Trustees of Martha’s Vineyard are finding that protected shorebird habitats on Chappaquiddick are being subjected to vandalism, theft, and in some cases, destruction. Trustees of Reservations Island director Darci Schofield told The Times that recently there have been a number of instances of what is being considered deliberate vandalism on both Norton Point and Cape Poge Wildlife Refuge.
From the destruction and removal of fences surrounding species of critical concern, such as the piping plover — which Norton Point has recently experienced “a record number” of — to the theft of crucial signage indicating nearby habitats and status, efforts to mitigate impacts to designated shorebird protection areas are in the spotlight.
Trustees rangers recently found a deceased piping plover chick in tire tracks in the sand that appeared to have been run over by a vehicle, according to a police report. That adds to what has already triggered strictly enforced over-sand vehicle (OSV) regulations, including limited access.
There is no doubt that instances of vandalism are being taken seriously, with the Trustees asking for reinforcement. Local police departments and the Massachusetts Environmental Police are now being notified of any and all attempts to negatively impact the protected areas, in addition to increasing environmental police presence and having multiple Trustees staff present at all times when access to some of the most sensitive areas is available to the public.
The goal, explained Schofield, is “reinforc[ing] our legal obligation to protect these shorebirds, as well as uplift our mission.” The mission is increasing shorebird protection, habitat delineation, and active nests, which are of utmost importance to maintaining and preserving the local ecology.
Schofield said she is grateful for those who continue to “abid[e] by the rules and regulations that we create to ensure a safe and enjoyable space for all,” noting the importance of visitors and members who have supported and continue to support the efforts to protect local wildlife habitats.
Although closures are solely reserved for species of critical concern, both listed and unlisted bird species found on Chappaquiddick are “critical component[s] of the delicate beach ecosystem,” Schofield emphasized. “It’s all interconnected.”
Schofield said she can understand beachgoers’ frustration over limited access, but noted that there has been overall patience shown as the Trustees navigate balancing beach access and habitat protection.
All beaches are now open, with OSV access limited to 10 am to 4 pm Fridays through Sundays.
“We want to make sure these extraordinary places are here for generations to come,” she said. “We all have to work together to ensure that can happen.”
Although closures are solely reserved for species of critical concern, both listed and unlisted bird species found on Chappaquiddick are “critical component[s] of the delicate beach ecosystem,” Schofield emphasized. “It’s all interconnected.”
This is dictator speak for we are in charge so we can change the rules to best push our agenda. I’ll ask again, how is it that homeowners, their family, friends, domestic help, dog walkers, contractors etc have unfettered access to these closed trails? Could it be that one of these groups is responsible for the alleged vandalism?
Stop hiding behind the excuse we are doing it to save Chappy for future generations. You simply don’t like the big bad truck driving the shoreline to fish or use the beaches. The piping plover is no longer endangered. Open up the trails or stop taking our money to close us out from land that we paid for to use responsibility
These beaches belong to all of us. One plover? The trustees are not balancing the use of these beaches. Vandalism? Sensationalism to support your new proposed changes. Enough. We always coexisted. Come up with a workable plan that Includes us that live here and work here. We fish, shellfish, and boat.
These beaches are private property.
They do not belong to you.
Fish, shellfish, and boat on your property or property that was bought with your tax dollars.
A couple thoughts. The trustees are taking no one’s money. People give their money willingly. Don’t like the trustees? Don’t pay. It seems many people are stuck in the mindset that because it used to be one way it has to remain so in perpetuity. It doesn’t work like that. Things change. AS far as I know in The Commonwealth of Mass the beaches most assuredly d not belong to everybody. They belong to whomever owns them. This is unfair but, it is the law. To all the people complaining. I would ask they check their privilege and focus on what is really important, Not these first world “problems”.
Privilege? For wanting to use what is rightfully ours? Stop with the virtue signaling! This is nothing but rich powerful people who want to limit people from using the beach on Chappy to fish, relax on the shoreline and shell fish. Privilege, what a joke.
