US National Park Service seeking public comments on whether or not to allow kitesurfing

[WMFG]

We did it!!

Thanks to Toby and all my international kitesurfing friends! I truly believe it must have been the number of comments the NPS received, along with my statement about the case to the Cape Cod National Seashore Advisory Commission, that must have made a difference.

We've set an important precedence that the NPS acknowledges that kitesurfing and wildlife conservation can coexist! So thank you all for helping to make this happen!!

http://www.capecodtimes.com/news/201703 ... fing-areas

There's typically a lot of hours put in by a handful of kiteboarders finding out the details, raising awareness, making calls and emails behind the scenes on these things. As someone who has been involved in beach access issues I'll say it's quite a lot of work and typically a thankless task.

So to all the people who helped with this a big Thanks!

[CaptainArgh]

This is great news.

The more common result is that kiters do not band together and push back, or they pull together a weak response and are shoved to the side. Nice work. This is indeed a precedence that will help threatened access in other areas as well.

[windwahine]

Just wanted to update the international kitesurfing community here because of all the fantastic support you have provided.

In 2017 we celebrated the retirement of Cape Cod National Seashore Superintendent George Price by kitesurfing the beautiful stretch of Atlantic coastline we were able to access thanks to all of your support! And while a new Super hasn't been appointed yet, I have been in discussions with the Interim Super in preparation for next year. The feedback I received from the Seashore about last season was positive, and we were able to show them (now that all eyes are on us) that we are a responsible and respectful group that can be trusted to follow the rules and coexist with the other National Seashore users. I appreciate everyone's compliance and due diligence who came here as it will help keep our access as well as esteem for our sport. Reading through your comments on my petition http://kiteforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=1& ... n+petition, so many of you understood that the science and the data just isn't there to support their claims that kitesurfing harms shorebirds. And more importantly our government officials shouldn't be allowed to make public policy based on personal bias and that lacks scientific findings. I made a Freedom of Information request to the National Park Service and was able to get the results of the public comment period from a year ago, and I wanted to share them with you. In one month the NPS received a noteworthy 247 comments, 13 of which supported banning kitesurfing in Cape Cod National Seashore, and with 234 in opposition to the ban. I couldn't be more grateful to all of you who took the time to write, as well as those of you who signed my petition. Together your voices were heard, and were able to make a difference. And I thank every one of you, because you each counted and I couldn't have done it without you.

[BWD]

Thank you!

[windrider1]

Great job. your work is appreciated. I think we can all coexist together if we try hard enough and like u said remove personal bias.

[gbrungra]

Great news, thanks for the update!

Even if I don't kite cape cod, it's great to set precedent for the USA national parks system!

[TomW]

Do you have any data about the effects of kitesurfing on birds/ wildlife?
This is what is needed. Opinions are not enough.

We have same problem here( Sweden) : bureaucrats that use personal opinion/interest and turn that into scientific fact. Then when kitesurfers point to the few studies that have been made, disregard them because they are not " scientifically complete".

Best we've been able to do is carve out some " zones" we can kite in. Restrictions have actally had limited impact on the kiting activity , so it's unclear why they went to the trouble to do it. Perhaps to mollify those 13 bird watchers.

[windwahine]

Do you have any data about the effects of kitesurfing on birds/ wildlife? This is what is needed. Opinions are not enough.

Specific studies on the effects of kitesurfing on birds, no. But there have been studies by the US Agricultural Industry and Federal Aviation Administration on the use of kites as deterrents to keep birds away from runways and crops (as if it could be that easy). Needless to say they don't work, and if the kites don't look like predatory birds and act like predators, and there are no negative consequences, birds become quickly habituated to their presence. Birds are smarter than past "experts" gave them credit for.

Furthermore US Fish & Wildlife and Audubon's own data show that shorebirds are successfully fledging and returning year after year to the most popular kitesurfing beaches here on Cape Cod, so how is kiting in particular threatening their survival? Predators, loss of habitat/erosion, and human disturbance in general are bigger threats.

In the US, government officials aren't supposed to implement policy that results in a radical change in park usage without clear findings of environmental impact. Without any proof of kiting's negative impact, IMHO the previous Superintendent violated park policy by banning kitesurfing after 10+ years at Cape Cod National Seashore. It's not just on us alone to prove kitesurfing's effect on birds. It goes both ways.

[Peert]

Do you have any data about the effects of kitesurfing on birds/ wildlife?
This is what is needed. Opinions are not enough.

COWI has done a 50 page literature review on the studies investigating the relation between kites and bird disturbance.

GKA has this document. I suggest you contact them for it.

At the moment a study is carried out at a spot here in the Netherlands (state funded). On behalf of the Dutch Kitesurfing Association (NKV) I am (as a biologist/ecologist) involved reading the concept reports etc. In time the report will be available as well (in Dutch).

[longwhitecloud]

In NZ the council paid for someone to study.. showed that kiters had less effect than others recreational users.

You are usually dealing with someone that has decided they are God's gift to saving the birds and that s their purpose in life.. retired.. plenty of time on their hands... That usually makes things immediately unfair.. they will wear you out over the years, and then probably die shortly after legislation change - of old age.

Don't worry though cos youth suicide can keep creeping up and everyone can stay at home staring at devices when you are 6 foot under. Awesome work.