This table summarizes current use of off-road vehicles at U.S. Atlantic Coast breeding sites. Where vehicle activity allowed on a site is different during the piping plover season than when birds are not present, the table provides information about vehicle use during the breeding season. At some sites, use of vehicles during the breeding season is managed in accordance with detailed protocols or management plans designed to avoid take of breeding plovers, eggs, and chicks. Where applicable, these have been summarized in the right-hand column, "Measures to Prevent Take."
|
NONE (emergency) | PP MON/MGT trips/week | OTHER MGT trips/week | RESIDENTS trips/week | SERV/COMM trips/week | RECREATION trips/week | MEASURES TO PREVENT TAKE |
| SOUTH CAROLINA | |||||||
| Waites Island (SC-1) | X | ||||||
| NORTH CAROLINA | |||||||
| Bodie Island (So. end)
(NC-1) |
1 | X | X | No breeding on this site in recent years; site is being monitored. | |||
| Cape Hatteras Point (NC-2) | 3-4 | X | X | Known nesting and foraging areas posted off-limits prior to season; monitoring to detect any new foraging areas and immediate fencing of any new areas where plovers are observed; regular enforcement patrols. | |||
| Currituck Outer Banks
(NC-3) |
X | X | X | X | X | Nesting areas on FWS lands posted; private lands posted with landowner permission; foraging areas unprotected. | |
| Figure 8 Island (NC-4) | X | ||||||
| Hatteras Inlet (No. side)
(NC-5) |
3-4 | X | X | Same as Cape Hatteras Point. | |||
| Holden Beach/Shallote Inlet (NC-6) | X | ||||||
| Long Beach/Lockwood Folly's Inlet (NC-7) | X | ||||||
| North Core Banks (NC-8) | 5-7 | X | X | X | Same as Cape Hatteras Point. | ||
| Ocracoke Island (No. and So. ends) (NC-9) | 3-4 | X | X | Same as Cape Hatteras Point. | |||
| Pea Island NWR (NC-10) | 7 (sea turtle monitoring) | No plovers nesting on this site in recent years. | |||||
| Rachel Carson's Estuary/
Bird Shoals (NC-11) |
X | ||||||
| Shackleford Banks (NC-12) | 3 (sea turtle monitoring) | No plovers nesting on this site in recent years. | |||||
| South Core Banks (NC-13) | 1-2 | X | X | Same as Cape Hatteras Point. | |||
| Sunset Beach (NC-14) | X | ||||||
| Topsail Beach (NC-15) | X | Municipal ordinance prohibits ORV's on beaches during plover/seaturtle nesting season. | |||||
| VIRGINIA | |||||||
| Assateague/Tom's Cove Hook (VA-1) | 7 | 1 | |||||
| Assateague/Wash Flats
(VA-2) |
X | ||||||
| Assateague/Wild Beach
(VA-3) |
7 | 1 | |||||
| Assawoman Island (VA-4) | X | ||||||
| Cedar Island (VA-5) | 10 | 5 | 1990 Corps permit restricts use of private vehicles by users of community pier during plover breeding season (pier has not yet been constructed). Signs and symbolic fencing in vicinity of nesting areas on north end. FWS has sent letters to property owners regarding plover vulnerability to ORV's and other disturbance. | ||||
| Cedar Sandbar (VA-6) | X | ||||||
| Cobb Island (VA-7) | X | ||||||
| Craney Island (VA-8) | 3 | Road barriers, signs | |||||
| Fisherman Island (VA-9) | 1 | 1 | |||||
| Grandview Beach (VA-10) | X | ||||||
| Hog Island (VA-11) | 3 | 1 | Signs in vicinity of nesting areas. | ||||
| Metompkin Island, North (VA-12) | X | ||||||
| Metompkin Island, South (VA-13) | X | ||||||
| Myrtle Island (VA-14) | X | ||||||
| New Island (VA-15) | X | ||||||
| Parramore Island (VA-16) | 2-3 | ||||||
| Ship Shoal (VA-17) | X | ||||||
| Smith Island (VA-18) | X | ||||||
| Wallops Island (VA-19) | X | ||||||
| Wreck Island (VA-20) | X | ||||||
| MARYLAND | |||||||
