PADRE ISLAND, TX — Padre Island National Seashore has significantly reduced the number of volunteers allowed to search for Kemp's ridley sea turtle eggs, limiting field teams to just four volunteers at a time.
The decision has upset local officials and former volunteers who question how the change will affect the endangered species protection program.
PINS has relied on volunteers to locate Kemp's ridley sea turtle eggs going back to 1980. The recent email announcing the volunteer restrictions has concerned community members who worry about the program's effectiveness.
Padre Island National Seashore declined to comment on the volunteer reduction when contacted for this story.
Nueces County Commissioner for Precinct 4 Brent Chesney said that while the seashore is not under county jurisdiction, the decision "does not reflect the will of the people the federal government serves."
Jan Roberson, a former volunteer who was terminated after speaking against PINS Superintendent Eric Brunneman, questioned the timing of the volunteer cuts.
"With all the budget cuts for the National Park Service I found it strange that a superintendent would want to do away with his volunteers which are free labor," Roberson said.
The seashore will continue using its limited four-volunteer teams as "egg runners," but this leaves more than 65 miles of Gulf shoreline to be covered by an already limited staff.
"I think the budget is the big thing. No volunteers in a time when the park service has just been crushed to its knees in cuts," Roberson said.
Without official explanation from Padre Island National Seashore, community members are left to speculate about the reasoning behind the volunteer reduction.
"But he [Brunneman] runs a secretive park out there. He's kind of like the Wizard of Oz," Roberson said.
Anyone who spots a Kemp's ridley sea turtle nest should call the Sea Turtle Hotline at 1-866-TURTLE-5.
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