Much Ado About a Bird

When it comes to the Piping Plover, some say that the Cape Cod National Seashore is a victim of their own success. In 1985, this sand-colored shorebird landed itself on the endangered species list; only 18 pairs could be found nesting on the beaches of the National Seashore. Because of intensive recovery efforts by the National Park Service and the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 80 pairs scraped their nests into the beaches of the Seashore in 2007. The Piping Plover has been down-graded to a lesser 'threatened' level in recent years, and biologists patted themselves on their collective back. While the 141% increase in plover numbers is impressive, the recovery of the species has set the local community into a tizzy.

Protecting Piping Plovers involves "excluding" their nests from predators, and beach-goers, alike. Large sections of prime off-roading and fishing beaches are roped off once the plovers establish nests each spring. The driving restrictions extend through the summer until plover chicks fledge--sometimes into September. Businesses such as Nelson’s Bait and Tackle have complained of dramatic decreases in sales, and tourists have accused the small birds of ruining their vacations. Stuck between a rock and a hard place, the Cape Cod National Seashore has been forced to look at alternatives to closing entire beaches during breeding season. This winter, they worked on an Environmental Assessment and gathered the public's input to try and make peace with beach-goers while providing protection to this controversial little bird.

So, stay tuned--I'll report on the findings of the EA once they're available...