Friday, May 24, 2013

By Mimi Wells
Published: March 5, 2009

An empty bag of potato chips, rusty beer cans and a dilapidated beach chair are among the summer leftovers visible on a winter day on Eastville Point Beach just east of the Lagoon Pond drawbridge overlooking Vineyard Haven Harbor. In addition to the manmade debris, there is a plant that is equally unwelcome.

David Nash of Edgartown, chairman of the Eastville Point Beach Committee, a group of citizens interested in cleaning up the popular beach, said, "It's in serious need of some TLC."

The first order of business, Mr. Nash said, is to remove the spotted knapweed that has grown in all over the beach. Saturday afternoon, a group of volunteers will go to work doing just that.

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Knapweed grows well in the dredge spoils deposited at Eastville Beach.
Photos by Mimi Wells

Spotted knapweed is an invasive species, thought to have arrived on the northeastern coast of the United States in the late 1800s as a soil contaminant. It flowers late in spring through mid-fall and, with its petals in shades of pink and violet, can appear quite delicate.

Actually the weed is an aggressive competitor; spreading rapidly and releasing toxins that halt the growth of native Island flora such as rosa rugosa.

The plants' spindly branchess also deter shorebird populations such as the least tern, a Massachusetts species of special concern, from nesting in spring. "Least terns like open, sandy habitats. They usually nest on top of the dredge spoils at Eastville Point," said Rebecca Harris, director of Coastal Waterbird Program at Mass Audubon. "Removing knapweed may mean that we have a colony there this year, where we probably wouldn't have." 

Managing the toxic plant is an issue on several Martha's Vineyard beaches, but Eastville Point Beach is especially vulnerable because of a combination of frequent use and its past use as a site for dredge deposits. "It likes sandy areas and poor nutrient soils," said University of Connecticut biologist Sarah Treanor. "Spotted knapweed typically grows in ruderal or otherwise disturbed habitats."

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A dilapidated split rail fence mars the beach landscape.

With seeds viable for up to five years, it takes consistent maintenance to eliminate knapweed, something that has been largely lacking on Eastville Point Beach where its growth has been mostly unchecked.

Removing spotted knapweed is not the only challenge. The Eastville Point Beach parking lot is pock-marked with potholes, garbage abounds, and fences are in disrepair. The problems amount to more than just an eyesore for beachgoers. Lack of adequate fencing means more human disturbance of bird nesting sites in summer and excess garbage attracts egg and chick predators, including rats and skunks.

The 5.2-acre beach is owned by Dukes County. Tisbury owns a strip of land that borders the channel that leads from the harbor to Lagoon Pond, and Oak Bluffs owns a small piece of land on the east side.

In recent years, following sharp criticism, the county has increasingly turned management of the beaches under its control to other agencies. For example, the Trustees of Reservations, a private conservation organization, now manages county-owned Norton Point Beach under a contract with the county.

In the current fiscal year, the county budgeted $6,250 for natural resources, which included beach management.

"There is only one issue: money," said Russell Smith, Dukes County manager, in a telephone conversation this week. "From the county's point of view, there is not any extra money, period." But the condition of the beach has been poor, even though the money available for beach management has not been substantially reduced for years.

The county's financial problems are compounded by the shared ownership. The result is that upkeep is governed by a convoluted arrangement that Mr. Nash described as, "shared funding, overlapping jurisdiction, and formal maintenance agreements."

The Eastville Point Beach Committee was created to fill in the gaps. Ultimately, the Committee's long-term effectiveness will depend on its ability to get town and county funding for beach projects. For now volunteer labor by a variety of groups is the soul of current clean-up efforts. Mr. Smith admits that efforts to maintain Eastville Point Beach have "certainly been piecemeal."

In an email, Mr. Nash told The Martha's Vineyard Times that there are many good examples of what could be done. "I think if you look at any high volume public beach like state or South Beach, you can see what can be done to make the recreational areas cleaner, safer, and more appealing. Maybe longer term, the beach needs to be managed by a group with more assets, or the various owners need to form an alliance that would lead to better management."

On Saturday, supporters of the beach will rely on good old-fashioned community volunteerism. Mr. Nash said the public is invited to join members of the Eastville Point Beach Committee from noon to 2 pm to help remove knapweed.