<p>Thank you very much for your thoughtful and thought-provoking lead section of the August 16 Gazette. Such a fine and in-depth look at the interactions between man and the coastal edges of Martha’s Vineyard today and in our past really sets the table for some good and necessary discussions this fall and winter about where we go from here. Should we continue to allot vast chunks of money and resources to try to keep mother nature at bay or can we plan for an orderly retreat.</p>
Editors, Vineyard Gazette:
Thank you very much for your thoughtful and thought-provoking lead section of the August 16 Gazette. Such a fine and in-depth look at the interactions between man and the coastal edges of Martha’s Vineyard today and in our past really sets the table for some good and necessary discussions this fall and winter about where we go from here. Should we continue to allot vast chunks of money and resources to try to keep mother nature at bay or can we plan for an orderly retreat.
Please keep up the good work and keep the pressure on us all to really look at our decision-making process.
Chris Murphy, Chilmark
Comments
The Gazette special section
Chris McCue Potts Vineyard HavenThe Gazette special section was extremely well done, and I applaud the team of writers, researchers and editors for all of their great work. One word of caution, especially as it relates to Chilmark beaches...if Chilmark residents want to hold onto their town-only access to beaches, then they will be forced to foot 100% percent of the bill for dealing with beach erosion issues. The moment any federal (or possibly state) dollars are used, Chilmark will be forced to provide public access to its beaches currently restricted to town residents. One only needs to look at the lawsuit that ensued in Sea Bright, NJ, when the government funded a beach replenishment project that benefited mostly private beach properties. As a child who grew up just miles away from Sea Bright, it became harder and harder to find a public beach nearby because of private ownership. Thank goodness for the lawsuit. As a taxpayer, my dollars allocated to protect our beautiful beaches and provide ocean access now allow me to step foot once again on those NJ beaches with my own kids and help them become environmental stewards too. New England's archaic laws that restrict beach access will only hurt Vineyard erosion protection, public education and fundraising/federal funding efforts over the long term. Especially in Chilmark, it will also place an enormous financial burden on residents who will be forced to pay for their own protection. Knowing the mighty force of nature, the price tag over the coming years is sure to be steep.
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