Altered routes for over-sand vehicles and restrictive new dog policies are among changes in the offing for Chappaquiddick beaches owned and managed by the Trustees of Reservations.
Altered routes for over-sand vehicles and restrictive new dog policies are among changes in the offing for Chappaquiddick beaches owned and managed by the Trustees of Reservations, under a new draft management plan released last week.
The Trustees are seeking public comment on the plan, and are planning a series of public engagement sessions next month, according to a press release.
“The . . . draft works to align the diverse interests, access and recreational needs of our visitors, members and Island community with local, state, and federal beach management guidelines and regulations, and best practices for achieving resiliency,” the preamble to the plan says. The plan is available for viewing online (https://thetrustees.org/content/draft-bmp/).
The management plan is for the roughly 12-mile stretch of diverse beach system that begins at Norton Point on the Edgartown end of Katama Bay and connects with Chappaquiddick at Wasque Reservation, across Leland Beach and on to Cape Pogue Wildlife Refuge.
Changes proposed for the over-sand vehicle trails include prohibiting vehicles on interior pond-side trails, providing designated pull-off spots for vehicles on exterior trails, and expanding beach parking lots to encourage more pedestrian access.
Wasque and Cape Pogue are owned by the Trustees, a Massachusetts land conservancy founded in the late 1800s. Norton Point is owned by Dukes County and managed by the Trustees. Leland Beach is owned by the state and managed by the Trustees.
The beaches can be reached on foot, by boat or in oversand vehicles on trails running through dunes and across barriers beaches. Trails are bordered by Katama Bay, Poucha Pond and Cape Pogue Pond on one side, and the Atlantic Ocean on the other side. Used by fishermen, bird watchers, swimmers, picnickers and four-wheeler enthusiasts, the beaches have grown increasingly popular in recent years, raising concerns about their environmental management.
Two private property owners at Cape Pogue recently took legal action against the Trustees over issues of over-sand vehicle access and management, in a case that remains pending before the Massachusetts Land Court.
The 43-page draft management plan touches on a wide array of topics from nesting birds to erosion to over-sand vehicle use.
“Over-sand vehicle (OSV) use is a longstanding privilege on the 12-miles of beach and one highly valued by a broad section of the local and visitor communities,” the preamble says in part.
Pending adoption by state and local regulatory agencies, the plan is slated to take effect this fall.
Comments
Not thrilled about the dog
Peacegirl ChappyNot thrilled about the dog exclusion during the summer months on East Beach. Why does a badly behaved dog ruin it for my well-behaved dog. Not too happy on Chappy...
This policy is not related to
MV Blues EDG.This policy is not related to poorly behaved dogs. It’s related to protecting birds with an extreme policy thats not necessary and will have effects to the Island that they don’t consider when they write their oppressive rules.
How many times has a dog
Show Me the Data ChappyHow many times has a dog killed a piping plover on Trustees property? Of those instances, how many dogs were unleashed? The Trustees doesn't have the data to answer these simple questions, and they are prescribing policy changes here based off feel instead of fact. It's unacceptable. We should be moving to a leash requirement law, not a blanket ban on dogs on their properties!
Wow. Miles of beach are
Kenny OBWow. Miles of beach are proposed to be closed in this draft document. Essentially the entire bay side is off limits to 4wd access. The draft fails to highlight or even discuss the impact of this closure on the public. Given the substantial areas the Trustees propose to be off limits this will likely be the last year I buy an OSV sticker. And sadly It may very well be their intent. The handful of private owners have won their battle. Congratulations.
A perfect summary of this
AnonymousA perfect summary of this life-changing plan made with little to no regard to those who come and respect the beaches year after year. A generational tradition halted by money and widely unsupported by data...
