State contractors entered the state forest this week and cleared three homeless encampments, razing tents and leaving several Islanders without their possessions.
State contractors entered the state forest this week and cleared three homeless encampments, razing tents and leaving several Islanders without their possessions.
Crews hired by the state Department of Conservation and Recreation cleared the encampments on Monday, after posting notices on trees in the area and talking to people who had been sleeping in the tents.
With the Island’s sky high housing costs and lack of a year-round homeless shelter, the forest has become a place for people with nowhere else to go. But camping in the forest is illegal and DCR has cleared camps once a year for the last four years, said Conor Laffey, the state forest superintendent.
“I don’t really know the solution but it’s not for people to come and live in the state forest,” he said Thursday.
DCR said the clearing was done for public safety and environmental reasons after the sites were found to be littered with trash, feces, vodka bottles, cigarette butts and evidence of fires in pine needles.
“In coordination with state and local law enforcement, DCR routinely clears encampments in state parks to protect the environment, the safety of the public and to maintain our public lands,” the agency said in a statement. “These actions help reduce risks from uncontrolled fires and hazardous conditions; prevent damage and contamination to natural habitats; address unsanitary conditions; and are part of our ongoing work to maintain our public assets and ensure they are safe spaces for all.”
Several police departments were aware of the situation and Edgartown police were there during the cleanup on Monday, according to DCR. The agency said it would continue to work closely with municipalities and public safety officials, as well as local agencies and organizations that help people affected by the clearings.
It’s not clear how many people were staying in the encampment. Sharon Brown, the director of homeless services for Harbor Homes of Martha’s Vineyard, estimated about 20 people were there, though Mr. Laffey said there were only about three people there as of last week.
In the clearing, people’s belongings were rounded up, according to Ms. Brown.
“They took everything, birth certificates, I.D., medication, everything,” Ms. Brown said.
“The [Massachusetts] Department of Conservation and Recreation contacted a private company off-Island, and they came on with some dumpsters and they cleared everything and took it to the dump off-Island,” she said.
One client, whose epilepsy medicine was trashed, was taken to Martha’s Vineyard Hospital after suffering a seizure, Ms. Brown said. Another camper lost her only photographs of her deceased children.
“I’ve been on call after call, with so many tears,” Ms. Brown said.
“I called around to see if there was any way that we could at least get some of the stuff back, especially the identification, but it was all disposed of,” she added.
Harbor Homes and emergency services officials are now working to help replace the confiscated identification documents and prescriptions, Ms. Brown said. They are also trying to find alternative places for the people to sleep, but finding space is proving difficult. There are no shelter beds on Martha’s Vineyard between late April and Nov. 1, and Ms. Brown said nothing is available on Cape Cod either.
“I can’t find one bed right now,” she said. “We have nowhere for them to go [and] we’re afraid to provide more tents and sleeping bags because we’re not sure if this is going to happen again.”
DCR did not touch any of the people’s belongings before July 29, according to Mr. Laffey and several notices were given. He also has gone out to the campsites once a month, offering to help clean up the trash.
The clearing comes as officials have had concerns about the potential for forest fires. Mr. Laffey said he’s seen signs of camp fires and propane grills.
There is no shelter for the Island’s homeless population in the summer. Harbor Homes has been operating a winter shelter on the Martha’s Vineyard Community Services campus but that location closed down at the end of March.
The organization is hoping to create a more permanent shelter and is looking at a potential location in Oak Bluffs but those plans are still in the very early stages.
The article was updated Thursday morning after speaking with a representative from the Department of Conservation and Recreation.
Comments
The least they could have
Jon Ahlbum EdgartownThe least they could have done was to warn them and save their possessions
They cleared the camps once a
Heather SibleyThey cleared the camps once a year for four years, put up notices and went around to each of the tents to warn them.
This is driven by lack of
Posy Bass ChappyThis is driven by lack of affordable housing. So do you strip them of their posessions, including important documents creating even more difficult expensive hardships on top of dozens more? Is that even remotely constructive? No it’s cruel & dehumanizing
So heartless
Gabrielle West TisburySo heartless
Homeless, and everything that
Katie Dawson Vineyard HavenHomeless, and everything that you can manage to hold onto is taken to the dump. I want to cry.
Thank you to the State and
Mike EdgartownThank you to the State and officials for making our forest safer. Homelessness is a very big issue but we cannot encourage encampments and for public safety there can be no advance notice of government actions to protect our Island residents.
