<p>Edgartown will make a pitch to the Dukes County Commission Wednesday to take over the management of Norton Point Beach, which is currently overseen by The Trustees of Reservations.</p>
Edgartown will make a pitch to the Dukes County Commission to take over the management of Norton Point Beach, which is currently overseen by The Trustees of Reservations.
In an email sent to Trustees Islands Director Darci Schofield Monday and shared with the Gazette, Edgartown town administrator James Hagerty informed The Trustees that the town parks department intends to broach the subject Wednesday with a formal presentation to take over operations of the beach — a storied, ever-changing spit of sand that is both one of the Island’s most accessible and also most fragile shorelines.
The presentation will take place at the Dukes County Commission meeting on Wednesday, Dec. 7, according to Mr. Hagerty.
“I wanted to give you the professional courtesy, and let you know that the Parks Department will be approaching the County Commissioners on Wednesday, Dec. 7, to propose taking over the operations of Norton Point Beach,” Mr. Hagerty wrote to Ms. Schofield. “I am available at your convenience to discuss, and I hope you understand the Town’s financial and operational thought process.”
Ms. Schofield said in a statement provided to the Gazette from a Trustees spokesman that the organization has dedicated resources and expertise to managing the unique barrier-beach ecosystem for 15 years.
"We have embraced this opportunity...investing in and managing ecologists, stewards, rangers, and volunteers, in order to maintain [over-sand vehicle] access and recreational opportunities in balance with conservation needs and requirements, including caring for protected and endangered shorebirds," the statement from Ms. Schofield said. "We are also engaging in a collaborative process with an on-island working group to hear feedback and draft a new beach management plan that will help us better steward Norton Point today, and in the future.”
A highly visible stretch of beachfront that links Edgartown and Chappaquiddick, Norton Point has been managed by The Trustees since 2006, offering a dynamic coastal habitat that is home to rare shorebirds and popular among sport fishermen and recreational beachgoers.
The beach is owned by Dukes County and managed by The Trustees — a statewide conservation non-profit that also oversees management of more than 600 acres of pristine Chappaquiddick coast, including Wasque Point, Leland Beach and Cape Pogue. The Trustees own Wasque and Cape Pogue, while the state owns Leland Beach.
Nearby South Beach, located just west of Norton Point, is owned by the state and managed by the town.
The Dukes County Commission and The Trustees have a management contract for Norton Point that is set to expire in 2023, according to Mr. Hagerty. As part of the contract, The Trustees offer over-sand vehicle permits for purchase, costing $500 for access to all Chappy beaches managed by the organization. Edgartown park rangers and The Trustees enforce other beach management rules at Norton Point, which this summer included rangers escorting over-sand vehicles to avoid nesting shorebirds.
The Chappy beaches and Norton Point are the only public properties on the Island that allow beach driving. Sales of oversand vehicle stickers have provided significant revenue for The Trustees throughout the years — although recent numbers have not been made available, The Trustees said they sold 3,355 over-sand vehicle permits in 2020.
Edgartown’s pitch to take over management of the beach comes at a particularly fraught time for the Norton Point and Chappaquiddick shore front, as coastal ecologists, beach managers, recreational beachgoers and sport fishermen have jockeyed intensely over issues of access and conservation.
Norton Point sits at the intersection of those issues, where the beach’s easy access from Katama makes it a popular destination, even as it remains subject to overwash, breaching and erosion from storms. It also plays host to a fragile habitat for piping plovers and other rare shorebirds that have made a comeback in recent years, prompting increased scrutiny on the delicate balance between recreation and ecology.
Earlier this summer, The Trustees scrapped a draft management plan for its beaches, including Norton Point, that had proposed sweeping changes to over-sand vehicle routes and banned dogs, among other things. The Trustees pulled the plan after it was met with fierce backlash from recreational beachgoers, as well as a former Islands director for the organization, who felt it didn’t emerge from a robust public process.
In the months since, The Trustees have convened meetings to discuss a new management plan with various stakeholders, including the town of Edgartown, Chappaquiddick residents and a beach access group that includes members of the fishing community. The organization acknowledged the working group in its statement, and said it has more meetings scheduled throughout the winter.
Mr. Hagerty did not provide further details on the town’s proposal to take over management of the beach on Monday. The proposal is the first item on a publicly posted Dukes County Commission agenda for Wednesday’s meeting.
