By Dave Wilson June 16, 2003
The natural assets of Assateague Island National Seashore may soon be more accessible in the wake of canoe trails upgrades backed and promoted by DLITE.
Since the park was established some 40 years ago, the National Park Service has pursued the meshing of tourism and environmental protection as a primary goal. Now the Park Service is looking bayside to help visitors understand and appreciate how undisturbed nature was meant to function. To do this, park staff have been working with DLITE, Worcester County and VirginiaTourism, and Assateague Coastal Trust to create the Assateague version of the Wilderness Waterway of Everglades National Park. The concept is already functioning at the park but in an abridged form. A marked canoe trail from Ferry Landing, east of South Point to Pope's Bay, east of Girdletree along the bayside of the island is the first manifestation of this concept. Making the remaining leg to the end of the island work is the current challenge.
There are four canoe-in campsites in the 12 miles from Ferry Landing to Pope's Bay, but currently none in the 15-mile stretch to the end of the Chincoteague Refuge in Virginia. As a result, the Park Service has been pursuing adding a low-impact campsite six miles south near the refuge area and some trail markers to help direct paddlers. The only remaining drawback has been finding a place to put such a site as the refuge does not allow overnight camping. The park may be able to use a duck camp owned by the Fish and Wildlife Service.
Either way with more public input and refining of the concept, the new nearly 30-mile trail could become one of national acclaim for its striking beauty and undeveloped vistas.
With this in mind, the Park Service would also like to exercise similar options with the old Coast Guard station at the end of Chincoteague Wildlife Refuge. The Park Service is looking toward nature tourism to help fund the needed $1 million repair job. This could allow for limited use in a manner consistent with the Park Service's goals of preserving the shore's natural heritage.
At the heart of nature tourism, that heritage is something that a combination of will and creativity can protect in an economically sensible way for the long term.
