############################################# Safety and Other Management Concerns [Illustration: _Deer tick magnified_] =Most of the regulations enforced within the National Seashore concern the protection of natural and cultural resources. Others deal with personal safety. Please obey them.= ● State law requires the wearing of seatbelts by drivers and passengers in Massachusetts. ● Do not disturb or damage any natural features, including flowers, trees, animals, dunes, marine animal remains, or cultural features, such as historic structures and objects. It is permissible to collect shells, but metal detectors are not allowed. ● Keep beaches, trails, roadsides, and other areas clean. Put all litter in trash receptacles or carry it away with you. ● Motorized vehicles, including mopeds, are not allowed on paved bicycle trails. Over-sand vehicles must be used only on designated sand routes, and a permit—which may be obtained at the Race Point Ranger Station—is required. Indiscriminate off-road driving is prohibited. ● At the ocean, be alert for underwater obstacles. Keep children within reach. Be wary of too much sun exposure. Glass containers, rafts, rubber tubes, snorkels, and masks are not permitted on lifeguarded beaches. Public nudity is prohibited within the National Seashore. ● Kite flying is prohibited within 500 feet of posted shorebird nesting areas. =_Rip currents, often incorrectly called rip tides, occur when wave-driven currents surge back to sea through gaps in an offshore bar, then dissipate quickly in deeper water. To escape a rip current, swim parallel to shore before heading in. Never swim against a rip current!_= ● Keep pets under physical restraint at all times. Leashes must not exceed 6 feet. Pets are not allowed in public buildings, in picnic areas, on lifeguarded beaches, on nature trails, in posted shorebird nesting areas, and on beaches or in water of freshwater ponds. ● At ponds gasoline-powered motorboats, glass containers, and any use of soaps and detergents are prohibited. ● Open fires are not allowed except when authorized by a permit, which can be obtained at visitor centers. Permits are not required for stoves using manufactured fuels, or for charcoal grills when they are used in designated picnic areas at Beech Forest, Pilgrim Heights, Great Island, and Doane Rock, or on sandy or rock beaches bordering tidewater. ● Avoid walking in sand dunes so as not to affect the fragile vegetation. Because sand collapses easily, do not climb cliffs and sandy slopes or dig deep holes in the sand. ● Be alert for ticks. A bite may transmit various ailments. The deer tick is known to carry Lyme disease. Inspect yourself carefully if you walk through grass or brush. ● Upland game and migratory waterfowl may be hunted in certain National Seashore areas in specified seasons. Federal, state, and local laws apply. Ask for information on hunting opportunities and regulations.