On July 7th at 10:00am, a North Carolina Highway Historic Marker is being dedicated to honor Carolista in her efforts to protect and preserve Jockey’s Ridge State Park.
It’s been almost 50 years since Carolista Fletcher Baum placed herself in the path of a bulldozer removing sand from Jockey’s Ridge and refused to move. The driver cut off the engine and talked with Baum. When the operator left, Baum took the distributor cap so the machine would not start.
Baum received word of the bulldozer from her three children who had long climbed the dune for the spectacular views it offered. Though local groups had talked about protecting the large dune from encroaching development for years, Baum was the driving force that made the idea a reality. She helped form the People to Preserve Jockey’s Ridge after her dramatic protest, raising money and organizing petition drives to capture the attention of state and local lawmakers. She even drove to Raleigh every day for three weeks to keep the dune in the minds of legislators.
In 1973, the Division of Parks and Recreation issued a report in favor of preserving Jockey’s Ridge as a state park, and a year later the dune was declared a National Natural Landmark. When the General Assembly appropriated funds to create the park in 1975, the preservation of the dune was secured for generations to come.
You can do your part too! Join the Friends of Jockey’s Ridge to help support, protect and preserve the dunes and to keep up to date on park events.
While a Rogallo Museum would be a wonderful tribute to the Rogallos, The Friends of Jockey’s Ridge have concerns regarding its location. As The Friends of Jockeys Ridge, our mission is to support, enhance and promote Jockey’s Ridge State Park as a significant geologic feature of the Outer Banks, North Carolina.
Since the initial article additional media coverage has led to additional questions and concerns:
Friends of Jockey’s Ridge remains steadfast in its mission to preserve and protect Jockey’s Ridge. On October 17, 2022 the Friends of Jockey’s Ridge Board of Directors unanimously adopted the attached resolution against The Rogallo Museum to be located at Jockey’s Ridge State Park.
Join Friends of Jockey’s Ridge to help preserve and protect Jockey’s Ridge. Become a member, make a donation, register to volunteer, and sign up to receive updates from Friends of Jockey’s Ridge today.
Against The Rogallo Museum to be Located at Jockey’s Ridge State Park
WHEREAS The Friends of Jockey’s Ridge (f/k/a The People to Preserve Jockey’s Ridge – Save Our Sand Dunes ‘SOS’) is a non-profit formed in the early 1970’s when the dunes were threatened with imminent development.
WHEREAS The Friends of Jockey’s Ridge’s mission is to support and promote public appreciation for Jockey’s Ridge State Park’s natural history and foster concern for the conservation of its unique and significant geological features to North Carolina and the United States.
WHEREAS in 1974, Jockey’s Ridge along with nearby Nags Head Woods was designated as a National Natural Landmark (“NNL”) by the U.S. Department of Interior.
WHEREAS each year the natural status of Jockey’s Ridge, Nags Head Woods and all designated NNLs throughout the United States is reported to the U.S. Secretary of the Interior who reviews and can remove any NNL designation if the resource for which the site was designated are lost or destroyed.
WHEREAS in 1975 Jockey’s Ridge was sanctioned as a North Carolina State Park with the land for the Park being fully purchased through collected (local) donations, The Nature Conservancy, Federal matching funds and State appropriations.
WHEREAS the primary mission of the N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation is to inspire citizens and visitors of the conservation and protection of natural beauty, ecological features, recreational and cultural resources specific to any State Park.
WHEREAS the Friends of Jockey’s Ridge specifically ask the N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation to honor its mission to conservation of Jockey’s Ridge State Park as an intact, naturally evolving ecosystem protected from development.
WHEREAS the Rogallo Foundation has submitted a Memorandum of Agreement (“MOA”) to the N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation for consideration in allowing a 12,000 square foot museum to be built on the grounds of State Park which is in contradiction to Jockey’s Ridge federal and state natural preservation missions by both The Friends of Jockey’s Ridge and the N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation.
WHEREAS any development on Jockey’s Ridge State Park property assures for unknown environmental impacts specific to the critical and increasingly limited habitat of native plants and animals of the maritime forest and the naturally evolving sand dunes that even at present require conservation consideration from the harsh coastal environment.
