The Cape
Cod chapter of the American Lighthouse Foundation has operated a
successful overnight stay and educational program at Race Point Light
Station in Provincetown, MA, since 1998. Over the last two years, this
program has demonstrated that it not only can operate effectively under
normal conditions, but also while Federal and State agencies enact
Photo byBob Trapani, Jr.
The Cape Cod Chapter has facilitated a
successful overnight stay program at
Race Point Light Station since 1998
restrictive measures to ensure the full protection of
endangered species.
During the 2006 season the
lighthouse was closed for six weeks, resulting in a major loss of revenue
for the Cape Cod Chapter that is critical for the upkeep of Race Point Light
Station, as well as nearby Wood End and Long Point lights.
Subsequently, an agreement
was worked out between U.S. Fish & Wildlife, the National Park Service,
Massachusetts Division of Fisheries & Wildlife,
Photo by Bob Trapani, Jr.
An view of sandy Pole Line Road that
leads visitors over beautiful sand dunes within Cape National Seashore
to Race Point Light Station
the United States Coast
Guard, which is still the Federal landowner of Race Point Light Station,
and the nonprofit American Lighthouse Foundation, which maintains the
historic site through a Coast Guard license agreement.
The Race Point
Lighthouse Essential Vehicle Management Plan, which was created through
teamwork between the
aforementioned organizations, has provided the piping plover
with full protection per Federal regulations, while also permitting limited
access to Race Point Light Station during the beach closure season. The plan
has been a real success story and demonstrates the kind of effectiveness
that can be realized by working together.
The Race Point Lighthouse
Essential Vehicle Management Plan enables Cape Cod Chapter volunteers to
work closely with the Cape National Seashore on
an escort program that
has permitted one round trip per day in and out of the area requiring
protection for the piping plover.
This has meant that
guests could continue to enjoy the opportunity of staying overnight at
Race Point even though the access road and the beaches nearby had been
closed to all public vehicle traffic while the endangered piping
Photo by David Spang
Maureen Burgess escorts a Cape Cod
Chapter SUV through the piping plover nesting area along Pole Line Road
near Race Point Light Station
plovers were nesting and raising their chicks.
Access to the light station
is via a two-mile road over the dunes through soft sand within Cape National
Seashore. The Cape Cod chapter facilitates this access by deploying several
4x4 Suburban SUVs that are used to transport guests and their supplies to
the light station. There is no other means to get there, except by walking.
The Race Point Lighthouse
Essential Vehicle Management Plan has allowed the Cape Cod chapter to remain
operating by creating a system that
Photo by David Spang
A view of a piping plover in what was
identified as near "Nest 6"
trained
a few people in the skills needed to properly monitor plover chicks
while they were running around, and before they had fledged (learned to
fly). These same people were then able to act as escorts to lead the
lighthouse vehicles through the critical areas for one round trip per
day.
The principal reason that
more care is needed with Piping Plovers than the other listed birds that
also use the Cape beaches to nest, is that the Plover chicks don’t remain at
the nest while they are maturing as do the various terns that nest on the
same beaches.
The Plover chicks are
described as “precocious”, meaning that as soon as they hatch they are up
and moving and leave the nest scrape within a few
hours. It takes them
approximately four weeks to reach fledging maturity, and during that
time they run around feeding themselves instead of relying on the
adults.
The adults stay with
them, monitor them, and attempt to protect them from harm by sacrificing
themselves through a variety of actions that try
Photo by David Spang
A view of piping plover eggs in a
scrape near Pole Line Road
to draw a predator’s attention to the adult instead of the
chicks. Since the adults can fly, they usually get away when the predator
goes after them while the chicks hide. The problem arises when human
activity enters the equation.
People walking nearby are
not too much of a problem as long as they keep their pets on a leash, stay
far enough away and don’t harass the birds, keep them away from the nest too
long, or prevent them from feeding. The problem arises when vehicles are
used on the same beaches being inhabited by plovers. The deep ruts created
by the off-road vehicle tires can trap the tiny young chicks that are not
big or strong enough to climb out.
The chick’s method of
protecting themselves when threatened is to freeze, squat down, and hope
that their camouflage coloration will keep them from being noticed. The
result is chick fatality when this occurs in tire ruts being
Photo by Bob Trapani, Jr.
Thanks to a collaborative effort between
ALF, its Cape Cod Chapter and federal and state agencies, both
endangered species and Race Point Light Station continue to be protected
driven over by
SUVs. Since the number of this species is low enough to be put on the
endangered list, the loss of any plovers due to human carelessness or
indifference cannot be tolerated. Thus the system of rules set up by
Federal government for the protection of the piping plover.
The procedure followed
by the lighthouse escort monitors is that they travel into the area of
concern early in the day,
find the various broods that are feeding near the route to be used by the
vehicles, and make sure that the chicks and adults are present, and out of
harms way. Then, and only then, is anyone permitted to go to the lighthouse,
meet the keeper who is driving, and lead the ALF vehicle slowly out to the
parking lot.
Shortly after that, the ALF
vehicle is led back in to Race Point Light Station with any new guests
aboard. Only one round trip of up to two ALF vehicles is permitted per day.
No private vehicles are allowed while the area is under the beach closure
rules.
This has meant that the Cape
Cod chapter has had to cut back a bit, because the Whistle House that is now
available to rent for a minimum of a week at a time is not being used during
this limited access time period. People that chose to stay in the whistle
house usually want their own vehicle with them so that they can come and go
to their own schedule. Usually the Whistle House is available by the middle
of August and well into the fall season.
The escorts are trained by
National Seashore plover Rangers to be able to recognize the birds, get to
know their behavior, and how to monitor them without harassing them. An ATV
is used to travel to the area and to lead the ALF vehicles in and out. The
ATV is used because it gives the escort an excellent view of the road ahead
and allows the rider to hear the peeps of any birds nearby. It takes a
couple of weeks of fairly intensive work to be sufficiently qualified to
operate without supervision. A form is filled out each day and a report is
filed with U.S. Fish & Wildlife, as well as with the Cape National Seashore
at the end of each week.
An annual meeting has been
held in the fall to review the program and make any improvements or
necessary changes for the next season. The escorts are paid for their hours
on duty, but usually volunteer many more hours to be trained and to keep the
overall operation a success.
Thanks to this wonderful
example of teamwork between government agencies and the nonprofit American
Lighthouse Foundation and its local volunteers – the Cape Cod Chapter, the
protection of endangered species and the adaptive reuse of a historic light
station like Race Point for preservation and public education, can occur
simultaneously and effectively.
