Bird Island National Seashore: Family Paradise or Orwell's Truth?

Located in the Padre Island National Seashore is Bird Island Basin. Bird Island Basin is popular for it's near perfect conditions for windsurfing and beginner sailors. It looks like the perfect family spot really. Just a place to spend a day on the beach and enjoy life.

So what's up with the cameras at the check in area where people pay their fees to use the national park? Visitors are greeted with cameras that photograph their faces, their profiles, their license plates, and obviously their cars. What would the government spend so much money tracking those who use this beach?