WHEREAS the proposed Rogallo Museum is a multi-million-dollar project that will require initial and ongoing fundraising that proposes a risk of being a non-funded structure (completed or partially completed) outside of environmental consideration and state obligation.
WHEREAS allowing this development on Jockey’s Ridge State Park will ultimately and irrevocably compromise the natural integrity of Jockey’s Ridge and its defined purpose.
WHEREAS the Friends of Jockey’s Ridge adopts this Resolution and REJECTS to support the development of the proposed museum on lands original to the Jockey’s Ridge State Park and,
THEREFORE, be it resolved that the Friends of Jockey’s Ridge do not support the Rogallo Foundation’s request nor their MOA now before the State of North Carolina for development of an independent museum on state-owned lands located at Jockey’s Ridge State Park, Nags Head, North Carolina.
Congratulations to Jockey’s Ridge State Park Ranger Scott Coffman as he celebrates 20 years of service this month!
Ranger Scott grew up in Pilot Mountain, NC and graduated from NC State University in 2002 with a degree in Parks, Recreation, & Tourism Management. While in college, he worked at Pilot Mountain State Park, William B. Umstead State Park and Harris Lake County Park. He took his first ranger job at Crowders Mountain State Park in 2002. Ranger Scott then transferred to Hanging Rock State Park in 2006. In 2009, he took a promotion to Ranger II at Jockey’s Ridge State Park.
Ranger Scott has worked at Jockey’s Ridge State Park for the past 13 years. He supervises three rangers and handles day to day operations at the park. “Scott has been a valuable and dedicated ranger for NC State Parks for 20 years. His impact on managing the day to day operations of Jockey’s Ridge for over 10 years has been appreciated by millions of park visitors. We are fortunate to have such a dedicated ranger on staff.” said Jockey’s Ridge State Park Superintendent Joy Greenwood.
Congratulations Ranger Scott and thank you for your hard work and dedication to Jockey’s Ridge and North Carolina State Parks!
Donate here to support Friends of Jockey’s Ridge and Jockey’s Ridge State Park.
The Dare County Tourism Board has awarded the Friends of Jockey’s Ridge a Tourism Impact Grant for Fiscal Year 2021/2022 for the Improving Park Mobility Project in the amount of $20,280.00. Tourism Impact Grant awards are designed to fund services that are needed due to the impact of tourism.
Jockey’s Ridge State Park is the most visited state park in North Carolina serving 1.5 – 2 million visitors each year. It is the tallest natural sand dune on the east coast and offers visitors an opportunity to experience three distinct ecosystems. It has become even more popular in recent years due to increased tourism and visitation to Dare County and the Outer Banks. Entrance to Jockey’s Ridge State Park and participation in all visitor programs is free.
This grant award, combined with donations to Friends of Jockey’s Ridge, has allowed Friends of Jockey’s Ridge to fully fund the purchase of a new Utility Terrain Vehicle (UTV) to be used at Jockey’s Ridge State Park to help support the demands of increased visitation as well as improve visitor experiences.
Photo: Jeanne Brook, Friends of Jockey’s Ridge
The new UTV will help park staff support more visitors on a more regular basis. It will increase availability to provide mobility restricted persons dune rides who would not normally be able to access the main dune area; assist in transporting people, materials, and equipment for park environmental education programs and natural resource projects; support daily maintenance and upkeep of park grounds to ensure a safe, healthy, and clean environment for the enjoyment of the visiting public; and allow for increased daily patrols to engage with visitors and promote health and safety to ensure positive visitor experiences.
The Friends of Jockey’s Ridge thanks the Dare County Tourism Board and The Dare County Board of Commissioners for the award of this Tourism Impact Grant to support safe and enjoyable visitor experiences at Jockey’s Ridge State Park.
Dune rides are available free of charge for visitors with a mobility restriction; dune rides may be requested by calling the Park Office at 252-441-7132 at least 24 hours in advance. Dune rides take approximately 30-45 minutes and are dependent upon weather and staff availability.
Donate here to support Friends of Jockey’s Ridge and Jockey’s Ridge State Park.