Mike,
John VHMike,
Then, perhaps it’s time for you to become an advocate for the creation of more affordable housing on the island.
How can you be so heartless?
David West TisburyHow can you be so heartless? These people posed no threat at all. There is no excuse for the behavior of this State agency. As Massachusetts citizens we should all voice our profound disapproval of this unnecessarily inflicted cruelty. I can’t imagine you read the article and had this response.
Hey Mike from Edgartown, how
Mary Alley Oak BluffsHey Mike from Edgartown, how is no advance notice protecting public safety? People lost personal items that cannot be easily replaced, if at all. Where’s your humanity? There but for the Grace of God go any of us.
Really? To simply dispose of
Dana Nunes MVReally? To simply dispose of their few belongings was cruel. As for protecting the island residents, where do you think they’re going to go, now? Coming to an alley/unoccupied home near you. For all the NIMBYs out there, get ready.
Safer? Protect Island
Susan Desmarais Oak BluffsSafer? Protect Island residents? From who? From what? Mike, your comment is cruel and rings of entitlement.
Maybe someday you’ll lose
Slater MVMaybe someday you’ll lose everything you own. Maybe it would bring you an ounce of compassion, but I doubt it.
Mike, I prefer to read your
Bruce Nevin EdgartownMike, I prefer to read your comment as sarcasm. In a text-only environment, irony that is too subtle gets taken literally.
They were warned, signs were posted, it's been a regular occurrence for four years — but they have no place to go. Hello? They. Have. No. Place. Where would the state Department of Conservation and Recreation have them go? "Not our department. We're just following orders."
Support Harbor Homes. Support MV Community Services. Support fellow humans. And in that be sustained.
What a cruel way to do it!
AB OBWhat a cruel way to do it! The people should have had time to get their possessions.
the DCR contracted a company
Michael edgartownthe DCR contracted a company to do this....who exactly at DCR contracted this act? the person who ordered this? the name in the Healey administration who ordered this?
This is grotesque. Destroying
RussellThis is grotesque. Destroying identification documents, medications and precious belongings is abhorrent and the Department of Conservation and Recreation must be held responsible since they hired the company who did this. A person had a seizure because they destroyed his medication. Do they understand that? They destroyed a mother’s photos of her dead children. Do they understand that? Is it impossible to clear out the camps and have them take what they need? Why the violence? These are humans, no different than anyone else and considering that the majority of Americans are a few missed paychecks from homelessness themselves, everyone should be outraged. Absolutely sickening.
They should’ve warned them .
Richard Dwyer EdgartownThey should’ve warned them . That’s cold and heartless
This raid was needlessly
Gary McGivney vineyard havenThis raid was needlessly cruel, adding more misery to people who already have a ton of it.
Why was there no warning?
I'm sure it was legally correct, but it was morally reprehensible.
Well put.
Lucy C VHWell put.
This is inhumane. They
David CrawfordThis is inhumane. They should have been given notice to evacuate at a minimum.
Truely inhumane, why did the
mike SomewhereTruely inhumane, why did the state have to dispose of all personal items in a way that they are not retrievable?
With no notice!
Disgraceful tactics for the DCR.
OK, remove the tents, move the personal items to the Dukes County complex at the airport.
Yes, they were there illegally, but no one should be subject to this type of disrespect.
This is a tough story. These
Tom Engley West Tisbury.This is a tough story. These people are trying to survive now what. Back on the street. I live in the edge of the state forest and it’s always on the back of my mind that there could be a forest fire and wipe out many homes is a this selfish way to think? I think not but the housing issue should be discussed openly everywhere it’s a world wide problem. There for the grace of god go I.
They’ve let people create
CompassionThey’ve let people create these encampments for years. I had an Uber driver that comes for the summer tell me he sets up a tent and makes enough in 90 days to carry the winter in a warm location. After years of letting it go on, a 24 hour warning would have been reasonable. On the other side of the coin something had to be done to curb the activity. At some point, we have to face the fact that not everyone can afford to stay here. Money isn’t the only factor that’s causes people to move, it’s a rat race and will only get more challenging. These state forest encampments confirm what we know, build a year round shelter in the vicinity of the airport so people from all towns can be safe. Something to house people with dignity and not pack them into a tiny corner.
Where is the outrage.
Tom West TisburyWhere is the outrage.
Whoever ordered this should be charged with theft. Who is this shameless person?
NO WORDS.
