Hatteras Light keeper's quarters, in Buxton, North Carolina. Exhibits include the history, maritime heritage and natural history of the Outer Banks and the lighthouse. Ocracoke Island Visitor Center is located in Ocracoke, North Carolina near the Ocracoke Lighthouse.¨¨ Beach conservation In October 2007, Defenders of Wildlife, along with the National Audubon Society, sued the National Park Service at Cape Hatteras National Seashore for not properly protecting shorebird and sea turtle species that nest on the beaches of the Park. The Park Service was found not to be in compliance with an executive order requiring the establishment of policies and procedures regarding off-road vehicle (ORV) use on the National Seashore, failing to implement management plans to adequately protect the shorebirds and sea turtles nesting in the park. The Defenders of Wildlife have claimed that the use of ORVs on park lands has degraded the habitat used by the nesting birds, many of which are also federally protected species. Many of the beaches and beach access points were placed off-limits to ORV use during the months when the birds are nesting. This became a contentious issue among some residents and users of Hatteras Island as ORV access is considered by some to be an important part of regional culture and economics, despite a 2008 study that found that only 3-4% of annual visitors to the National Seashore are ORV users. In January 2012, the National Park Service instituted its new, and final, ORV management plan. Twenty-eight of the seashore's 67 miles are set aside as year-round ORV routes, with only 26 miles designated as year-round vehicle-free areas for pedestrians, families, and wildlife. The remaining 13 miles of seashore are seasonally open to ORVs. For instance, during the first week of July 2012, while less than 20 miles of the beaches are accessible by ORVs, an additional 31.6 miles were open to pedestrians, meaning 78% of the Seashore was open to visitors in some form. The plan also proposes new parking facilities, ORV ramps, and water shuttles to increase visitor access to beaches. Climate According to the Trewartha climate classification system, Cape Hatteras National Seashore, North Carolina has a humid subtropical climate with hot and humid summers, cool winters and year-around precipitation (Cfak). Cfak climates are characterized by all months having an average mean temperature > 32.0 °F (> 0.0 °C), at least eight months with an average mean temperature ≥ 50.0 °F