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Sunday, May 29, 2016

It’s Official, Bay Island Retreat Now Off Limits To People To Allow For Bird Nesting

OCEAN CITY — A sandy spit in the Isle of Wight Bay that became a focal point of sorts last summer in a skirmish between public access and habitat protection is officially off limits to recreational boaters with Memorial Day arriving this weekend after the island was turned over to the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) earlier this month.

When the federal Army Corps of Engineers dredged the navigation channels around the resort in 2015, roughly 400,000 cubic yards of sand and dredged material was dedicated to restoring some of the islands in the coastal bays that hadn’t been seen since the 1930s, including a roughly four-acre spit now called Tern Island. Restoring the islands essentially accomplished the dual goals of finding a home for the dredged material while creating crucial habitat for endangered nesting colonial nesting birds in the coastal bays.

However, a conflict of interest quickly arose last summer for the newly-created island. From the beginning, recreational boaters were drawn to the sandy spit in the Isle of Wight Bay and hundreds of boaters dropped anchor and waded ashore all summer, creating a weekend retreat for families and friends. Tern Island’s legacy as a weekend boating hub was solidified last June when a small group of boaters waded ashore with an American flag and bags of concrete and raised Old Glory in a spontaneous act of patriotism. For the rest of the summer, the island was used extensively by recreational boaters for cookouts, horseshoe games and other summer activities, but it was widely believed its days as a weekend retreat were likely numbered.

That came to fruition on May 9 when the state’s Board of Public Works formally conveyed Tern Island to the DNR as part of the Sinepuxent Wildlife Management Area. As a result, Tern Island is now officially closed to the public from April 1 to Sept. 15, when the colonial migratory birds are nesting. Essentially the closure dates coincide with the height of the recreational boating season in the resort. The island and other similarly protected islands in the coastal bays are now posted with signs along the shoreline alerting boaters the areas are off limits.

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20 comments:

Anonymous said...

What a bunch of idiots. We the tax payers paid for that dump and we should be able to use it. Fire everyone of those politicians who voted for this.

Anonymous said...

It is all about more and more Govt control. There is little power in the word Yes and much power in the word NO.

Anonymous said...

God forbid we allow birds to use ONE TINY SPECK OF LAND for themselves, after we absolutely desecrated their habitat from Rehoboth to Ocean City. It's literally the least we could do.

Anonymous said...

522 are you off your pills again?

Anonymous said...

5:22 I wholeheartedly agree, as do all those with an IQ above that of a frog.

Jim said...

The island was built for the birds... but was completed after their nesting season last year, thus that was why people were allowed there. This season it is all about the birds, which is what is was funded for.And a lot of that was grant money not tax money.

Anonymous said...

5:22 (and 8:46). Maybe the birds could fly about .25 miles south and nest at assateague. If they are not resilient enough to find a spot around here with all of the little islands and vacant beaches then maybe they shouldn't survive. Really? Their only hope is a tiny man made island where people like to hang out? Come on....

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
God forbid we allow birds to use ONE TINY SPECK OF LAND for themselves, after we absolutely desecrated their habitat from Rehoboth to Ocean City. It's literally the least we could do.

May 26, 2016 at 5:22 PM

It's a dump you moron. It's poisonous remember. That is where they dumped the dredge spoil, don't you all remember saying how dangerous that spoil was and you can't put it anywhere. Remember why you tree hugging, bird watching goons said about the Chesapeake Bay?? You said the same thing, but won't you be "poisoning" the birds on that tiny speck of land?

What's wrong with humans using it? Those birds have plenty of land to perch on at Assateague, remember? You goons are doing every thing you can to prevent us from driving our trucks on that little speck of land.

You left wing nut liberals are ruining everything. I pray that Trump gets elected and we can deport you morons with the illegal Muslim alien from Kenya in the White House.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
5:22 I wholeheartedly agree, as do all those with an IQ above that of a frog.

May 26, 2016 at 8:46 PM

Yep, all two of you morons.

Anonymous said...

Jim said...
The island was built for the birds... but was completed after their nesting season last year, thus that was why people were allowed there. This season it is all about the birds, which is what is was funded for.And a lot of that was grant money not tax money.

May 26, 2016 at 9:31 PM


Um... Libtard Jim... Don't you know where "grant money" comes from??

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
5:22 (and 8:46). Maybe the birds could fly about .25 miles south and nest at assateague. If they are not resilient enough to find a spot around here with all of the little islands and vacant beaches then maybe they shouldn't survive. Really? Their only hope is a tiny man made island where people like to hang out? Come on....

May 26, 2016 at 10:11 PM

Bingo!! Winner Winner, Chicken Dinner!!

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
522 are you off your pills again?

May 26, 2016 at 7:17 PM

Yes the guy from Assateague Coastkeeper, Kathy Phillips is off his meds again.

You remember Mr. Phillips don't you. He is the one that lost his law suit against the Hudson Farms and Perdue. He is now trying to get chicken houses(Perdue) banned in Wicomico County. Those Tree Huggers are dangerous and need to be put in their place.

Anonymous said...

Wonder if they would close beach at inlet parking lot, if one of these protected birds nested there.

Anonymous said...

Why don't you go to Assateague? The only place for you to sit in a beach chair is a tiny speck of land? You have 30 miles of beaches to sun yourself.

Anonymous said...

Moron? Look in the mirror kook, there is the moron. The toxic dredge spoil was an issue in the Chesapeake Bay. The dredge material was from industrialized areas. The Isle of Wight Bay is free from industry so the sand is free of the toxins.

Anonymous said...

633 haha. Nice one. Nah, think Mr. Bird would be dealt with quietly. No money no nest.

Anonymous said...

Scenario:
100 picnickers decend on said spit of land with full summer cookout and party gear. Well Armed.
The first government mercenaries that try anything get punished. Severely.
DNR and all that defend it or work for it are thieves.

1. NO ONE SHOULD HAVE TO PAY ANY FEE TO A GOVERNMENT TO UTILIZE NATURE FOR PLEASURE OR SURVIVAL.
2. HUMANS TAKE PRECEDENCE OVER ANIMALS.

If you really want to spur the economy, increase tax revenue and save money, Eliminate 90% of DNR enforcement and regulations. Keep a skeleton crew for commercial enforcement, no more. Let the rest of those chump tax suckers go pack sand.
Eliminate the sport fishing license and boat registration fees.
Dollars spent on the Chesapeake bay sport fishing industry would increase 20 fold.

Anonymous said...

Brilliant idea, worked great in Oregon.

Anonymous said...

Worked great in Boston, Yorktown, Baltimore too when we kicked out the British.

Anonymous said...

So you are eager to kill your fellow countrymen over the right to expose your hide to UV rays wherever you feel like it? Go Patriot!!!