| Assateague Island National Seashore (MD-1) | 10 | southern area only | only on southern Maryland portion, and where no broods are present | Piping Plover Management Plan (NPS 1993c) minimizes ORV use and provides for intensive training of monitors operating ORV's; main northern nesting area is closed to recreational ORV use and NPS patrols use boats for non-emergency access. Beach in southern Maryland is monitored regularly, ORV's are restricted from areas within 200 m around nests and from brood foraging areas; nests in this area have been rare in recent years. | |||
| DELAWARE | |||||||
| Beach Plum Island Nature Preserve (DE-1) | northern 1/3 only | northern 1/3 only |
No plovers nesting at this area in recent years. Any nests established or broods will be protected per Delaware Piping Plover Management Plan (DNREC 1990) and an Annual Beach Management Plan. | ||||
| Cape Henlopen State Park
(DE-2) |
only to transport exclosure materials | X | X | Delaware Piping Plover Management Plan (DNREC 1990) prohibits ORV's (and pedestrians) within 100 yards of nests and chicks. | |||
| Delaware Seashore State Park (DE-3) | X | X | |||||
| Fenwick Island State Park
(DE-4) |
X | X | Same as Beach Plum Island Nature Preserve. | ||||
| NEW JERSEY | |||||||
| Avalon Complex - Avalon Dunes and Avalon North (NJ-1) | 1 (early season use to erect fences) | >50 | Nesting area fenced, I&E with municipal officials and employees | ||||
| Avalon Complex - Townsend's
Inlet
(NJ-2) |
only to erect and remove fences | 2 | Nesting area fenced, I&E with municipal officials and employees | ||||
| Barnegat Light (NJ-3) | 1 | 20 | Nesting area fenced, I&E with municipal officials and employees | ||||
| Brigantine South (So. Beach and Inlet) (NJ-4) | 2 | 25 | S. Beach: 75
trips on about
20% of beach
Inlet: 200 |
Approximately 80% of habitat at S. Beach is closed to vehicles; sym. fence protects nests; I&E; volunteer wardens | |||
|
Brigantine Inlet - Little Beach (NJ-5) |
X | ||||||
| Brigantine Inlet - North Brigantine (NJ-6) | 2/mo | 350 | No plovers nesting at this site in recent years. | ||||
| Champagne Island (Hereford Inlet) (NJ-7) | X | ||||||
| Coast Guard North (Two Mile Beach) (NJ-8) | 14 | Fencing to protect nests, I&E with USCG personnel | |||||
| Coast Guard South (NJ-9) | X | ||||||
| Holgate (NJ-10) | 21 | FWS ORV use only | |||||
| Island Beach State Park
(NJ-11) |
1/mo | 50 | 400 | Northern end closed to ORV's, beach-nesting birds mentioned in I&E program required to obtain ORV permit | |||
| Mantoloking Beach (NJ-12) | within Mantaloking | 5 (ATV's) | Some I&E with Brick Township personnel | ||||
| North Wildwood (NJ-13) | 1 | 100+ | 14 | Sym. fence around nesting area, I&E with municipal officials and employees | |||
| Ocean City Complex - Longport (NJ-14) | X (amount unknown) | ||||||
| Ocean City Complex - Waverly Beach (NJ-15) | 15 | Inform city managers of nest/brood locations | |||||
| Sandy Hook - Coast Guard Beach (NJ-16) | 4 | Only NPS natural resource vehicles are permitted | |||||
| Sandy Hook - Critical Zone
(NJ-17) |
7 | ||||||
| Sandy Hook - Gunnison Beach (NJ-18) | |||||||
| Sandy Hook - North Beach
(NJ-19) |
|||||||
| Sea Isle City Complex - Corson's Inlet (NJ-20) | 1 | 21 | Fencing of nesting area, inform park personnel | ||||
| Sea Isle City Complex - Sea Isle City (NJ-21) | 1 | 30 | +/-1 | Fencing of nesting area, I&E with and strong cooperation of municipal employees | |||
| Sea Isle City Complex Strathmere (NJ-22) | X | ||||||
| Sea Isle City Complex - Whale Beach (NJ-23) | X | ||||||
| South Cape May Meadows (NJ-24) | 1x/week | ||||||
| NEW YORK | |||||||
| Accabonac Harbor (NY-1) | only to erect fences | X | X | X | Vehicle closures on approximately 80% of beach during nesting season | ||
| Alder Island (NY-2) | X | ||||||
| Breezy Point to Far Rockaway (NY-3) | X | NPS: Pedestrian escort required in front of
permittee's trash removal truck
Private: Vehicles not allowed in nesting areas; pedestrian escort required in front of each trash removal and beach cleaning vehicle | |||||
