The Trustees of Reservations announced that piping plover chicks that hatched at Norton Point have fledged. That’s good news for folks with over-sand vehicle permits, because rolling access, seven days a week, to Norton Point will resume Wednesday.
Efforts to enhance protection of the coast’s shorebirds have already been underway, with restrictions on over-sand vehicle beach access aiming to mitigate impact to critical habitat.
The Trustees are charged with the mission of increasing shorebird protection and habitat delineation, and because of those efforts, Norton Point has recently experienced “a record number” of piping plovers.
However, recent instances of shorebird habitat vandalism, per police reports obtained by The Times, have shed light on the need to amp up protection efforts.
Additionally, 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.
