Catherine Eastman
St. Augustine
Publication Date: 09/22/09
Editor: The re-opening of driving at Fort Matanzas National Monument is a violation of the Fort's own regulatory framework, the Endangered Species Act of 1973. As part of the Department of Interior, the Fort is turning a blind eye to the conservation of its natural resources.
A park is for recreation and enjoyment, not blatant abuse of the natural resources that the "National Monument" designation supposedly protects.
As it currently stands, the Fort is allowed to "piggy-back" on St. Johns County, allowing the county to manage the Matanzas ramp and provide services funded by county taxpayers.
The county, not the Fort, has a "contract" with the federal government: the Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP). Under this plan the county adheres to federal standards for the conservation of protected species, with the caveat that even within these guidelines, there will be incidental losses, or "takes" of some of these protected species (ITP).
Under this plan, the county is subjected to a host of restrictions/requirements, i.e., no driving is allowed in the conservation zones (CZs), mandatory training for operators of 4x4 vehicles, and maintaining a safe distance from marine turtle nests. None of these restrictions currently apply to the Fort.
Overwhelming scientific evidence proves beach driving to be detrimental to the natural habitat. Since the Fort is in its management plan stages, I feel it absolutely imperative to close the beach to driving immediately and conduct the proper biological assessments and impact studies of the coastal system to determine an environmentally sensitive way to manage the natural resources. This data should be used to determine what goals, strategies, and objectives the Fort will address in its management plan, not the weight of public opinion.
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