Annie Bradshaw West TisburyNO WORDS.
I’m sure if the state
Gina Menemsha/nycI’m sure if the state bothered to post their plan with specifics the tenters would have left peacefully. Why the mean spirited approach ??
This reporting borders on
Prudy Burt West TisburyThis reporting borders on irresponsible and does not help inform the incredibly complex issue of homelessness on the island. At the very least, DCR should have been provided an opportunity to comment and explain. It is my understanding that both verbal and written warning was given multiple times in the weeks leading up this illegal encampment being removed. Further, such removals have happened on a regular basis over the last several years. It is not a 'solution' to have homelessness advocates handing out tents and telling folks to go camp in our state forest. There is no camping allowed in the state forest, period, full stop- the risk of catastrophic wildfire is a constant real and present danger, something that has been extensively reported on by both island newspapers.
I agree that a 24 hour
J Smith MVI agree that a 24 hour warning should have been given especially given the recent publicity and revealed public aid behind their encampment. Sadly, it was support for an illusion.
As a woman who runs through there I have found it more and more concerning and disheartening. Piles of trash out by the road that animals are getting into, the general public avoiding the area because they don't want to accidentally run into something private... It is not a solution to camp out in the state forest. Truthfully, you either have to have the support of your community through personal relationships or the financial means to find a way to stay here. I support temporary shelter for the unexpected, but lack of housing is a well-known issue here and many people choose/plan to leave because of it. Tons of people find themselves without housing here, but only some expect the general public to solve that issue for them. The reality here is difficult and, yes, maybe worse than ever, but it feels wrong to create shelters here for people who really won't be able to get out of them into something more permanent. Even paid professionals find it hard to afford life here.
Please tell me this generous
Deanna Ahearn Laird Vineyard HavenPlease tell me this generous Island doesn't already have someone lined up to assist in replacing this hard-working group of people with their possessions! Horrifying treatment of some of our own? We treated the immigrants who arrived by bus better than this!! Let's work together and get them fitted with the equipment they need or, better yet, a place to live!
This is outrageous…so
Jen OBThis is outrageous…so hypocritical….we claim to have open arms. Yet we send the immigrants a couple years ago off the island in 72 hours now we throw these innocent folks out of the forest… who were they bothering??
No one!
Martha's Vineyard has always
Marty Milner TallahasseeMartha's Vineyard has always been the bell weather for how America is about to act. There are two edges to every "moral hazard" sword. This was a temporary fix, and I believe everyone knows it.
It appears that the Gazette
Ashley West TisburyIt appears that the Gazette in its rush to publish this did not have all of the facts. The original story made no mention of any interaction with the people camping in the forest. Only that their possessions were removed and disposed of without notice and in their absence.
Who and where was the editor when this was published.
While it appears that an effort was made to communicate with and help these people the end result is still unacceptable. Disposal of important personal items without ability to retrieve them cannot be condoned. The DCR should be required to reimburse these individuals for all their losses and to provide a safe place to stay.
We can’t have encampment
Jane EdgartownWe can’t have encampment sites in our State Forest. It is dangerous and these folks need help.
The state forest is not a
Jim OBThe state forest is not a solution. Sadly, the forest was a cheap, convenient way to hide the homeless from us. Maybe now these lost souls will get real help rather than living like cave people in the woods.
Further victimizing
William OBrien Vineyard HavenFurther victimizing individuals who are already struggling with housing insecurity and most likely other serious health care issues, does not sound like a successful social policy intervention. It has been documented in our newspapers that a number of our Island based not-for-profits have spent years reaching out to this vulnerable population on a case by case basis. They have established relationships and work with the individuals to help keep them safe in multiple domaines. After this aggressive intervention it will probably be more difficult to engage these individuals in the future. Seems odd that this intervention was infact all that could be done, it was not proceeded by a carefully developed plan negotiated with Island agencies to mitiigate harm to the involved individuals and oddly liability risk to DCR.
So grateful for Sharon Brown
John Abrams West TisburySo grateful for Sharon Brown and her organization that they are doing what they can to offset this horrendous stealing and dumping of possessions. Sharon - where can we send donations to you?
You can send donations to
Rev. Joanne Hus Oak BluffsYou can send donations to Harbor Homes at this link:
https://www.harborhomesmv.com/donate
Thanks for your compassion!
This reads like an episode
john crelan martha's vineyardThis reads like an episode from THE GRAPES OF WRATH.
Sham on the Vineyard.
