letter from defenders of wildlife

[Pier_man0909]

what do you all think about this. sounds like they are starting on the turtles now. where do they get off lying and twisting the truth like that? that burns me up that they can send this to millions of people that only hear lies, half-truths, and twisted truths. what do you all think?


From: Defenders of Wildlife [mailto:defenders@mail.defenders.org]
Sent: Thursday, April 03, 2008 6:01 AM
Subject: The Truth about Cape Hatteras

Cape Hatteras Needs Help

Cape Hatteras wildlife is in crisis. Heavy ORV use has accelerated beach erosion. It has also driven threatened loggerhead turtles like this from prime nesting habitat and prevented many hatchlings from ever reaching the ocean...

Take action to protect Cape Hatteras for future generations. Urge your members of Congress to support immediate action to protect sensitive areas that loggerheads and many shorebirds need to survive.



Help spread the word about what's really going on in Cape Hatteras. Forward this message to friends and neighbors.

Dear X:

In 1937, Cape Hatteras was authorized as the nation's very first national seashore in an effort to protect the "unique flora and fauna" of this special place.

Fast forward 70 years. The wildlife that makes Hatteras so special is in danger of disappearing forever if immediate action isn't taken.

Help protect this North Carolina landmark and the imperiled wildlife that depends on it to survive.

You may have heard about what's been going on in Cape Hatteras or seen images of ORV users protesting our efforts to protect this special place in your local paper.

But there's another side to this story.

In 1972, President Nixon ordered the National Park Service, the federal agency that oversees Cape Hatteras, to develop a comprehensive management plan to protect this ecologically sensitive area from vehicle use.

But for the last 36 years, the Park Service has failed the people who cherish these beaches by refusing to put beach driving rules in place to protect Cape Hatteras and the diverse wildlife it supports.

You can help save Cape Hatteras. Send a message to your elected officials urging them to support strong protections for this cherished North Carolina treasure and the imperiled turtles, shorebirds and other wildlife that call it home.

On any given day during peak season, as many as 2,200 vehicles line Cape Hatteras's long string of shoreline, accelerating beach erosion and pushing already-imperiled shorebirds and turtles closer to extinction.

In the last decade alone, birds that were once common on these shores have declined by an average of 86%. High volume ORV usage prevents birds and sea turtles from nesting and puts chicks and hatchlings at risk of being run over and killed.

Everyone who's ever been to the Cape wants future generations to enjoy the spectacular surf, sand, sights and sounds of this amazing place. But the truth is, Cape Hatteras as we know it could disappear if we don't adopt a more responsible approach to how we use these special beaches.

That's why, in a last-ditch effort, Defenders and other conservation groups have asked for emergency protections for just 12% of the seashore identified by the Park Service's scientists as the most critical to nesting shorebirds and turtles until a final management plan is developed and implemented -- a process that will take years.

Especially sensitive areas and the wildlife that lives there can't wait. They need protection right now.

We all know that Cape Hatteras is worth protecting. Take action now to preserve the natural legacy of this remarkable place before it's too late.


Jason Rylander
Defenders of Wildlife


P.S. Please help us counter the misinformation about our campaign to protect this North Carolina treasure by downloading "5 Things You Should Know about Beach Driving on Cape Hatteras" (pdf) and sharing it with your friends and family.

[DE Beachguy]

Wow, the lies, propaganda and conveniently twisted truths are complete insults to the intelligence! They count on their contributing members across the country having zero knowledge of the realities of the situation, and they know that plenty of people are easily duped by propaganda...and will thus willingly send them money. It's truly embarrassing to know that there are people that are that easily duped.

[Pier_man0909]

"On any given day during peak season, as many as 2,200 vehicles line Cape Hatteras's long string of shoreline"

I dont believe it is "any given day", but maybe holidays like possibly 2 times a year. does anyone have some actual figures? I remember I was on the beach a few years ago and the NPS monitered the vehicles on memorial day weekend and they counted 800 on hatteras island in one day. I dont think oregon inlet and ocracoke had the other 1400.

"In the last decade alone, birds that were once common on these shores have declined by an average of 86%"

what they dont say is that many of these birds are nesting only a couple of miles away from the park, many on spoil islands in the sound. I wonder if maybe the birds have moved to the islands since they are better habitat for them? there are a lot of the birds that are nesting on top of some of the buildings too.

"High volume ORV usage prevents birds and sea turtles from nesting and puts chicks and hatchlings at risk of being run over and killed"

about the turtles. I was under the impression that the NPS drives the beaches everyday loking for turtle nests, sometimes moving them if they need to be and are monitered everyday until either hatched or failed. I was also under the impression that around the time of hatch there is a FULL beach closure for a given area for the turtles. during the hatch time arent they monitered around the clock? if they are monitered around the clock, and there is a full beach closure, how are they endangered of being run over?

"That's why, in a last-ditch effort, Defenders and other conservation groups have asked for emergency protections for just 12% of the seashore identified by the Park Service's scientists as the most critical to nesting shorebirds and turtles until a final management plan is developed and implemented -- a process that will take years"

I see they are not telling their supporters they are breaking the good faith by suing us. last ditch effort? I dont think so. I think there is much more to come.