| Cedar Beach Point (NY-4) | only to erect fences | illegal use | |||||
| Cedar Point (NY-5) | X | X | X | One side of peninsula is closed to vehicles during nesting season, but some plovers nest on the side where vehicles are used | |||
| Conkling Point (NY-6) | X | ||||||
| Corey Creek Mouth (NY-7) | X | ||||||
| Crab Creek/Shell Beach (NY-8) | X | Beach closed to vehicles during the nesting season | |||||
| Crab Meadow Beach (NY-9) | only to erect fences | X | |||||
| Cutchogue Harbor (NY-10) | X | ||||||
| Eatons Neck Point (NY-11) | X | X | |||||
| Fire Island (NY-12) | X (on State and County land) | X (on State and County land) | X (on private land) | X (on private land) | X (on State and County land) | NPS prohibits ORV use during the nesting season; area where birds currently nest at Smith Point County Park is closed to recreational ORV's, but other suitable habitat is open to vehicles | |
| Fishers Island (NY-13) | unknown | ||||||
| Flax Pond Beach (NY-14) | X | ||||||
| Fresh Pond Landing
(NY-15) |
X | ||||||
| Goldsmith Inlet (NY-16) | unknown | ||||||
| Goose Creek Flanders Bay
(NY-17) |
X | ||||||
| Gull Pond West (NY-18) | illegal use | ||||||
| Hicks Island/Goff Point
(NY-19) |
only to erect fences | X | X (on portion of Goff Point beach) | No vehicle access to Hicks Island. Tip of Goff Point is closed to vehicles during nesting season, but other sections of this beach are impacted by vehicles. | |||
| Jessup Neck (NY-20) | X | X | X | No vehicle use on FWS lands; all use occurs on County park. | |||
| Jockey Creek Spoil Island
(NY-21) |
X | ||||||
| Jones Island (NY-22) | X | X | X (Sore Thumb and parts of Gilgo State Park) | Vehicle closures during plover nesting season at Gilgo State Park. Recreational vehicle use prohibited at Cedar and Overlook Beaches during the plover nesting season. At Jones Beach State Park most chicks forage away from official vehicles (recreational use not allowed) at ephemeral pools landward of the front beach. | |||
| Lionhead Beach (NY-23) | X | ||||||
| Lloyd Neck East Beach
(NY-24) |
X | ||||||
| Lloyd Point (NY-25) | X | ||||||
| Long Beach Island (NY-26) | X | X | |||||
| Long Beach Peninsula (NY-27) | X | X | |||||
| Long Beach Sag Harbor
(NY-28) |
illegal use | ||||||
| Majors Point to Gibsons Beach (NY-29) | X | ||||||
| Marratooka Point to Kimogener Point (NY-30) | X | ||||||
| Mattituck Inlet (NY-31) | X | illegal use | |||||
| Miamogue Point/Jamesport Town Beach (NY-32) | only to erect fence | illegal use | |||||
| Middle Pond Inlet (NY-33) | X | ||||||
| Mount Misery Point (NY-34) | only to erect fence | illegal use | |||||
| Old Field Beach (NY-35) | X | ||||||
| Orient Beach (NY-36) | only to erect fencing | X | X | Reduced use of park vehicles in vicinity of fenced nests and broods. | |||
| Oyster Pond (NY-37) | X | X | |||||
| Pine Neck (NY-38) | X (on approx. 50% of suitable habitat) | Peninsula is closed to vehicles during the nesting season, but approximately 50% of habitat is open to vehicle use. | |||||
| Plum Point (NY-39) | unknown | ||||||
| Port of Egypt (NY-40) | X | ||||||
| Red Cedar Point/Red Creek Pond (NY-41) | only to erect fencing | ||||||
| Richmond Creek (NY-42) | X | ||||||
| Robins Island (NY-43) | X | ||||||
| Sammys Beach Peninsula (NY-44) | only to erect fencing | X (on 10% of habitat) | Approximately 90% of habitat is closed to vehicles during nesting season. | ||||
| Sand City (NY-45) | X | ||||||
| Sebonac Creek (NY-46) | only to erect fencing | ||||||
| Sebonac Neck (NY-47) | only to erect fencing | X | X | ||||
| Short Beach (NY-48) | X | X | X | ||||
| Southhampton Beach to
Fairfield Pond Land Beach
(NY-49) |
X | X | X | X | |||
| Towd Neck/Wooley Pond (NY-50) | only to erect fencing | X | X | ||||
| Upper Beach/Lower Beach (NY-51) | only to erect fencing | X | X | X | |||
