Suggested Email for Comments Period Ending Nov 4^th

Email: DCMcomments@deq.nc.gov

Subject Line: Jockey’s Ridge

To: NC Division of Coastal Management

I support the proposed CRC rule (15A NCAC 07H .0508) to re-designate Jockey’s Ridge as an Area of Environmental Concern (AEC) and to protect Jockey’s Ridge from development and loss of sand.

Support Jockey’s Ridge! Please attend this upcoming hearing on Tuesday, October 15th at 1pm at the Visitors Center and send in your public comments to the NC Division of Coastal Management at DCMcomments@deq.nc.gov by November 4, 2024.

Review previous Friends of Jockey’s Ridge public comments on the AEC.

In response to the October 15, 2024 public hearing held at Jockey’s Ridge State Park, the Friends of Jockey’s Ridge Chairman of the Board, Craig Honeycutt, submitted comments in support of the proposed Coastal Resources Commission rule to re-designate Jockey’s Ridge as an Area of Environmental Concern (AEC).

On April 25, 2024, we attended the NC Coastal Resources Commission with these comments: Friends of Jockey’s Ridge letter to the CRC 4/25/24

On April 4, 2024, ahead of the April 8th meeting of the Rules Review Commission, Friends of Jockey’s Ridge submitted comments to the Rules Review Commission again expressing strong support for the temporary rules adopted by the Coastal Resources Commission, including the AEC designation.

On January 22, 2024, Friends of Jockey’s Ridge submitted comments to the Coastal Resource Commission urging the commissioners to readopt the AEC status for Jockey’s Ridge.

To learn more about the Area of Environmental Concern and the recent process to remove this status from Jockey’s Ridge, please visit the Coastal Review Article.

Review 15A NCAC 07H .0507 designating Jockey’s Ridge a unique coastal geologic formation.

Our ribbon cutting ceremony will take place on Thursday, May 25, 2023 at 1:00 PM. The secretary of the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources will be speaking alongside our Interim Director of State Parks, the Chair of our friend’s group and the daughter of Carolista Baum. We sincerely hope everyone can join us in this celebration and get a look at the new center.

Other important things happening around the park include the installation of our Living Shoreline structure, construction of the Mountains to Sea terminus marker and preliminary work on the new boardwalk. The living shoreline is being upgraded using granite rock to reduce wave action along the shoreline. The Coastal Federation has been the lead in this project, and it is progressing nicely. The project should be complete by mid-late May so if you hear noise and see heavy equipment along the shoreline this is the cause. Be careful where you walk out there! Local school children will be helping re-establish the vegetation by planting native plants over the next few years.

Since this is the Year of the Trail in NC State Parks, we are excited to have a terminus marker being constructed for the Mountains to Sea Trail and a ribbon cutting ceremony is planned for this fall. It will be located at the end of the new boardwalk. Visitors can take their photo at the end of the Mountains to Sea Trail and have a wonderful keepsake to take home with them!

Design plans have been under way to replace the existing boardwalk and add an extension to enable visitors to make it all the way to the base of the dunes. The new boardwalk will be wider, more accessible and have a gazebo at the end. Construction will likely begin in the fall for the replacement of the existing boardwalk, and we anticipate the addition to be completed by next summer.

Finally, by the end of the month all our summer interns will be on board and ready to help make our first summer in the new visitor center a success. We anticipate park programming to be at the level of years past so please come check out all the wonderful activities we have planned! I hope to see many of you at the upcoming ribbon cutting and have a wonderful spring.

Sincerely,

Joy Greenwood

Superintendent, Jockey’s Ridge State Park

Calling all Photographers!

Submission deadline: March 24, 2023

Would you like to have your photo featured in the community room at Jockey’s Ridge State Park? Friends of Jockey’s Ridge is looking for submissions of photographic images of Jockey’s Ridge to exhibit in the new Visitor Center Community Room.

The Jockey’s Ridge Visitor Center has been undergoing renovations for over a year. The grand opening is currently scheduled for May 25, 2023. One of the features in the Visitor Center will be a Community Room with seating and artwork.

Vision: The plan is to use a combination of wide-angle landscape images and tightly cropped textures to make colorful groupings around the room. The images will be printed on a large format printer, then face-mounted to acrylic.

Timeline: Images need to be submitted for consideration by March 24th. Images will be selected in early April.

Technical Specs: Some of the prints will be quite large. Ideally, we would print them at 300 pixels per inch, but if the file quality is not available, we may be able to use them for smaller prints. The sizes planned are: 58” x 32”, 32’ x 28”, 15” x 27”, and 13” x 15”

Please use the link below for submissions (also includes permission for usage)

Call for Entries Form

The images will be chosen by an interpretive design team with the North Carolina State Parks.

For questions, please contact Friends of Jockey’s Ridge board member, Holly Nettles at hollynettles@gmail.com or contact Friends of Jockey’s Ridge at friendsofjockeysridge@gmail.com.

Photo: Ray Matthews

Jockey’s Ridge is the most visited State Park in North Carolina with over 1.8 million visitors last year. The community room, located inside the visitor center adjacent to the park museum, is a flexible space for visitors to gather while preparing for a trek into the dunes or rest after their return. Plans for the room include interactive educational exhibits, activity tables and seating in an air-conditioned space with gallery-style artwork featuring Jockey’s Ridge. The space will also host special events and park programs.

