Following the widespread backlash and subsequent withdrawal of their earlier beach management plan for Chappaquiddick, the Trustees of Reservations has begun gathering feedback to create an updated plan. The report will be released at the end of the month, Trustees Islands director Darci Schofield told the Edgartown select board on Monday.
“We’ve reached out to stakeholders, organizations, and communities involved and asked for representatives to give input,” Ms. Schofield said. “We’re excited to work with the community towards solutions.”
Ms. Schofield said she had positive piping plover news to report, with 29 nesting pairs for 2022, a record number, and doubled productivity. Norton Point also hosted over 4,000 nesting terns, she said, including 200 roseate terns, which have been declared endangered in Massachusetts and are on the Federal Endangered Species List.
In other news, the select board approved a request from Heather Seger, executive director of the Martha’s Vineyard Museum, to seek funding to restore the Edgartown Lighthouse. Ms. Seger sought approval from the town to jointly apply for funding from the Community Preservation Committee after an independent evaluation recommended the repairs. Although the museum manages the lighthouse along with East Chop Lighthouse, the town must approve of any major projects.
“This is significant capital repair,” Ms. Seger said of the recommended repairs, adding that the restoration would have to take place over several years.
Shellfish constable Rob Morrison attended the meeting and noted that recreational bay scallop season officially begins on Oct. 1 and continues through March 31. Commercial bay scallop fishing opens on Oct. 31, one day earlier than standard, he said. Oyster fishing continue through the end of October.