I cannot comprehend why the
Blue Jay PhiladelphiaI cannot comprehend why the Trustees are proposing to ban OSV access to the entire bay side of Cape Poge. We have been visiting the small, safe quiet beach over there for years and I have only ever seen a limited number of OSVs each day, even at the height of summer. I do not believe closing access entirely is justified, and it breaks my heart that the Trustees are planning to deny continued access to one of my favorite places on the island, and indeed anywhere.
They also don't have the data
Show Me the Data ChappyThey also don't have the data to answer the simple question "how many OSVs are on the property on average during the summer".... It's mind boggling that they are proposing such drastic curbs on access without any data backing up their decision making. Frankly, these proposed changes go against their mission statement - where they are to be stewards in both protecting AND SHARING the properties they've been endowed with.... As a non-profit that relies on membership dues as well as local, state and federal grants, their mission is relevant to all Vineyarders and we should uphold them to it accordingly...
My family has been taking two
Red Sox and Chappy fan Sudbury, MAMy family has been taking two week vacations to Chappy for decades. My kids love swimming in the calm waters of the bayside, and recently my grandkids have been introduced to that wonderful experience. To think this August will be our last summer enjoying the bayside is incredibly sad. So many thoughts come to my mind, and the suddenness of springing this on visitors with only 2 months notice is disappointing. It would appear this access restriction is specifically aimed at appeasing a couple of abutters and their lawyers. What a shame.
I will not be buying a OSV
Tom EdgartownI will not be buying a OSV sticker…
The proposed changes are
Chappy Chap EdgartownThe proposed changes are dramatic, and imply a crisis situation needing urgent and immediate action. Is this the declaration the Trustees want to make? Would phasing these changes in over time be a better approach? Instead the hammer on access and use comes down in just 3 months. Also, who was paid to draft this for the Trustees?
Take the survey and let them
Anon EdgartownTake the survey and let them know how you feel!
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/3P6G2LG
AND show up to one of the public meetings:
Monday, August 8, 2022 (5-6:30 PM)
Chappaquiddick Community Center
Edgartown, MA
Wednesday, August 10, 2022 (10-11:30 AM)
Edgartown Public Library Program Room
26 West Tisbury Rd. Edgartown, MA
Tuesday, August 16, 2022 (5-6:30 PM)
Virtual Meeting, via Zoom
Register here: https://thetrustees.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEkc-CprjgqGdUBV3pLArLGJq…
They had me until they got to
Chip EdgartownThey had me until they got to the closing off cape pogue bay side…. We always go to the area across from Tom’s neck , the kids love playing in the sand and water there when the wind and waves are too strong on the east side…. This is a slippery slope and soon there will be no access if they get their way on this….
July 8, 2022 - 6:12am
Agree 100% Chip. Driving
Ben I. EdgartownAgree 100% Chip. Driving young families and children to the ocean and rip tides. Real smart.
The trustees presented a
Rose EdgartownThe trustees presented a detailed plan that reads for almost 50 pages. It's clear those pages were crafted for a certain constituency. Unfortunately it doesn't appear that young families and children are their concern.
Instead of eliminating pond
AJ EdgartownInstead of eliminating pond side access which is an amazing resource and great for kids why not institute a reservation system like they have at Long Point to limit total number of cars per day or such? The interior trails are great for kids and swimming esp for families with smaller kids or folks worried about sharks. On the other hand the parking lot line of cars on Norton Beach can be discouraging. So have fewer people and get them to spread out to preserve natural beauty
Réservation system is a great
Sylvia Courtney EdgartownRéservation system is a great idea. Long Point Beach is now more convenient for everyone.
Take back our beaches. The
Adele EdgartownTake back our beaches. The trustees are a joke. They sell too many beach stickers than close the beaches. The stickers should only be sold to island residents, or even better Norton beach stickers to Edgartown residents. Why are upisland beaches restricted and our beaches are open to everyone. Correct me if I am wrong but I think you can buy a day pass. Stop the madness, please take back our beaches. We need to stop selling the island and especially the beach……Check the cape towns and Duxbury all beaches are restricted to residents. People realize non island people can buy a beach pass for $500 think about that, insane. Save the plovers and save our beach. Get rid of the trustees.