Also, Holmes if we don’t give them money we don’t get a permit to drive on the beach. So not giving them money is not an option. Open up the trails and let us fish. And the don’t like it don’t pay is a win for them. That is the endgame. To get enough people to give up and walk away leaving the beaches to the elite of Chappy
Carl you purchase the privilege of using someone else’s property.
You have no right to that privilege.
You always have privilege of driving on beach that you own.
Albert
Except when they take tax money from us in the form of grants to partially fund their operations under the guise open to the public. See their annual report posted on line. Once you take the tax payers money you can no longer claim total private status. I accept limitations to that use for the good of the order but I do not accept total restrictions. These reservations are there for our use and enjoyment not for the elites personal playground to restrict at will.
‘Virtue signaling.’
You’re kidding, right?
Oh wait. No, you aren’t.
HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!
No! I’m not kidding. Not sure what the big laugh is about.
Carl– I guess I am referring to people who can’t get trump out of their heads. You know, that 60% of republicans who are gearing up for a civil war because they think the liberals stole the election in 2020 and the vice president should have been hung for not overturning the will of the people.
Don… my apologies for barking at you. I now get the point you were/are trying to make. Not sure about the 60% number you mention but there are some real winners on both the left and the right. Take this guy for example: Malcolm Nance, an MSNBC pundit who took up arms to fight in Ukraine earlier this year, claimed on MSNBC that the GOP has become an insurgency that the United States may have to fight. Boggles the mind. Although I don’t understand some progressives doltishness I sure do admire their total commitment to it.
Aron– there are few tried and true dog whistle words and phrases that are commonly used by those on the right who have no rational argument.
I haven’t been able to figure out what most of them actually mean though.
Just a few;
Virtue signaling
CRT
“they want to control you”
Trump derangement syndrome
Blood and soil
the great replacement
Obama ruined the country
Biden is ruining the country
Liberals hate America..
You get the idea — It really is lol funny, but for the fact that they have actually been brainwashed to think all these slogans have some sort of meaning.
And the end result is that about 60% of them still believe that trump won the 2020 election, and that the problem on Jan 6 was liberals dressing up like trump supporters and causing all the problems– with the help of the FBI and George Soros of course.
And to Carl, maybe you know what the “big laugh” is about now.
Don… they actually do have meaning…virtue signaling:
“the action or practice of publicly expressing opinions or sentiments intended to demonstrate one’s good character or the moral correctness of one’s position on a particular issue.” CRT is a thing just because you deny it doesn’t make it not so. I believe you even accepted CRT in previous comments but I digress. I have not been brainwashed to,think or act a certain way and I certainly don’t let Trump live rent free in my head. I tend to look at the results of policies both good and bad to make informed decisions. I do not put labels on people but judge them on their merits rather then who they are associated with. I don’t stick up for or defend people just because they identify one way or the other. I believe in right and wrong and their isn’t much gray. So, Don I still don’t see what the “big laugh” is unless you are referring to the people who can’t get Trump out of their heads, if that’s the case it’s a laugh riot.
Can the Times verify that the Trustees are reporting incidents to local police departments, the nature of the reports, and how many reports have been filed? For the first time in decades I’m not trusting the trustees.
I have an idea. Why don’t we create a tax on Vineyard homeowners in order to make it easier for more people to live here with their vehicles?
What the hell is wrong with people?
I am a full-time Chappy resident and a member of MV Beachgoers Access Group. We meet monthly with local TTOR leadership, including Darci Schofield, Island Director. The most egregious vandalism referred to in the article occurred on or around June 27th, the day before our monthly meeting. All of us at meeting emphatically condemned the action and communicated to the MV Beachgoers Access Facebook Group (currently 582 members) to make sure we report any egregious behavior on the properties to the TTOR.
