VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — Could competitive running and bike races be coming to Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge?
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is now accepting comments on what it says is a draft compatibility determination to potentially allow for competitive running races, bike races and birding cups, the latter meaning people who compete to hear and/or see the most number of bird species in a given time period.
In a Facebook post, it said the refuge is proposing opening to these events “where these activities do not compromise the mission and operations of the national wildlife refuge.”
It said the compatibility determination “does not cover commercial activities lacking a competitive nature, including guided tours, rentals and transportation services entering the refuge all hosted by a third party for profit.”
It said bicycling events may include both manual and electric bikes.
The events would be allowed only in certain areas of the refuge that are open to the public, including the entrance road, parking lots, the beach (except for the North Mile), trails and the canoe/kayak launch facilities as an access point. It also said competitive sporting events would not be held at Black Gut in the refuge.
Activities would not be allowed in areas and times the refuge is closed to the public, and competitive running and bike events would only be allowed between Nov. 1 and March 31. They would not be considered for other times of the year, according to the compatibility determination, due to impacts to other users and on natural resources.
Birding cups could be held year-round, except on the East or West Dikes during the refuge’s seasonal closure of those areas from Nov. 1 through April 30.
The refuge would place a limit on all types of events, with no more than four birding cups per year with a maximum of 35 participants, and two competitive running races and two competitive bike races, with up to 50 people taking part, thus limiting the number of special use permits issued.
False Cape State Park would get priority consideration for competitive sporting events due to a 1996 memorandum of understanding where the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service agreed to support the park’s mission and purposes to the extent allowed by the purposes of Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is considering opening up the refuge to competitive events because such uses “may provide a connection to natural resources and a sense of stewardship for the Refuge System.”
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will accept comments received or postmarked before Jan. 16.
Those wanting to comment, or who have requests for more information can email backbaynwr@fws.gov or write to 1324 Sandbridge Road, Virginia Beach, VA 23456, Attn: Refuge Manager.
The draft compatibility determination can be viewed below:
