The Martha’s Vineyard Surfcasters Association (MVSA) announced this week that it will be pulling back from its longstanding role of assisting the Trustees of Reservations (TTOR) with beach management, citing growing concerns over beach access and the Trustees’ complicated relationship with the Island’s fishing community.
“The executive committee of the MVSA has chosen to withdraw their assistance with the courtesy patrol due to TTOR’s change in rules and lack of genuine collaboration with the fishermen and overall beachgoing community,” a letter to The Times from MVSA president Donald Scarpone states.
MVSA’s decision follows a series of nuanced and often contentious debates that have played out over the past few years, highlighting the fragile balance between environmental conservation and recreation, and resulting in a divergence between the state conservation organization and local proponents of increased public access on TTOR-managed beaches.
Heavy criticism of a draft beach management plan revealed by the Trustees last summer triggered a wave of debates concerning how to ensure protection for endangered and at-risk shorebirds while also maintaining Chappaquiddick’s historical over-sand vehicle (OSV) access, which has long been enjoyed by Islanders and visitors.
But recent changes to the Trustees’ guidelines regarding amping up shorebird protection on Chappaquiddick have prompted beach access supporters to question the Trustees’ management of the beaches it stewards.
The Martha’s Vineyard Surfcasters Association, which has worked collaboratively with the Trustees for more than three decades, has pointed to what they say are overreaching environmental protection policies that aren’t consistent with state regulations — resulting in less and less accessible beach area.
Since its creation over three decades ago, the MVSA has been dedicated to promoting conservation and recreational fishing on the Island; soon after its inception, the group formed an initiative to assist the Trustees with beach management, and to help educate the public about protected shorebird habitats.
For the past 30 years, MVSA members have supported TTOR’s conservation efforts through its volunteer courtesy patrols. Members helped free vehicles stuck in the sand, monitored boundaries during shorebird nesting season, helped to ensure dogs were leashed, and picked up discarded fishing line and other remnants left behind by less conscientious fishermen and beachgoers.
In 2016, the MVSA also contributed financially to the construction of the Wasque Point beach access staircase.
But rising concerns regarding TTOR’s new policies and its organizational leadership have led to a deterioration of its relationship with some stakeholders — such as the Surfcasters Association, MVSA president Scarpone told The Times this week.
Most recently, new restrictions on OSV access at Chappy’s East Beach for the protection of the nesting American oystercatcher — a non-endangered shorebird — have raised eyebrows among MVSA members, and have left some beach access supporters with questions about the limits of TTOR’s conservation authority.
The Martha’s Vineyard Surfcasters Association’s withdrawal of its courtesy patrol stems largely from those restrictions.
In the letter to The Times, Surfcasters president Don Scarpone cited assurances from TTOR that beach access wouldn’t be impacted by nonprotected species.
“[The Trustees] pledged to safeguard the [oystercatchers’] chicks by placing protective cages around them. However, they are now reneging on their promise, and imposing beach closures for the nonprotected species,” Scarpone wrote.
“TTOR management claims to be abiding by the shorebird and OSV guidelines, but it appears when regulations don’t meet their wishes, TTOR changes what they want.
“These regulations are not guidelines, and can’t be changed without due process,” the letter continues. “Therefore TTOR management is stepping way out of bounds making these amendments.”
In response, David Beardsley, interim chief of marketing for the Trustees, pointed to concerns of a declining oystercatcher population.
“Non-listed species face the same threats as listed species, and are often equally as rare in Massachusetts as listed species, dependent on beach habitat,” Beardsley said on behalf of TTOR. “To ensure non-listed bird species remain part of the beach experience and maintain viable populations, the Trustees has developed this policy … Many of these species, including American oystercatchers and migratory shorebirds, are included in national conservation plans due to population declines and concerns for the species’ future security.”
Beardsley emphasized that the restrictions on Leland Beach — off-limits to OSVs from 5 pm to 9 am — does not imply beach closure.
“Both beaches are open to fishing 24 hours a day,” he said, adding that only the OSV access is being regulated.
“We’ve had to restrict over-sand vehicle (OSV) access on sections of Leland Beach overnight because we are unable to monitor and enforce a 5 mph speed limit,” Beardsley wrote in an email to The Times.
He said that speed limit serves as part of a new pilot program that had been developed through collaboration with the Massachusetts Department of Marine Fisheries.
“[The] pilot program is intended to increase beach access by testing less restrictive approaches to protecting shorebirds,” Beardsley said. “The OSV restrictions are not beachwide, and nothing prevents people from fishing at Leland and Wasque at any time, day or night.”
But for some recreational fishermen and beachgoers, restricting OSV access is akin to complete beach closure.
“It’s fine if you’re young,” Scarpone, 63, told The Times. But for many, a half-mile- or mile-long hike, lugging gear through the sand, sometimes in complete darkness, is just not reasonable. The new policies, he said, result in “less and less beach” accessible by vehicle.
Rope lines for bird habitat protection on Chappy dunes seem to extend each year, Scarpone said. The Trustees’ new conditions are essentially “taking away our beaches.”
Despite MVSA’s withdrawal of support, the organization offered a nod to on-the-ground TTOR staffers.
“While TTOR’s leadership has let down the responsible users of Leland and Wasque, it is important we recognize the hard work of TTOR staff who manage the beach and support access to these transformational properties,” the letter says. “From the MVSA to the staff we say, Thank you.”
In response to MVSA’s announcement, TTOR issued a statement: “These are challenging issues, and we think partnership is what it takes to address them well,” the organization said. “The courtesy patrols have been helpful over the years. They’ve provided a valuable service to beachgoers, and important support to our efforts to manage Vineyard beaches.”
Surf casters have never owned the beaches.
The Trustees ditched the Surf Casters.
The beach does not need all those nasty trucks.
The foul stench from their vintage tail pipes.