Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge in North Carolina was recently listed as one of the ten most endangered refuges in the Defenders of Wildlife “Refuges at Risk” report. (See previous posts about two other endangered refuges — Cape May NWR and Lower Rio Grande Valley NWR).

Pea Island NWR is located on Hatteras Island, just south of the popular beach resort town of Nags Head, on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. The refuge was created in 1937 and includes almost 6,000 acres of ocean beach, dunes, fresh and brackish water ponds, salt flats, and salt marsh. The refuge name comes from the dune pea, which provides food for snow geese and other birds.

Pea Island is especially popular with birders, attracting almost 3 million visitors annually. Among the variety of wildlife that can be seen are more than 365 bird species, 25 species of mammals, 24 species of reptiles, and 5 species of amphibians. In addition, the refuge hosts large numbers of migrating waterfowl, neotropical migrants, rookeries, shorebird nesting areas, and habitat for three vulnerable species: the peregrine falcon, the loggerhead sea turtle, and the piping plover.

The refuge is approximately 13 miles long and rests between the Atlantic Ocean and Pamilco Sound, but the width of the refuge ranges from only a quarter mile in some areas to 1 mile wide in others. Highway 12 (or NC 12) cuts through the refuge, but due to the narrowness of the sand spit, the highway is frequently flooded or washed over with sand.

The major threat to Pea Island NWR these days revolves around road access. Bonner Bridge, which is north of the refuge, spans Oregon Inlet and connects with Highway 12 at Pea Island. The bridge is a vital connection between the northern and southern sections of the Outer Banks, and during the summertime rush, the bridge can carry almost 10,000 cars per day. Unfortunately, the bridge is over forty years old and rusted, and has been built on shifting sand that is vulnerable to ocean waves, hurricanes and strong currents. The bridge’s stability has deteriorated so much that the state has decided to replace it, so local officials have been debating for some time as to what the best approach would be for building a new bridge. Currently there are several options on the table, but the least expensive (and thus more popular) option involves rebuilding the new bridge in approximately the same location, thus turning Pea Island into a major road construction site.

Fortunately there is an alternative, albeit a more expensive one, but one that could save money in the long run and protect the refuge. In the Defenders “Refuges at Risk” report is a description of the alternative:

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, conservationists and many others support building a bridge through Pamlico Sound, which would completely bypass Pea Island refuge. Although initially more expensive, this approach would eliminate the costly and constant maintenance of Highway 12 (which is estimated by the state’s Department of Transportation to cost up to $912 million by 2060), would allow the refuge to restore habitat damaged by the road and would provide a safer and more reliable route for residents and tourists of Hatteras Island. Despite the clear benefit of the longer bridge for people and wildlife, and the refuge improvement act’s clear mandate to avoid damage to refuge resources, the state’s transportation department is pursuing the short bridge and relocation of Highway 12 through the refuge.

Visit the Pea Island NWR website to learn more about this beautiful beach refuge and also more about the Bonner Bridge debate. Also, visit the Coastal Wildlife Refuge Society website, which is the Friends group that supports eastern North Carolina’s refuges and provides a large amount of volunteer labor at Pea Island NWR, including managing the Visitor Center and the gift shop.

Tags:
wildlife, wildlife refuge, conservation, Pea Island, Bonner Bridge, North Carolina