Moreover, with respect to the deceased piping plover….Public OSV access to that part of the property has been closed since at least June 5th. Here is a link to Trustees OSV Access Map from June 5th. Portion of it we recently opened for public access.
https://www.facebook.com/trusteesmv/posts/pfbid0AQvRJiNWRbibtATUrbUhr1758QGEU7brqsTyHiEoJwZtoTHgAJ6ySPbRXwsaUeKLl
The only people who had access to that part of the properties which the TTOR staff and homeowners on the Refuge.
Protection of species like Piping Plovers are driven by policies at the Trustees, State, and Federal levels and it is important to know that Trustees are legally obligated to follow those guidelines.
Lastly, the majority of OSV operators respect and value the Trustee’s managed properties and many of us treat it as our “home” It is important that all of us act like ambassadors and report to the Trustees any behavior that does not respect this most valuable resource.
Peter… thank you for saying this so eloquently. As you can see from my posts I sometimes struggle in that regard. I’ll defer to your expertise but since the plover is no longer endangered doesn’t the Trustees have more discretion to open up land?
As the owners the Trustees have the discretion to prohibit OSVs.
Mr. Hess… I concede that point. However, their discretion or lack thereof is the problem. And, I am not saying the Trustees don’t play a pivotal role in preserving the the land. But to me and others their discretion appears to favor the elites and not common folk. One only needs to read their latest post on Facebook to affirm this. They are telling us the trails will be closed most likely for another 45 days. This has been a pattern for the last few years. They take our money for OSV permits then close the trails. It’s a classic Bait and Switch. You shouldn’t be able to take peoples money under false pretense that you are going to allow travel on trails then close them. It is after all a OSV permit and not Over Sand Flip Flop permit. Maybe split the difference and charge only 25% of the cost since you can only use 25% of the trails to fish.
Carl, the elites are people who can afford a fishing truck.
Poor people fish from docks.
A 14 year old compact pick up truck that serves as work, recreational and primary mode of transportation makes one an elitist? If so when can I move to Chappy and restrict others from visiting?
Carl, You may want to add to your argument that Leland’s and Wasque as well as Nortons Point are owned by the County and are only managed by an agreement with the Trustees. Those are public lands. They DO own most of the north side that they want to close.
Thanks for your comment Mr Collins and it’s a great point. And I understand and respect their ownership of most of the north side. It will be a shame if they do close it. Years of families traditions wiped out by the piping plover and imperial moth.
Transposed . . .
Years of plovers’ and moths’ lives wiped out by family traditions.
Bullseye, Katherine.
Just a hypothetical Jackie, if the plover or imperial moth encroached on your land, would abandon your property for their survival? After all they were here first. I know you wouldn’t it and is a silly question but I would bet the farm there would be many who think you should. Don’t count me as one of them.
Katherine, humans are at the top of the food chain, like it or not. And with that comes great responsibility. We can co exist with the plover and the moth but not to the point where we artificially but the plover and moth above the needs and SOME wants of our own. I’m just looking for a balance. And I think we had it in the past. Today, I feel that elites are gaming the system by hiding behind regulations with good intentions for their own personal gain.
Mr Kelly it is pointless to reason with some of these folks who don’t want you peeing in the ocean or stepping on an ant. Yes Man should be a good steward but no one ever explains to me who gave animals their rights. They are to be protected to some extent but they don’t have ”rights”.
Andy–when you try to mock someone with something that is obviously false and silly, it diminishes the validity of your argument. I have been listening to and taking Carl Kelly’s advice on that one. When one is on a rafting trip on the Colorado river for example , you are required to pee in the river.
As for the rights of animals, you are somewhat correct that animals don’t have the same kind of rights as Sapiens , but we do not have the right to wantonly abuse or kill them.
We only have to look back to April in this publication to see that
https://www.mvtimes.com/2022/04/29/former-puppy-owner-charged-animal-cruelty/
My guess is that if you deliberately ran into a flock of turkeys, you would be charged with a crime.
Who gave humans “rights” ?
You often talk about morality and how it comes only through your god. Wherever morality comes from, abusing animals is immoral.
Slaves didn’t have rights, but times change.
