The Suffolk County Dept. of Parks has historically deemed this park to be a minimum use recreational facility without recreational vehicle use. Part of our mission however, is to provide new and varied recreational opportunities for all patrons as long as those opportunities are in compliance with all county and local laws and in compliance with the Endangered Species Act of 1973. In addition, part of our compliance with that Act was the implementation of a Piping Plover Protection Program for The Suffolk County Dept. of Parks.

The Charles F. Altenkirch County Park is one of fourteen (14) parks in Suffolk County identified as potential habitat for endangered and threatened species such as the piping plover and least tern. The Suffolk County Dept. of Parks is committed to taking proactive steps to manage this park to provide protection of these species.

Since the Trustees own and manage Trustee roads that provide access to the ocean beach at this county park (designated from east to west as Roads H,I,J,K and L) and wish to provide limited vehicle access to this park for properly permitted Town residents, and The Suffolk County Dept. of Parks also wishes to allow limited vehicle access for properly permitted county residents to the park, Suffolk County Dept. of

Parks and The Trustees agree to the following management policy:

VEHICLE ACCESS POLICY

Enforcement of this policy as well as all general Suffolk County park rules and regulations will be carried out by the Suffolk County Park Police and Suffolk County Parks personnel. Southampton Town Bay Constables as the enforcement branch of the Trustees will also enforce the vehicle access limits as described in this policy.

Emergency vehicles (defined as official Town or County vehicles responding to actual or perceived emergencies or time-sensitive resource protection threats) are exempt from the provisions of this policy.

Essential vehicles (defined as motorized vehicles operated by town or county employees or cooperating agencies that provide public safety or maintenance of public property) may be used as per the following:

Essential vehicles may be operated on beaches where unfledged chicks are present, if operators have determined location of such unfledged chicks and are guided by an authorized Plover steward who travels on foot in front of said essential vehicle. If no steward is available and the trip is to respond to a situation that poses a potential threat to public safety or property, then operators of such essential vehicles should familiarize themselves with most recent monitoring so best efforts to avoid broods are made.

The Suffolk County Dept. of Parks reserves the right to prohibit vehicle use on portions of county beaches or to close beaches completely due to changes in beach conditions from natural occurrences (storms, tides etc.), or maintenance, petty repairs, dredging etc.), or for best management of its lands and natural resources.

Suffolk County Dept. of Parks and the Board of Trustees will consult with each other prior to closure or prohibition of access along the beaches to maintain best management practices of these areas.

• Limited off-road vehicle access will be permitted at the Charles F. Altenkirch County Park between September 15th and March 15th of any calendar year.
• Vehicle access will be permitted via Trustee roads J,(east end of parking area at Ponquogue Beach) K and L and east side of Tiana Beach parking lot.
• Access will be limited to Suffolk County residents with valid green key cards and Suffolk County Parks valid Recreational Vehicle use permits and Southampton Town residents with valid Southampton Town Trustees resident 4x4 vehicle permits. Southampton Town residents with Town Trustee resident 4x4 vehicle permits will not be required to have Suffolk County Parks green key cards or recreational vehicle use permits while accessing The Charles F. Altenkirch County Park with vehicles.

All those who access this park will be required to follow all general Suffolk

• County Parks rules and regulations as well as rules for the outer beach (see attached). No camping or fires permitted. Copies will be provided to the Town Trustees so that they maybe issued to purchasers of the Town Trustees 4x4 vehicle permit.
• No public off road vehicle access will be permitted at any time at this county park on Town oceanfront property or with this county pass on Town Trustee right-of-way that are within this county park and are oceanfront property between March 15 and September 15 of any calendar year. lf how ever by July 1st of any calendar year there are no Piping Plover, Least or Common Tern nests (for purposes of this policy nests are defined as those that contain one or more eggs or formerly contained the eggs from which a brood hatched) or unfledged chicks, then by mutual agreement by The Trustees and The Suffolk County Dept. of Parks vehicle access May be allowed at specifically designated times and locations only, subject to the same rules as when vehicle access is allowed.

# Any additions or changes to the access policy must be mutually agreed upon by both The Suffolk County Dept. of Parks and The Trustees.

• This access policy refers to The Charles F. Altenkirch County Park only.
• Trustee access roads J.K. and L will be posted with signs indicating the access policy. Wording of the signs will be agreed upon by both The Trustees and The Suffolk County Dept. of Parks. Signs will be supplied by Suffolk County Parks.