Updated to include a statement from The Trustees.
Comments
Thank you, Thank you, please
Marie EdgartownThank you, Thank you, please take back our beach…..The Trustees are worthless, we should all be reimbursed for the sticker cost last year….
Hip Hip Hooray and let’s keep
Diane EdgartownHip Hip Hooray and let’s keep the beach for Edgartown residence. Every other town has their own beach, until they open theirs lets keep Norton Point for Edgartown, at least let’s stop the day passes, week passé, etc etc. Edgartown deserves it’s own piece of beach. Thank you
How neighborly.
School's Out TisburyHow neighborly.
How selfish
mike SomewhereHow selfish
ET has Katama, State Beach, ET lighthouse beach, Fuller Beach etc...
Thats not enough for you.
I think greedy too!
She was suggesting a beach
MarieShe was suggesting a beach for Edgartown Residents ONLY. Like the beach in Chilmark.
Katama and the others are public
Yes, and they are open to the
Helen EdgartownYes, and they are open to the entire island….Open all beaches, we will worry about the parking…..no excuse.
As a summer resident of
Bob ChilmarkAs a summer resident of Chilmark I understand. We do give the off season to all to enjoy. Chilmark beaches could not handle the crowds and we have limited parking.
Not an excuse! Open your
R Scott Patterson EdgartownNot an excuse! Open your beaches or stay off the ones only open to us peons!
Weak - parking can be
WD Vineyard HavenWeak - parking can be expanded. Chilmark is NIMBY - lets see if they ever allow a bike lane on any of the roads leading to Aquinnah as well.
We can’t handle any more
Craig ChilmarkWe can’t handle any more beach goers in Chilmark…. I don’t use other beaches on the Island. We don’t have the resources to accommodate any more cars or people. Enjoy Lucy Vincent in the fall/winter spring it’s beautiful.
Considering the beach is
Ed EdgartownConsidering the beach is owned by the county your proposal is a near impossibility.
Here we go again
Cement Truck Driver Edg but used to be V.H.Here we go again
It's about time. I support
katamapoint EdgartownIt's about time. I support this move 100%.
Norton Point Beach is
Lorraine EdgartownNorton Point Beach is Edgartown. Period. Trustees, no.
I think the Trustees have
Gary EdgartownI think the Trustees have done a ok job over the years. But lately they have gone to far with closings etc.. communication with the trustees was horrible to say the least, caused all kinds of problems with beach goers and fishing community. I would like to hear what Edgartown plans to do differently…
Follow the money you’re
Bob EdgartownFollow the money you’re looking at close to $1 million in sticker fees which will more than cover the cost of Edgartown managing the beach. The Trustees are going to fight hard to keep that revenue.
If the Trustees intend to
Danny East ChopIf the Trustees intend to earn back the trust of the community Ms. Schofield et al better come up with a plan to share with the community. They’ve done nothing since the last go around months ago. Since the plover population has rebounded so well, do we need to keep expanding their space in the sand? They get more space per summer than people these days. If plover population explodes will we give them the whole beach to nest? When is enough enough? Trustees cannot have it both ways. Wanna charge $500 for a couple months of beach driving then you gotta let folks drive that beach. I suggest proper 4x4 requirements for OSV access. Too many low clearance cars w/ AWD designed for the snow out there. A higher vehicle spec would reduce the traffic jams, the need to dig out so many 1st timers, and be a natural limiter to capacity.
Before calling for Edgartown
Nelson Sigelman Vineyard HavenBefore calling for Edgartown to do this and that ("keep Norton Pt. for Edgartown," really?), it would be helpful to understand some of the facts and recent history of Norton Point Beach. Edgartown does not own the approximately two-and-a-half-mile strip of barrier beach that connects Katama and Chappaquiddick. The County of Dukes County does. In 2005, the county finally recognized it was incapable of managing the beach or meeting shorebird protection requirements and turned over management to The Trustees of Reservations. Those who want to castigate The Trustees have short memories. Since retired TTOR superintendent Chris Kennedy cleaned up the beach (remember those broken tire-killer fence stakes?), created marked trails, and fought to maintain traditional beach access in the face of strict state and federal shorebird guidelines wielded by not always sympathetic bureaucrats. Yes, The Trustees have stumbled badly, and Edgartown does a great job of managing its resources, but there may still be a way to cooperate that benefits all concerned.