Animals don’t currently have rights, but “the times they are a changin.”
I know you won’t even bother to look at this “liberal rubbish” but others here will likely read this thoughtful article on the subject.
https://faunalytics.org/the-animal-rights-movement-history-and-facts-about-animal-rights/?gclid=CjwKCAjwrNmWBhA4EiwAHbjEQHh_qODRPC0mZdeOoWPcxcCdrVjzgqjBb2cqoYrlqYjHmxIUHC7BjhoCK8sQAvD_BwE
And by the way, andy, the article nor any commenter here referred in any way to animal rights.
Thank you for the animal rights link, Don. Really interesting. Some people need to reread Charlotte’s Web. Or at least, look at our planet through the eyes of a child. I just read an article, but I can’t remember where so I can’t link it, about a young woman farmer and the life (and death) yearly cycle of farming and the pigs she raises– and gives names to! It may have been in this paper, but I can’t find it now.
I eat some meat and fish, which I do not hunt or fish for, (is anything more boring than fishing? Oh yeah, golfing), but I do think about how it gets on my plate, mostly from the medical viewpoint for what ails me and how best to keep myself shlepping along.
I don’t know much about what Jesus supposedly said, but it appears he had the highest regard for all his god’s creatures. It’s always enlightening to hear those who carry on about such religious things when they forget what their guy preached for and against. It seems Christianity teaches there is a moral obligation not to cause suffering to animals. Wanting to go fishing where an endangered, or almost endangered species has its eggs? Yeah, no way. Not for this Jewish girl, either.
Carl, There is a disclaimer provided on the Trustees OSV permit purchase page online which states:
Your OSV permit does not guarantee access. Access for Oversand Vehicles is limited to nesting shorebird activity and conditions of the beach itself including trail flooding, inundation and erosion.
Lisa I understand that and I bet that disclaimer has not been updated in many years. It just seems that for the last few years there has been increased restrictions on the permits almost to the point of total uselessness. The trustees push buying these permits in the winter not knowing the future nesting of the plover. I’m just looking for a compromise or a realistic solution. I bet the residents on Chappy dont have any more special powers then you or I do that allows them unfettered access. And thanks for the comment.
Carl– while we often disagree about things, I am struck by you comments on this thread.
You have shown yourself to be open minded and respectful of the opinions of others while clearly articulating your points. I am inspired– thank you..
Thank you sir, it means a lot. I think we may be a lot alike in the sense we like to opine on many different topics. We often learn from what other people have to say and we don’t have to agree but I find it inspiring to go back and forth and really try to understand where people with other thoughts and ideas come from. Your one comment about pebble reactors had me researching the topic a lot. Can’t believe we aren’t all in on it. Sounds almost too good to be true. Hopefully we will get there soon.
Mr. Kelly I see you are being obsequious to some on this site in an attempt to be polite. I warn you of Churchills warning: ”those who appease the alligator will simply be eaten last”
andy– thanks for showing your true colors.
Let me remind you of Jesus’s advice as related by the apostle Peter..
1 peter 3:8-9 “8 Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. 9 Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing”
You should try being polite sometime– Jesus would like it.
Had to look up up obsequious, great word. I’m still in pretty good shape to run from that alligator. I’m kind of the gentle giant type. I’ve got thick skin but when push comes to shove I’m not backing down but if I’m right. But I am smart enough to know I’m not ALWAYS right. That’s my wife.
Now look up hornswoggle.
To get the better of one by cheating or deception. Yup, had to look that one up too. Wish I met you people while studying for my SAT’s. Anyway, our industrial farming that keeps the top of the food chain going for us people who do our hunting in grocery stores are sounding the alarm of a potential food shortage. They need cheap fertilizer and cheap fuel to keep up with demand. I would hate to see what would happen to the environment if all us city slickers had to go hunt for ourselves.
I trust Chris Kennedy on this issue, he knows more about that area than anyone and he is calling this plan utter garbage that needs to be scrapped and re-done.
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