The Trustees of Reservations is under scrutiny once again after the Edgartown conservation commission found the regional land trust failed to properly demarcate oversand vehicle trails.
The Trustees of Reservations is under scrutiny once again after the Edgartown conservation commission found the regional land trust failed to properly demarcate oversand vehicle trails.
Town officials recently visited the Trustees’ properties on Chappaquiddick and found the organization had not installed fencing and signs mandated under town approvals granted in May. Although no penal action has been taken, the commission ordered the Trustees to immediately fix the issue and asked for an explanation in a meeting Wednesday.
Trustees Islands director Darci Schofield said the Trustees had been following past practices.
“We had fenced according to how we have historically fenced and how we described we would fence in the beach management plan submitted,” Ms. Schofield said.
Conservation agent Jane Varkonda and conservation assistant Kara Shemeth participated in the site visit earlier this month. Since then, the Trustees put in new signage and added wooden and metal stakes around most oversand vehicle trails, but it hasn’t joined the stakes with rope. Ms. Schofield said the delay was mostly due to preparations around the hurricane set to make landfall in New England this weekend.
“I wouldn’t say that I’m satisfied but I hear her explanation,” Ms. Varkonda told the commission. “We’ll see what happens after this weekend.”
The Trustees’ management of its Chappaquiddick properties, particularly its handling of overdsand vehicle access, has been a persistent subject of controversy this past year. The organization faced a series of contentious hearings with the conservation commission before it was granted permission to sell stickers for oversand vehicle access on its beachfront and wetland properties. The area is particularly popular for recreational fishing and shellfishing, drawing in up to 300 vehicle visitors per day in the summer. Oversand vehicle access is still prohibited north of the Jetties to the Gut.
This fall, the Trustees submitted an updated beach management plan alongside a new notice of intent to sell oversand vehicle stickers next year. Chairman Peter Vincent warned the infraction did not bode well for applications down the line.
“This failure to comply with this order does not reflect well on your ability to comply with future orders,” he said.
Comments
Great to see the town of
Whit Symmes Wasque Farm, ChappyGreat to see the town of Edgartown holding TTOR accountable. Please keep it up! TTOR has a long, sad history of using our Chappy beaches as an SUV theme park. This has always been unsafe for children and in direct contradiction to TTOR's own stated mission to protect the exceptional scenic, historic, and ecological value of their properties. The good news is that Chappy has plenty of space for vehicles east of South Beach and north of the Dike bridge. But there must be ample space set aside for people who walk from one of the 3 lots- especially to Wasque Point. Is not having to look at at trucks too much to ask?
Whit, OSV access to these
David Collins Ashaway RIWhit, OSV access to these properties has been allowed for decades. All of a sudden your view of the ocean is more important? Public access is a right and the limiting of said access affects us all, especially the handicapped. Thank you to the town for holding the Trustees accountable.
David,
Whit Symmes ChappyDavid,
Can you consider that some people want to experience the beach without looking at SUV's? In addition to preserving scenic beauty, can you consider that vehicles pose a safety hazard to kids -especially after those bumper-mount beer coolers get emptied? The fact that OSV access has been allowed for decades doesn't mean we can't have a fairer and safer solution going forward. How about Wasque Point to Norton Point car free forever? Also a mile or so of East Beach over the Dike Bridge? This still leaves you miles of sand to drive on. What's the objection?
What am I missing here? A
Lindsay allison ChappaquiddickWhat am I missing here? A conservation commission is ordering fencing and ropes installed on a delicate barrier beach, where storms could wash posts and rope into the sea? This makes no sense to me. The stakes detract from the beauty of the drive on the barrier beach and stakes and ropes will end up wrapped around whales and turtles. If anything, I would expect a conservation commission to order fencing to be removed rather than installed. I don’t understand. At the very least, whatever is installed should be biodegradable or we will be picking it up in Earth Day for decades.
I was on East Beach 3 days a
Rich EdgartownI was on East Beach 3 days a week this whole summer. Rarely did I see more than a handful of vehicles, the majority of them fishing, all of which were respectfully using this beautiful public resource with ample room. 300 crossings is MAX crossings = 150 vehicles, much lower when you remove the trustees vehicles from the counts. There is NOT a crowding issue.
Please open access to the Gut this coming season for the anglers who are simply enjoying peaceful solitude. The party folks go to Norton, not Chappy.
This public resource shall be enjoyed by the PUBLIC with respectful rules. We must not allow it to be stolen by a few disingenuous property owners.
Save the OSV, ban Piping
Albert GosnoldSave the OSV, ban Piping Plovers.
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