Correct me if I am wrong but
Helen EdgartownCorrect me if I am wrong but didn’t Edgartown supervise Norton Point before the trustees took over?
I’ve never been to Norton
Frances McGuire New York and Oak BluffsI’ve never been to Norton Point, nor wish to, however I am always curious as to why Oak Bluffs’ beaches are open and welcoming to everyone yet most other town beaches are not. Menemsha, like Oak Bluffs, deserves a special shoutout for sharing their spectacular natural resources with all of us.
If you bring OB in the
George Stein OBIf you bring OB in the conversation how do you ignore irresponsible folks who leave their garbage?
The Habitat conservation plan
Chris EdgartownThe Habitat conservation plan is a state-run procedure allowing beach managers to apply for additional flexibility for managing beach access and recreation around nesting Piping Plovers, a state- and federally protected shorebird.
Trustees went to great lengths to have a HCP so vehicles could be escorted. Edgartown would have to do the same. New management- same coastal habitat context.
Don’t expect unfettered access.
Remember new chicks can easily fall into the ruts made by tire tracks along the shoreline and get stuck and die from being crushed or exposure to predators.
Trustees or Edgartown the same question remains should vehicles be allowed on fragile coastal resources?
The answer to your question
Bob EdgartownThe answer to your question is absolutely yes. There is plenty enough beach for cars, walking, and wildlife. It seems what gets lost many times is the health of people that need a place to recharge themselves and to grow.
And I would definitely vote
Carol formerly ChilmarkAnd I would definitely vote no on vehicles on beaches, unless for emergency medical or police or Coast Guard vehicles. Not everyone wants vehicles on the beach; I definitely don't. And I enthusiastically support protections for the piping plovers. If you want to drive around in a scenic place & recharge, go to Moab.
Living on the road to Long
Gabrielle West TisburyLiving on the road to Long Point year-round and dealing with constant traffic on a very narrow dirt road, it would be nice if TOR gave us a few free visits a year if only for a quick swim but alas they are not that neighborly.
I have been to Norton Point
D OBI have been to Norton Point Beach in a SUV exactly once, long ago, and decided not to go in a vehicle again. It looked like a large parking lot, with big trucks parked every 10 yards along the beach with boom boxes, humongous coolers and picnic tables! NOT what I want for a beach!
Seriously, if you go to a beach, you should go with only that which you can carry on your back or in your arms! And how much do you really need? Towel, chair, umbrella and good book (or Kindle)? And maybe beach toys, with kids, say pail, shovel, a ball or two and boogy board? Oh, yes, and lunch.
Here's a suggestion: create/enlarge the parking near the beach entrance - NOT on the beach, where the shorebirds are nesting, and allow people to WALK, along designated trails, to their chosen spots. And fence off the shorebirds nesting sites.
Hmmm, sounds like State beach to me...actually, sounds like most of the other beaches on the island!
And if you want solitude on your beach day, you may have to search for it and walk to it. There are bunches of them on the island, but they require an effort to get to them - as they should!
Edgartown has been going to
Jack ChappyEdgartown has been going to great lengths at building a "Master Plan" for the town. A lot of time, resource and money have gone into it and it has a lot of great thinking. Does this Master Plan include the reappropriation or expanded management of the Town to manage this property?
Anytime there is an issue
Barbara ChilmarkAnytime there is an issue with down island beaches and how they manage it, Chilmark gets pulled into the argument. Our beaches is owned by the Town and is for tax paying residents. We do open Lucy and Squibby to the public 8 month a year.
I just could not imagine Lucy Vincent Beach open to the public in the summer months… there is no parking.. and it’s a Town beach.
Barbara I agree, we pay out
Kyle NY-ChilmarkBarbara I agree, we pay out taxes for Town beaches… Norton Point is owned by the county.
We could never accommodate more people or cars… this summer Lucy Vincent was so crowded I had to park near the gate ?? It’s crazy in the summer…
This is a county issue. I
Ken OBThis is a county issue. I think the Trustee's need some new leadership and mostly better communication. As for private beaches I feel all beaches should be open to the public.
The Trustees do not own Cape
John ChappyThe Trustees do not own Cape Pogue. Cape pogue is privately owned by many different people.
I never been to Norton Point,
Ted ChilmarkI never been to Norton Point, nor do I want to. I like the idea of Town beaches , a small fee to go on. Fees used to maintain beach and everyone wins.
Add new comment