No, you can't buy a day pass
JaredN Boston/ChappyNo, you can't buy a day pass for OSV access. You can only buy a sticker for the entire season, even if you are only going to use it for a few days. So those of us from off-island who buy an OSV sticker and only use it for a week or two each year subsidize those who live on the island and use their OSV sticker for the entire season. And the OSV sticker for island residents is already discounted compared to the cost for off-island residents.
Massachusetts is the worst state in the nation for beach access. The answer to restricted access to up-island beaches isn't to restrict down-island beaches. Just because other towns restrict access doesn't mean it is the right thing to do.
The answer to restricted beach access should be to reduce beach restrictions. Beaches should be available for all to enjoy, not just for a chosen few. They shouldn't be restricted based on race, or net worth, or residency.
Why doesn’t this plan address
Jack ChappyWhy doesn’t this plan address the thinking behind vehicles? It sounds like on any given day you can have a handful of OSVs and other days it can spike to 300 cars. What are the limits? Management and stewardship is not about declaring rules but in sharing the thinking behind them. The balance of traffic, cars, OSVs and the reservation is not addressed here — how can that be ? What is the thinking behind limiting traffic? Once that's established rules are easier to at least understand — The Trustees are under a requirement to make their process, procedures and operation understood. This plan does not accomplish that. And it is time for the Town to step up and insist that they do. Declaring rules isn’t stewardship nor management. Rules without context or underlying logic lead to division and rancor. Lead TTOR don’t dictate.
The plan appears to make it
Lionel SpiroThe plan appears to make it difficult at best for people to access Cape Pogue, with a vehicle, for scalloping in the fall and winter and clamming.
The plan also will make it difficult for families with yound children to access safe swimming places on the shallow and less turbulent waters of Cape Pogue.
It would be nice if the "Trustees" could be more open about the cash flow and numbers of stickers sold on Chappy, as they had been in the past before Andy Kendall's tenure as head, when Bob Fountain and Hanley Clifford ran the whole beach and sold 1800 car stickers a year for about $50 each.( These numbers are best guesses and it woud be great if someone could be more precise)
Unfortunately, they can't
Show Me the Data ChappyUnfortunately, they can't share the data now due to the ongoing lawsuits... I've joined the past few Cape Pogue Development Committee town meetings. When asked for this information now, the new Trustees Islands director simply states "at the advice of their legal counsel, due to ongoing litigation, they are advised not to share this information...". Prior to the litigation though, they once said it was around a a daily total with a low of 50 cars and a high of 250 cars on their Chappaquiddick properties during the summer period, with it rarely going over 200 cars. With 6 miles of coastline, this seemed like a low number of cars to me!
I'm living horrified with
Kristin Our IslandI'm living horrified with this set of proposed changes, and it's beyond terrible. Lawyers are ruining our lives. I'm stunned, but if this is what those trustees want I want nothing to do with them.
I’m VERY disheartened by
Kristen Hemenway Sterling, MaI’m VERY disheartened by these impending changes. We’ve visited Chappy for 34 years , and the ability to drive to the beach for fishing and time with family is so memorable. More so, it allowed us to get elderly family out to where they could participate. We’ve always kept our dogs on a leash and took all litter out. We’ve supported the trustees for years with the purchase of a sticker(for 1 weeks use) and countless shirts and such. I sincerely hope they consider that this is land they manage, for the enjoyment of all.
I’ve lived my entire life on
Fisherman and beach lover EdgartownI’ve lived my entire life on this island and what is being done by the Trustees is shameful. There was a survey filled out last year that gathered information from locals and visitors alike on what the beaches meant to them and what they would like to see done. It seems as though that survey was shredded and disposed of as this entire “Beach Management Plan” is a against beach goers and our love for our island beaches.