| Youngs Island (NY-52) | X | ||||||
| Wainscott Pond to Montauk Beach (NY-53) | X | X | X | X | Vehicle closures on some portions of beach. | ||
| West Meadow Beach
(NY-54) |
unknown | ||||||
| Westhampton Island
(NY-55) |
X | X | X (mostly east of Quogue) | X (mostly east of Quogue) | There is currently no ORV access to Cupsogue County Park. Agreement with Village of Westhampton Dunes prohibits ORV use on the ocean beach. | ||
| CONNECTICUT | |||||||
| Goshen Cove (CT-1) | X | ||||||
| Griswold Point (CT-2) | X | ||||||
| Hammonasset Beach
(CT-3) |
X | ||||||
| Housatonic R. Complex - Milford Point (CT-4) | X | ||||||
| Housatonic R. Complex - Short Beach (CT-5) | X | Vehicles drive seaward of symbolic fencing | |||||
| Lewis Gut Complex - Pleasure Beach (CT-6) | X | ||||||
| Lewis Gut Complex - Long Beach (CT-7) | X | ||||||
| Sandy Point (CT-8) | 1-2 (illegal) | Symbolic fencing | |||||
| RHODE ISLAND | |||||||
| Block Island (RI-1) | unknown | No piping plovers nesting on this site since 1978. | |||||
| Briggs Beach (RI-2) | 7 | ||||||
| East Matunuck State Beach (RI-3) | 1 | ||||||
| Maschaug Beach (RI-4) | 2 | 50+ | Vehicle use is discontinued after mid-May, before chicks hatch | ||||
| Napatree Point (RI-5) | X | ||||||
| Ninigret (RI-6) | X | ORV use prohibited on beach front from April 1 to September 15. Some illegal use (estimated +/- 5 trips/week) occurs on western end prior to Memorial Day weekend. | |||||
| Quicksand Pond (RI-7) | X | ||||||
| Trustom Pond NWR (RI-8) | 5-7 | ||||||
| Weekapaug (RI-9) | Vehicle travel limited to backdune road; no plovers using this site in recent years | ||||||
| MASSACHUSETTS | |||||||
| Chappaquiddick Island (Norton Point to the Gut) (MA-1) | >15 | 5 | >200 | 75% of nesting habitat closed to ORV's April 1; all areas with unfledged chicks closed to all vehicles in accordance with Guidelines for Managing Recreational Use of Beaches to Protect Piping Plovers, Terns, and Their Habitats in Massachusetts (MDFW 1993). | |||
| Coast Guard Beach (MA-2) | X | ||||||
| Crane Beach (MA-3) | 10 | X | |||||
| Cuttyhunk Island (MA-4) | <5 | <10 (ATV's) | |||||
| Dogfish Bar, Martha's Vineyard (MA-5) | X | ||||||
| Duxbury Beach (MA-6) | >7 | >200 | >200 | 75% of nesting habitat closed to ORV's April 1; 100 yard closure provided around all broods on front beach. Road between ocean and bayside beaches is a source of potential mortality for chicks moving between feeding sites. | |||
| Eel Point (MA-7) | X | Closed to vehicle traffic March 30. | |||||
| Great Point/The Galls (MA-8) | 7 | X | >100 | 75% of nesting habitat closed to ORV's April 1; all areas with unfledged chicks closed to all vehicles in accordance with Guidelines for Managing Recreational Use of Beaches to Protect Piping Plovers, Terns, and Their Habitats in Massachusetts (MDFW 1993). | |||
| Harding Beach (MA-9) | X | ||||||
| Head of the Meadows to Cahoon Hollow (MA-10) | 7 | ||||||
| Horseneck Beach/ Gooseberry Neck (MA-11) | >10 | ||||||
| Jeremy Point/Great Island (MA-12) | 4 | ||||||
| Little Beach/Barney's Joy (MA-13) | 1-2 | ||||||
| Marconi Beach (MA-14) | X | ||||||
| Monomoy Islands (MA-15) | wilderness island - no vehicles allowed | ||||||
| Muskeget Island (MA-16) | X | ||||||
| Nashawena Island (MA-17) | X | ||||||
| Nauset Beach (Chatham and Orleans) (MA-18) | 5 | 5 | >10 | >50 (peak) | 95% of nesting habitat closed to ORV's April 1; all areas with unfledged chicks closed to all vehicles in accordance with Guidelines for Managing Recreational Use of Beaches to Protect Piping Plovers, Terns, and Their Habitats in Massachusetts (MDFW 1993). | ||
| Nauset Spit/Plover Island
(MA-19) |
7 | 5 | >50 | ||||
| Plum Island (MA-20) | 5 | X (State reservation only) | FWS refuge: closed to vehicles during
nesting season.
