THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, October 8, 1995 TAG: 9510110568
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY BETTY MITCHELL GRAY, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: HATTERAS ISLAND LENGTH: Medium: 99 lines
Horseback riding, automobile traffic and future groundwater withdrawals will be restricted in portions of Buxton Woods under the state's first management plan for the Buxton Woods component of the North Carolina Coastal Reserve.
The rare maritime forest on the east edge of Hatteras Island has been used as a dumping site for decades. It came under state protection six years ago.
The first draft of the area's management plan also seeks to curtail dumping of trash in the maritime forest and target shooting that has littered the area with broken bottles and bullets in recent years.
The first draft of the management plan will be the subject of a public meeting 7 p.m. Tuesday at Cape Hatteras School in Buxton.
``We felt it was important to give folks the opportunity to ask questions about the plan,'' said Alison Davis, spokesperson for the state's Division of Coastal Management. ``We will accept comments on this version and future versions of the plan before it is approved.''
The Buxton Woods component is one of seven sites encompassing 320 miles of ocean shoreline in the 12,000-acre Coastal Reserve Program. The state program protects and manages its reserve sites for research, education and compatible uses.
Buxton Woods was the subject of a lawsuit over a proposal by the Cape Hatteras Water Association to install nine new groundwater wells in a section of the coastal reserve and build a road to reach those water wells. After a protracted legal battle, the state Court of Appeals upheld a Superior Court decision that revoked a permit for the wells.
The draft management plan describes Buxton Woods and establishes parameters for research and educational programs and guidelines for other activities - such as hunting and fishing - that are authorized in the area.
Preservation of the site's nationally significant natural resources is a priority of the management plan, state officials said.
Among the policies outlined in the draft management plan are:
Maintaining Buxton Woods as an undisturbed research site will be a long-term priority;
Research priorities for Buxton Woods will include measuring maritime forest archaeological, biological and ecological characteristics;
On-site education programs at Buxton Woods will be arranged for supervised groups within areas designated for public access;
Littering and dumping of trash and target shooting within the Buxton Woods Reserve will be prohibited;
Camping will be allowed in the reserve by permit on areas designated for research activities that require an overnight stay. Fires will be prohibited in the reserve except for management or research purposes;
Vehicles and horses will be restricted to roads or trails designated for public access. Some corridors may be gated to allow pedestrian use only or abandoned to protect natural features;
Visitors will be encouraged to follow walking trails through the area;
Fishing, hunting and trapping that comply with state and local laws will be allowed within the reserve;
The natural water table will be maintained within the reserve and groundwater removal will be restricted to previously installed wells to provide monitoring.
Initially, volunteers will provide the bulk of monitoring efforts for the management plan and will be asked to participate in periodic litter collections.
Long-range plans call for funding through the Division of Coastal Management for a Coastal Reserve staff member to be assigned to the site. This state employee would coordinate activities for Buxton Woods, Kitty Hawk Woods and Currituck Banks.
The management plan will be reviewed annually and revised every five years by division staff members and a local advisory committee for Buxton Woods. The advisory committee, to be appointed by the secretary of the Department of Environment, Health and Natural Resources, will meet at least annually.
Coastal Reserve Director John Taggart said some of the plan's goals could be expanded or changed based on comments received from the public.
``People are used to going in there and doing things,'' Taggart said. ``That's not a problem unless there is a conflict with protecting the natural environment of the site.
``I'm sure there will be some controversial parts. There always are,'' he said. ``But we want to do this in an open manner.''
Covering 3,000 acres, Buxton Woods is the largest maritime forest remaining in North Carolina. It includes about one-fifth of the total maritime forest remaining in the state.
North Carolina has acquired about 818 acres in Buxton Woods since 1987, with nearly $5.9 million from state appropriations, the Natural Heritage Trust Fund and grants from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in U.S. Department of Commerce.
The Buxton Woods site contains a unique series of freshwater marshes and ponds, which, when combined with the extensive maritime forest and its proximity to Cape Hatteras, provide vital habitats for numerous plants and animals.
Four of the species and three plant communities found in Buxton Woods are considered significant by state agencies.
Once the management plan has been reviewed by the public and coastal management staff, it will be submitted to DEHNR Secretary Jonathan Howes for approval. by CNB