This was probably all
David Nash EdgartownThis was probably all inevitable. If the recent court challenges didn’t force it something else would have. I have long supported the Trustees. I have volunteered my labor and time on many projects for them. I have supported their shorebird management programs even though it has meant incurring the wrath of fishermen and women alike. I love Chappy and Norton Point. They are beautiful properties. I take advantage of the fishing but spend as much time, if not more, birding, shellfishing, exploring and just admiring the place. But these activities are a challenge in the summer months when competing with the masses. The changes being proposed by the Trustees are overwhelming to anyone who lives here and no doubt reflect the surge in popularity of the island over the past decade. But I am concerned that with a new Trustees management team here and at headquarters, the Trustees are making a mistake by not considering the historical and cultural impacts these properties have on Vineyard residents. Cape Pogue, Wasque and Norton Point should not be treated as amusement parks to draw people in. Designating the properties as wildlife sanctuaries to the apparent exclusion of other activities drastically reduces the public’s ability to appreciate them. Of course there must be limitations and I would not know where to begin managing issues like climate change, erosion, shorebird nesting, recreational use, fishing and shellfishing but I do believe the Trustees should look more carefully at who we are and what those properties have meant to the island historically. It needs to be about the community, your host community.
I have never driven on the
MarieI have never driven on the beaches. Usage is up all over. There was no parking at South Beach by noon last weekend. I have owned a vacation house in Edgartown for 30 years. It’s crazy that I can’t even go to the beach. I hardly go into town and when I go I walk the mile. Parking is nonexistent and people are all over the place.
Where have all the people come from?
What I think is also so
Frustrated about birds ChappyWhat I think is also so frustrating is the excuses for their reasoning. The dogs are the main reason for fecal matter in the shellfishing flats, dogs are the reason plovers abandon their nests etc etc. There is no scientific data to back them up on this. Not to mention the expanded protection for birds that are not under federal watch. The Trustees are truly not understanding of the implications of what they’re doing. I hope they see this public comment section, I hope we see more people coming to meetings to demand more data behind reasoning. My family will personally not be supporting the trustees or coming back to Chappy until the Trustees can get their act together.
My observation is that people
Dmm NJ (visiting MVY 3x/year)My observation is that people do not obey leash laws because they are "on vacation". In prior years I've tried to walk south beach over to the point only to be charged by someone's "gentle" dog. And the owners laugh. Same thing on the hiking trail: other hikers don't leash their dogs and they get insulted when you ask them to reign in Fido. I'm ok with a dog ban.
Why not have a leash law and
Show Me the Data ChappyWhy not have a leash law and put a massive fine for lack of adherence? In some places, killing a plover results in a hefty fine of $50k. You could do the same thing with off leash dogs - fine the offenders. Jumping to an outright ban is a rash decision without any hard data supporting the choice. My guess is the Trustees will say they can’t enforce the rules so a ban is easier… but is that really who we want to continue to entrust this property to? An organization which can’t actually maintain or enforce?
It is too bad that one bad
Skatesharpener EdgartownIt is too bad that one bad apple spoils the bunch. I have a very well behaved golden retriever that is now being punished. I have seen on multiple occasions a group of bulldogs on the beach who run amok and lack any discipline. Thanks a lot bully bulldog owner.
It's unfortunately not one
Birds aren't real ChappyIt's unfortunately not one bad apple at all, but simply an agenda of creating a bird sanctuary. There are no incidents that the Trustees have reported of dogs killing birds or even definitively causing birds to leave the nest.Plover census is published yearly. They will make excuses, but reality is that they just don't want dogs near the birds. The state and federal guidelines state specifically that dogs should be leashed at a minimum not banned. The trustees have loosely enforced a leash rule and poorly advertised is to beach goers. This year they have a white board at Dyke bridge that says leash dogs-a temporary sign for a permanent rule shows how serious they are about leashing dogs and now they want an all out ban.
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