Sponsorships support Friends of Jockey’s Ridge and help fund the exhibits, activities and artwork in the community room, as well as park programs, educational materials, equipment, supplies and events.  In return for your tax-deductible sponsorship, your organization will be featured on the newly designed, highly visible community room sponsor panel. Donors will be recognized according to sponsorship category.  Your sponsorship will be promoted on our website, social media, and in our newsletter. Sponsorships received by May 1, 2023 will be identified as founding sponsors. Founding sponsors will be featured at the community room grand opening events and will be honored on the donor panel in perpetuity.

Just as the dune environment depends on the supporting landscape to thrive, Friends of Jockey’s Ridge and Jockey’s Ridge State Park rely on sponsorships to support and enhance visitor experiences to promote, preserve and protect Jockey’s Ridge.  Please help Friends of Jockey’s Ridge support education and programs at Jockey’s Ridge as a community room founding sponsor.

Longleaf Pine ($10,000 +)

The longleaf pine has been a symbol of the highest honors of service and achievement in North Carolina for over sixty years.

Live Oak ($5,000 +)

The live oak is an iconic tree at Jockey’s Ridge, it never loses all its leaves at once and offers habitat and food for hundreds of plants and animals.

Eastern Red Cedar ($2,500 +)

Also known as juniper. Quick to grow in salty exposed sand.

Yaupon Holly ($1,000 +)

A native shrub primarily found in coastal NC that thrives in the natural communities of the dune. Some refer to this plant as the Virginia Dare holly.

American Beach Grass ($500 +)

A critical anchor for the dune system.  It takes millions of blades of grass to stabilize the dune.

Join online as a community room sponsor or contact friendsofjockeysridge@gmail.com for more information.

Throughout the year rangers will be hosting programs promoting the trails in the park. The nature of the shifting sand prevents the construction of traditional trails at Jockey’s Ridge, but the park does have two official trails that highlight a back barrier dune system.

The Soundside Nature Trail head is located off the soundside access parking lot. This self-guided nature trail is approximately 0.75 mile long and will take up to an hour to hike at a leisurely pace. This section of the park contains several different coastal habitats, including a wetland area, grassy dunes, and maritime forest. Interpretive panels along the trail will provide you with information on the many plants and animals that call this area home. The second is the Tracks in the Sand Trail. It is a 1.2-mile self-guided trail. Walked at a leisurely pace, the hike takes up to 1.5 hours. The trail begins at the visitor center parking lot and meanders through the many habitats in the park traveling across the dune to the soundside and back.

If you prefer a shorter adventure, a 360-foot boardwalk is located near the start of the Tracks in the Sand Trail. A deck at the end of the boardwalk with benches is the perfect place to take photos or sit down and take in the sights and sounds. If you prefer a longer adventure, the Mountains-to-Sea Trail stretches 1175 miles from the Great Smoky Mountains to Jockey’s Ridge State Park, stopping at many of our state’s most beautiful places along the way.  For the latest information on available programs visit the park’s website at Jockey’s Ridge State Park Events and Programs.

Article by: Ranger Scott Coffman

Photos: Friends of Jockey’s Ridge

George Barnes

George Barnes
George Barnes was the first superintendent of Jockey’s Ridge State Park, established by the state legislature in 1975. Originally from Lumberton, North Carolina  George states “I have always enjoyed the beaches down in South Carolina and North Carolina.”

A graduate of  UNC Wilmington and Lumberton High School, George began his career with NC State Parks as a park ranger at Goose Creek State Park. When offered the job as the ranger in charge at Jockey’s Ridge State Park, George said he “jumped at the opportunity”.  George worked at Jockey’s as park superintendent for over 30 years.

George says “I consider myself very lucky to have worked with Carolista [Baum] in protecting JORI but also lucky enough to live and work at Jockey’s Ridge which I consider one of the most unique and beautiful places in the world.” George brings a wealth of historical knowledge and hands-on park experience to the board.

Ann-Cabell Baum

Ann-Cabell Baum
Ann-Cabell Baum’s strong connection to Jockey’s Ridge began at a young age. In  the summer of 1973 Ann-Cabell and her two siblings were playing on the dune and ran home to report to their mother that there was a bulldozer taking sand off the back of the dune.

Ann-Cabell recalls her mother, Carolista, “went back to the ridge, confronted the operator of the machine and demanded that it be shut down,” she said. “The bulldozer operator left, and mom removed the distributor cap and with that, began the movement to save Jockey’s Ridge from development,” she said.

“Jockey’s Ridge was preserved to be a scenic and natural landmark for ‘The People.’” said Ann-Cabell. She is thrilled to join the Friends of Jockey’s Ridge to continue to help serve this mission.

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:

Outer Banks Voice 10.7.22

Opposition surfaces to building Rogallo Museum at Jockey’s Ridge State Park

NC Policy Watch 10.14.22

Small foundation wants to build museum on fragile public land at Jockey’s Ridge State Park — rent-free.

NC Policy Watch 10.18.22

Rogallo Foundation, which proposes building a private museum at Jockey’s Ridge State Park, asked state to keep terms of an agreement secret

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.

_________________________

Resolution

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.

This the 18^th day of October, 2022

Michael O’Brien, Chairman

Jeanne Brook, Acting Secretary

_________________________

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.

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.

For more information on The Dare County Tourism Board and Tourism Impact Grants visit https://www.outerbanks.org/grants/

Featured photo: Robin Hallac, Friends of Jockey’s Ridge