Preserving Public Access to Cape Hatteras Beaches Act
Official title: A bill to authorize pedestrian and motorized vehicular access in Cape Hatteras National Seashore Recreational Area, and for other purposes.
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Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 180.
Preserving Public Access to Cape Hatteras Beaches Act - Directs the Secretary of the Interior to review and modify wildlife buffers in the Cape Haterras National Seashore Recreational Area in North Carolina.
Requires the Secretary, in modifying such wildlife buffers, to: (1) ensure that they are of the shortest duration and cover the smallest area necessary to protect a species, and (2) designate pedestrian and vehicle corridors around areas of the National Seashore closed because of wildlife buffers to allow access to areas that are open.
Requires the Secretary to determine appropriate buffer protections for species that are not listed under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, but that are identified for protection under state law.
Instructs the Secretary to undertake a public process to consider the following changes to the final rule: (1) opening beaches at the National Seashore that are closed to night driving restrictions, (2) extending seasonal off-road vehicle routes for additional periods in the Fall and Spring if off-road vehicle use would not create resource management problems at the National Seashore, and (3) modifying the size and location of vehicle-free areas.
Requires the Secretary to construct new vehicle access points and roads at the National Seashore: (1) as expeditiously as practicable, and (2) in accordance with applicable management plans for the National Seashore.
- Introduced in Senate Formatted Text PDF Formatted XML
- Reported to Senate Formatted Text PDF Formatted XML
Cite this page
U.S. Congress. (2026). S. 486: Preserving Public Access to Cape Hatteras Beaches Act. 113th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/113-S-486/
"S. 486: Preserving Public Access to Cape Hatteras Beaches Act." 113th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/113-S-486/.
S. 486, 113th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/113-S-486/.
[S. 486: Preserving Public Access to Cape Hatteras Beaches Act](https://openamerica.io/bill/113-S-486/)