Banning commercial fishing
Karren Brown, the superintendent of Cape Lookout National Seashore, tired to ban commercial fishing in the park in October but had to rescind the ban after commercial fishermen protested.
Karren, who's completing her first full year as superintendent, instituted the ban under the presumption that other commercial activities, such as logging, aren't allowed in the park. The law that created the park guarantees hunting and fishing, while the deed transferring land from the state to the federal government contains a clause protecting "traditional uses." Karren suspended the commercial fishing ban until lawyers with the Park Service offer an opinion on whether commercial fishing is protected.

Gun Club lease expires
The lease that the Core Banks Gun Club had with the Park Service expired Nov. 23, and the club vacated its house on the north end of the island. The Park Service plans to use the large house as a ranger station.
   The gun club's lease was the first of the long-term leases that the Park Service signed with various landowners when Cape Lookout National Seashore was created in the early 1970s.  People holding leases on the houses near the lighthouse are trying to form a historical district in the hopes of keeping their leases.

Money in the bank
The DIFF Club ended 1999 with $23,104.32 in the bank. About half the amount is in our checking account and the rest is in certificates of deposit.
Membership dues brought in $4,820, but much of that money pays the club's non-tournament expenses. The club made about $1,750 on the generator raffle, the largest income producer for the club. Sales of lighthouse photo have so far made us about $450.
Our biggest non-tournament expense was the $1,000 donation to the Alger Willis staff for hurricane relief. The generator for the raffle was next largest non-tournament expense at $680.
The tournaments' biggest expense was, of course, the cash prizes of $6,100. All tournament expenses are paid for by the entry fee or donations and sponsorships.
For a year-end balance sheet contact, Frank Tursi, the club's secretary, at 336-766-7480 or at ftursi@earthlink.net or Jim Grier, our treasurer, at 704-847-9244.

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Understandably, Alger Willis Fishing Camps, which operates the camp under a contract with the Park Service, is reluctant to spend too much maintaining cabins that will be torn down to make way for a camp Willis may not manage.
Because it could be five years before the new camp is entirely built, the old cabins will have to be maintained. Much of that work over the years has been done by DIFF and the Core Banks Surf Fishing Club. Our problem is that Frank Long, a longtime board member who coordinated the work trip for the club, is retiring from the board and is no longer interested in leading the work crew. We need some who would be willing to take over his duties as coordinator of the work trip. If you would like to, please contact Alvin Tans, our president, at 803-547-654.