a fraction of normal levels since Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge choked off access to the park last week.
About 15 people made the arduous 10-mile round-trip hike on the beach over the sunny autumn weekend to spend the day at the remote park. False Cape normally gets 200 to 300 visitors on an average fall weekend.
On the first two days of the closure, the park had no visitors.
Most park visitors used to walk or bike on the refuge's interior trails, or dikes. But the refuge closed those trails Nov. 1 to protect wintering waterfowl. They will reopen June 1. To reach the park now, visitors must travel 5 miles each way on the beach or boat in.
But the beach is a formidable route. Just ask 28-year-old David Shotten. He and his girlfriend trekked along part of the beach last weekend but never reached the park. Instead they illegally camped overnight in the refuge dunes.
Shotten said they were forced to stop about 1 1/2 miles short of the park because his girlfriend grew tired and they were losing daylight.
Shotten had checked the tides and started hiking at low tide. But to reach the park on hard sand, which is the easiest to travel, hikers must start out about an hour or so before low tide.
``That's a tough darn hike,'' Shotten said of the two-hour trek. ``All the variables have to be perfect to get down there. That's a shame.''
Staff at the park and refuge urge visitors to check tides and weather conditions before setting out.
``It's been really slow here, and that concerns us,'' said Bryan K. Anderson, park manager. ``The majority of visitors come in by bicycle this time of year, so we've pretty much lost their business.
``Some of those who walked down the beach found their feet sinking in 6 inches of soft sand. We need to restore reasonable access to the citizens of Virginia and their guests.''
Acting refuge manager Joe McCauley held a public meeting Saturday to discuss the seasonal closure. Three people attended.
``Perhaps the public in general is more understanding of this than the state acknowledges,'' he said.
The controversy has moved to the state Capitol where Gov. George F. Allen and Secretary of Natural Resources Becky Norton Dunlop have stepped into the fray. They've asked Attorney General James Gilmore to explore the legal options, and they are seeking help from the state's congressional delegation.
``The notion that the federal government would suddenly deny Virginians this unobtrusive access to their own land is outrageous,'' Allen said in a prepared statement. ``It is yet another example of an overbearing and uncaring federal bureaucracy that ignores the impact of its orders.
``Virginians cannot be expected to cheerfully accept this kind of unreasonable dictate from the federal government. . . . Common sense and proper wildlife management can be compatible.''
The refuge closed the dikes based on a study that indicated that human activity, such as walking or biking, disturbs the birds and prevents them from feeding and resting properly.
But the state has objected to the methodology and conclusions of the study.
The state also asked for the City Council's support, but the council on Tuesday decided to stay out of it.
``It's a very old issue with very strong feelings from many different directions,'' said Councilwoman Barbara M. Henley, who served on a task force on False Cape access 10 years ago. ``It's one of those things that need to be resolved between the state and federal government, and the city should not become involved.
``I see it as an issue that will wind up in the courts.''
KEYWORDS: FALSE CAPE STATE PARK
BACK BAY NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE
by CNB