Sportsmen's suit: new rules are for the birds.

• Position: Eastern

Recently introduced regulations that limit the use of off-road vehicles at Cape Hatteras National Seashore have rekindled debate about the impact of those rules on North Carolina's coastal economy. Cape Hatteras Access Preservation Alliance, which represents Outer Banks off-road and fishing enthusiasts, has filed a lawsuit against the U.S. National Park Service in federal court, alleging that the regulations will harm tourism. Environmental advocates disagree. They say that since 2008, when interim rules closely resembling the current ones were instituted, Dare County's tourism numbers have remained steady while Cape Hatteras' wildlife population has increased. The Southern Environmental Law Center and Audubon North Carolina have signed on to help the Park Service defend the rules. They are asking a judge to dismiss the case.

The regulations--enacted in January after years of negotiations and court battles--designate 28 miles of seashore as year-round routes for off-road vehicles, including a way to Cape Point, a popular fishing spot. But the vehicles are barred from 26 miles and permitted on 13 miles only during off-peak times. The Alliance claims the Park Service did not consider its input during the rule-making process and based them on a biased scientific report created by an advocate of strict vehicle limits...