State Park: 95% of nesting habitat closed to ORV's April 1; all areas with unfledged chicks closed to all vehicles in accordance with Guidelines for Managing Recreational Use of Beaches to Protect Piping Plovers, Terns, and Their Habitats in Massachusetts (MDFW 1993). | ||||
| Plymouth Beach (MA-21) | 5 | 5 | >200 | 90% of nesting habitat closed to ORV's April 1; about 60% of chick rearing habitat closed to ORV's when unfledged chicks are present | |||
| Popponesset Spit (MA-22) | X | ||||||
| Race Point Beach to High Head (MA-23) | 7 | 7 | >100 | 95% of nesting habitat closed to ORV's April 1; all areas with unfledged chicks closed to all vehicles in accordance with Guidelines for Managing Recreational Use of Beaches to Protect Piping Plovers, Terns, and Their Habitats in Massachusetts (MDFW 1993). | |||
| Richmond Pond/Cockeast Pond/Acoaxet (MA-24) | X | ||||||
| Sampson's Island - Dead Neck (MA-25) | X | ||||||
| Sandy Neck (MA-26) | 5 | 5 | X | >100 | 80% of nesting habitat closed to ORV's April 1; all areas with unfledged chicks closed to all vehicles in accordance with Guidelines for Managing Recreational Use of Beaches to Protect Piping Plovers, Terns, and Their Habitats in Massachusetts (MDFW 1993). | ||
| Scorton Creek/East Sandwich (MA-27) | X | ||||||
| Scusset Beach (MA-28) | X | ||||||
| Siasconset/Low Beach/
Tom Nevers (MA-29) |
<50 | Areas with unfledged chicks closed to all vehicles in accordance with Guidelines for Managing Recreational Use of Beaches to Protect Piping Plovers, Terns, and Their Habitats in Massachusetts (MDFW 1993); suitable nesting habitat remains open to vehicle use which may be deterring birds from establishing territories and nests | |||||
| Smith Point (MA-30) | >10 | >100 | |||||
| South Beach Island (MA-31) | X | ||||||
| South Cape Beach/ Washburn Island (MA-32) | X | ||||||
| South Shore, Martha's Vineyard (MA-33) | X | X | |||||
| Squibnocket Beach (MA-34) | X | ||||||
| Third Cliff (MA-35) | X | ||||||
| Town Neck/Springhill (MA-36) | X | ||||||
| Tuckernuck Island (MA-37) | X | ||||||
| Wood End/Long Point (MA-38) | 2 | ||||||
| MAINE | |||||||
| Crescent Surf/Laudholm Beaches (ME-1) | X | ||||||
| Goose Rocks/Batson River (ME-2) | X | ||||||
| Higgins Beach/Ram Island
(ME-3) |
X | ||||||
| Pine Point/Western Beach (ME-4) | X | ||||||
| Reid State Park (ME-5) | 2-3/year | Mgr. aware of PP locations | |||||
| Seawall/Popham/Hunnewell Beach (ME-6) | X | ||||||
|
URL address http://pipingplover.fws.gov/
Last updated March 15, 2000