BUXTON (AP) — Ramps that allow access to one of the most popular surf fishing sites on the Outer Banks are closed because workers with the National Park Service found a piping plover nest with three chicks.
Park Service officials say Ramps 43 and 44 on the Cape Hatteras National Seashore are closed temporarily to traffic. The ramps allow access to Cape Point in Buxton.
Officials say the chicks hatched early Thursday morning.
Beach driving and fishing groups have opposed expanded closures and permit requirements imposed early last year by the seashore. Vehicle access is most limited in June, which is the height of the nesting season for a variety of shorebirds and sea turtles.
The Park Service says pedestrians can still go to Cape Point.