Update on Wellfleet beaches, kiting, and the CCNS / NPS

News from the Wahine team riders

05. 29.09

Wellfleet bayside

As you may or may not remember, the Wellfleet Board of Selectmen voted against restricting kiting on the Wellfleet-owned beaches in March, but the Cape Cod National Seashore (CCNS) prohibits kiteboarding on its bayside property.

This past week, the Wellfleet kiters who have been following this issue and keeping us informed posted signs on the beaches that explain the regulations in more detail, but some “oops” incidents have already occurred. We’ve heard that Seashore biologists spotted two kiters in closed areas on Mother’s Day (May 10).

Word is that there are currently three plover nests between Duck Harbor and the Gut, with one very near the Duck Harbor town landing. The proximity of that nest to the Duck Harbor landing is going to make launching, landing, or riding near the landing a tactical challenge until the plovers fledge.

You can expect to see National Park Service (NPS) rangers and biologists at the Wellfleet sites and even if you can’t see them, they’ll certainly be able to see you…

Wahines who kite in Wellfleet: please take a moment to re-read the summary of the restrictions from our News for kiters posting from 3/27/09.

We can’t control what other kiters do but we can set good examples and do our best to gently educate others. It’s really, really important to observe the National Seashore’s prohibition of kiting on its property if we don’t want to get kicked off the Wellfleet beaches, too.

We'll continue to post updates as info comes our way...