Areas Along Hatteras Seashore to Be Closed for Nesting Plovers

The VIRGINIAN-PILOT

The National Park Service plans to temporarily close five areas along Cape Hatteras National Seashore by April 1 for nesting piping plovers, small shorebirds protected under the federal Endangered Species Act .

The areas include sections near the Bodie Island Spit, Cape Point, the South Beach access, Hatteras Spit and Ocracoke Island’s South Point, which will be marked with fencing made from string, wooden posts and flagging tape, the park service announced in a news release.

The sites were chosen based on habitat and previous piping plover breeding spots. Drivers won’t be allowed in these areas, some of which are popular fishing spots. The park service said it plans to maintain alternative routes where possible.

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