Feb 2, 2025
Rising sea levels, stronger storms, eroding shorelines, and
sinking terrain are taking a toll on the fragile ecosystems and
historic resources at Cape Lookout National Seashore on the Outer
Banks of North Carolina. A new study by the U.S. Geological
Survey takes a close look at these threats and predicts how they
will impact the national seashore over the coming years.
Climate change impacts are happening across the country, reaching
into most, if not all, units of the National Park System. Sea level
rise is particularly concerning because you just can’t up and move
a park, and if that park is on an island, well, high water is
coming.
This week the Traveler’s Lynn Riddick talks with Cape Lookout
Superintendent Jeff West and authors of the USGS study about the
challenges the National Park Service faces in creating sustainable
coastal management practices for Cape Lookout.