Vehicular Prohibition at Island Beach

[Angler Paul]

JCAA/NJOA Alert
Vehicular Prohibition at Island Beach State Park

Vehicular access at Island Beach State Park from A-23 south to the jetty will be temporarily prohibited due to a pair of nesting piping plovers. Vehicles will still be allowed to access the beach from A-23 but will only be allowed to proceed north. The closure will begin on 6/30 and most likely extend until 8/7. Piping plovers are a threatened species and our State is obligated to take this action due to the Endangered Species Act. Federal guidelines call for a 1000 meter protective radius around the nesting site. The nest site is being monitored by a camera and there is an electrified cage around it protecting the birds from predators. Their four eggs are expected to hatch around 7/3 at which time they will roam from the nest. By 8/7 they should be big enough to fly and be on their own so vehicular access is expected to be restored at that time. Access by foot from A-23 to the jetty will still be allowed but those accessing the area in this manner must stay outside the cordoned off areas. No pets at all will be allowed south of A-23. Park police will be making frequent checks of the area. Anyone interfering with these birds could face fines from the State up to $5000. as well as Federal fines up to $25,000

[Capt Joe]

Thats a joke......right?

[Jigman13]

They taste like chicken

[NoLimit]

1000m protective area? They must be on drugs

[Ry609]

https://www.fws.gov/plover/q&a.html

7. Why are piping plover populations declining?/What are the threats to the piping plover?

Piping plovers often nest on beaches where people like to live and enjoy the shoreline. Their nests accidently get stepped on or crushed by people and vehicles. The presence of people also may cause the birds to desert the nest, exposing eggs or chicks to the hot sun and predators. Interruption of feeding may stress juvenile birds during critical periods in their life cycle. Pets, especially dogs, may harass or kill the birds. Many of the coastal beaches traditionally used by piping plovers for nesting, feeding, and roosting have been lost to commercial, residential, and recreational developments. Also, developments near beaches provide food that attracts increased numbers of predators such as racoons, skunks, and foxes. Water level manipulation along the major rivers may also lead to loss of breeding habitat. In order to recover the piping plover and remove it from the endangered species list, threats to reproductive success at breeding grounds must be addressed. Availability of quality foraging and roosting habitat in the regions where this species winters is necessary in order to insure that an adequate number of adults survive to migrate back to breeding sites and successfully nest.

[SaltLife1980]

How do you put a electrified cage around the nest without messing with it? That sucks! Going to shut that down for one bird

[bigal427]

What a joke shut it down for one nest.