"Especially sensitive areas and the wildlife that lives there can't wait. They need protection right now.","Cape Hatteras wildlife is in crisis.", "Help protect this North Carolina landmark and the imperiled wildlife that depends on it to survive."

funny how the man that wrote this letter was present, and onsite when the fox was shot. not only was he present but he condoned it! how come he says it is okay to use leg hold traps and snares and poisoned baits to kill off many of the predators such as foxes, cats, and racoons when asked about it at a reg-neg meeting but sends a letter to millions of people saying that all the wildlife needs protection. keep in mind that leg hold traps, snares, and poisoned baits dont just hurt and kill those predators, but anything that comes to them including dogs.
also mike murray said he gave the order for the fox to be shot because it wasn't showing "typical fox behaivior (which is false) and could potentially become a problem." he also said that he had "extensive knowledge and experience capturing and relocating problem animals in other national parks. if he has so much experience and knowlegde about relocating animals how come he gave the order to kill it? by the way, when tested for rabies it tested negative. it was not causing any problems but simply didnt mind people.

[Rumble Fish aka Poppy]

After reading that bull$hitt and other propaganda from Denders of Wildlife, I conclude they are a radical eco-environmental group that will stop at nothing to get their way...just dangerous! I lump them in w/ eco-terrorists groups like the Earth Liberation Front (ELF), People for Animal Rights, Animal Liberation Front, etc... These latter groups are very dangerous...they have burnt down resorts and turned to other violent means to affect their radical agendas and ideology...

Negotiated settlement? Negotiate w/ eco-terrorist groups? My god what has this country come to?

Poppy

[king_rigr]

Originally Posted by Rumble Fish aka Poppy

After reading that bull$hitt and other propaganda from Denders of Wildlife, I conclude they are a radical eco-environmental group that will stop at nothing to get their way...just dangerous! I lump them in w/ eco-terrorists groups like the Earth Liberation Front (ELF), People for Animal Rights, Animal Liberation Front, etc... These latter groups are very dangerous...they have burnt down resorts and turned to other violent means to affect their radical agendas and ideology...

Negotiated settlement? Negotiate w/ eco-terrorist groups? My god what has this country come to?

Poppy

sad but true.

[Steve Coleman]

i think it is mainly a scam to raise $$$ from well meaning yet uninformed persons.

they will feel good to make a contribution, and these guys get a lot of $$$$. I bet their "salary" and "commission" on the "take" nears 100 percent.

Steve

[DE Beachguy]

Yep...do-good, feel good, money in the pockets....yay! We sure put one over on those poor local people, didn't we? Wildlife? Who cares? Keep that money flowing in!

They line their pockets by duping the uninformed. The sad thing is that way too many people "get it" only after being run over by the steam roller. If we don't speed up the process of having more people "get it" and act sooner, we'll just keep getting rolled until there will be nothing left to fight for. That's what they count on. Have a great weekend!

Jay

[Possum]

Originally Posted by BeachguyDE

Wow, the lies, propaganda and conveniently twisted truths are complete insults to the intelligence! They count on their contributing members across the country having zero knowledge of the realities of the situation, and they know that plenty of people are easily duped by propaganda...and will thus willingly send them money. It's truly embarrassing to know that there are people that are that easily duped.

I was watching a fishing show tonite(Larry Dahlberg) and an ad for Polaris Ranger Razor ATVs came on.
These are big,4wd ATV's...two passenger size.Dune buggy kinda setup..The vehicle was racing thru the dunes(desert) , flying thru the air, and recklessly speeding across the sand with no regard at all for safety or the habitat it was tearing up...

I suppose that a lot of folks that do not understand what we are doing on the beach think that THIS is what we are doing .I can't see how any responsible person could not have a negative feeling about OSV/ORV driving after seeing that ad.

The Ranger ad is extremely hurtful to our position. It is just horrible that we are being depicted in that way in a Natioinal ad ....and the timing of the ad couldn't be worse

[C.Salp]

This is not a fundraising piece/campaign -- it's one part of the outreach that DoW is doing to support their anti-beach access campaign. It's a grassroots appeal to its grassroots database.

Outreach like this [as well as outreach to the media] is something that the enviros do very, very well.

- Chris

[moocks]

Originally Posted by Pier_man0909

That's why, in a last-ditch effort, Defenders and other conservation groups have asked for emergency protections for just 12% of the seashore identified by the Park Service's scientists as the most critical to nesting shorebirds and turtles until a final management plan is developed and implemented and we can outlaw use of the other 88%

Jason Rylander
Defenders of Wildlife

You have to be able to read between the lines and under lines

[Pier_man0909]

Originally Posted by Pier_man0909

Cape Hatteras wildlife is in crisis. Heavy ORV use has accelerated beach erosion. It has also driven threatened loggerhead turtles like this from prime nesting habitat and prevented many hatchlings from ever reaching the ocean...

Take action to protect Cape Hatteras for future generations. Urge your members of Congress to support immediate action to protect sensitive areas that loggerheads and many shorebirds need to survive.

it seems to me like they are introducing the species they are "trying to protect" one at a time, notice loggerhead turtles. all they say in this is loggerhead or just turtles as if they are the only species that are involved. every species of turtle we have here which are green, hawksbill, loggerhead, kemp's ridely, and leatherback, are either threatened or endangered. it is also odd to me that they are talking about the loggerhead (threadened) before the endangered ones. probably part of their strategy