I’m confused by some of the
Down islansweI’m confused by some of the comments. The article says the state posted notices on trees and spoke with the people in the encampments, so there seems to have been fair warning. And I understand that a fire originating from an encampment would be devastating. However, confiscating personal possessions like photos, ID’s and meds is reprehensible and cruel. There could have been a more humane way of handling this.
Our Church (United Methodist
Tom Engley West TisburyOur Church (United Methodist Church) and other churches and Harbor Homes is working on a solution. Stay tuned.
Wait didn’t Harbor Homes give
Gina Menemsha/nycWait didn’t Harbor Homes give their residents tents when the shelter closed for the season ?? Perhaps HH management should have known not to encourage camping since legit sites are so limited
Did the story change, or did
Cillian Byrne MVDid the story change, or did people not read the entire article? Many comments seem to reflect outrage at the lack of notice. Yet, the article clearly states, "DCR did not touch any of the people’s belongings before July 29, according to Mr. Laffey, and several notices were given. He also has gone out to the campsites once a month, offering to help clean up the trash." Why do we always presume the worst?
Please consider posting the
K MVPlease consider posting the original article, and highlight the rewritten and updated parts that was added later.
The article now states they were given notice- and now paints the DCR as nice people just doing their job. it still does not make it ok to take and destroy a person’s only belongings, medicines, ID, photos. Where are they going to go? The man sick with Lyme that hadn’t eaten in 2 days? (MV times article) how is he supposed to pack up- and go where? This was violent, and cruel. You stole unhoused people’s property, and their only shelter.
Tom Engley hit the nail on
hope it's not me someday EdgartownTom Engley hit the nail on the head, there for the grace of god go I. Camping in the state forest is nothing new, worsend now with the housing crisis. Regardless of the number of islanders, debated by DCR as three vs. what harborhomes has reported, who now have nowhere to sleep and have had all of their wordly possessions taken and destroyed is utterly senseless. Pictures, birth certificates, medication all gone. Obviously the signs and visits to those camaping did not work. Try harder. Did DCR bring in homeless advocates on the island? Why sneak in during the day when most of these unfortunate folks were at work? Why not go in after work hours with homeless adbvocates and law enforcement to do a controlled escort out? Did that cost too much money? DCR knew where the situation was located and could likely control the situation before any irreprable harm was done to the forest or to the saftey and welfare of the homeless. Using the threat of fire is a red herring, meant to scare folks who are unaware of what DCR does to prevent uncontrolled wildfires. This is an embarrasement that should not be repeated.
Early reporting on this issue
Prudy Burt West TisburyEarly reporting on this issue was irresponsible and inflamed the incredibly complex discussion regarding homelessness on the island. The Gazette should have held this story until they had spoken with our state forest manager, which didn't happen until late this morning, hours after this story first broke. As indicated by Mr. Laffey's comments, advance notice, both written and verbal, of the removal of this illegal encampment was given on multiple occasions over the last several weeks, as has been done multiple times in recent years. Due to the very real threat of catastrophic wildfires, a concern covered extensively by both island newspapers, no camping is, nor has ever been, allowed in the state forest, period, full stop. It is not realistic nor helpful for anyone to view the state forest as a default solution to the heart breaking problem of homelessness.
Prudy's comment is well put.
John TisburyPrudy's comment is well put. Both the Gazette and the Times' initial articles on this subject are one sided, and intentionally or not, set to provoke outrage. While homelessness is a terrible problem, a wildfire in the State Forest has potential to be devastating to the whole island.
I dont think all the
Ken Edg.I dont think all the publicity lately about camping in the woods helped. We had a campsite in the 60s-90s. I miss it.
it is a crime to,just set up
Mike Edgartownit is a crime to,just set up and live in a forest that you do not own.
If you are arrested for
Scott ChilmarkIf you are arrested for murder, they still keep your personal things safe. Even if they were warned, even if they were not allowed to be on the forest, this was handled horribly. If there were a dozen stray dogs living in the forest, they would have been treated better and there would have been a rush to find them homes. These are not animals. These are people trying to get by. People with either mental health issues or people with jobs who can’t afford a place to live. We’re all human beings. We can do better.
In the first paragraph they
Ed EdgartownIn the first paragraph they do say they talked to them and also put up signs that this was going to happen. It’s truly sad. But this is has been happening everywhere across our country. In almost every town. That’s the real issue. And it’s not new. There will never be enough housing.
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