OCEAN CITY — Ocean City continues to monitor Assateague Island National Seashore’s draft General Management Plan (GMP) released last month with particular attention focused on the future of the barrier island’s north end.
The draft GMP will chart the future of the Assateague Island National Seashore with four alternatives ranging from maintaining the status quo to eventually allowing the barrier island to return to its natural primitive state. It’s not out of the realm of possibility that the state and federal partners that manage Assateague will someday let nature run its course and access to the barrier island could be limited and the man-made structures could be allowed to simply disappear when they are lost or damaged during more frequent and more severe storms. Likely somewhere in between is an alternative that will adapt the man-made structures to be more sustainable and possibly remove some from the island altogether while continuing to allow limited public access.
All of those alternatives are now on the table with the release last month of the proposed GMP for Assateague Island National Seashore. In the midst of the 90-day public comment period for the draft GMP, Ocean City officials continue to keep a close eye on the long-range plan and are considering officially weighing in on the proposal, particularly the sections that pertain to the north end of Assateague and the share Inlet.
At last week’s Coastal Resources Legislative Committee meeting, Planning and Community Development Director Bill Neville told committee members he had carefully vetted the proposed GMP, particularly the sections related to the north end and the Inlet, and recommended the committee develop some recommendations for official comments from the Mayor and Council.
“Ocean City’s relationship with the Park Service is such that we would likely only weigh in on the issues we share,” he said. “If the town of Ocean City were to provide comments, then this committee should discuss the issues related to the north end and the Inlet and make recommendations to the council.”
Under Alternative 3, which is the NPS preferred alternative, visitor use infrastructure would evolve to more sustainable designs and likely shift to more stable locations both on and off the island. Under Alternative 4, or the most draconian alternative, visitors would continue to use existing facilities and infrastructure until such time as they are lost or damaged by natural coastal processes. Lost or damaged facilities would either not be replaced, or would be minimally replaced with sustainable substitutes.
Ocean City officials are playing close attention to the outcome for each alternative, particularly Alternative 4, which would essentially allow existing man-made structures on the island to eventually just go away naturally. Because the federal government maintains the rock jetty on the south side of the Ocean City Inlet, resort officials would resist any alternative that would let the south jetty fall into disrepair and not be replaced.
It remains unlikely any long-range plan for the management of Assateague would include allowing the south jetty to simply go away over time. However, Neville said while Ocean City would not be directly affected by most of the alternatives, Alternative 4 certainly bears close attention.
“What does seem clear is that we share an interest in the Inlet,” he said. “Ocean City, Worcester County, the Army Corps, the harbor, the Coast Guard could all be effected by any long-range plans for the north end of the island.”
The Army Corps routinely dredges the Inlet and deposits the dredge spoil on the sand-starved north end of Assateague. In fact, that operation is going on this week with the Army Corps’ “Currituck” operating around the Inlet and the north end of the barrier island. It’s a long range plan to serve the dual purpose of keeping the Inlet clear for navigation while providing needed resources to Assateague. The preferred Alternative 3 includes provisions to establish separate zones tailored for different management strategies and Neville suggested the north end could be delineated as its own zone.
“A lot of hard work went into the north-end restoration project and we should know what their commitment is,” he said. “Alternative 3 includes different zones and is perfectly set up to include that north end in a zone. We need to let them know it’s a priority for us.”
Alternative 4 includes designating some areas as wilderness, which would eventually allow nature to simply take its course. In designated wilderness areas, storms and rising sea levels might breach the existing dunes, but they would not be restored or repaired. Neville warned against a potential wilderness designation for the north end adjacent to the Inlet.
“If the wilderness issue gets involved, they can’t touch a breach because they can’t use mechanized equipment,” he said. “I believe there should be a difference in the policy. If there is a wilderness designation for the north end, it could have a huge impact on Ocean City and the West Ocean City harbor.”
The Coastal Resources Legislative Committee agreed to carefully weigh the alternatives, particularly the sections related to the north end, and make recommendations to the council on official comments.