As the Parker River Wildlife Refuge considers its long-term plans for its 4,662 acres of land and salt marsh, one idea that cropped up during a public hearing — merging the Sandy Point State Reservation into the refuge — should be immediately dismissed from the agenda.
The idea is not part of the refuge's official plan, which is still being developed. It was brought up by a citizen at a recent public hearing in Newbury, and met with some interest from a refuge official.
The wildlife refuge, which stretches along some 6.5 miles of Plum Island and through the adjoining marshes, has for decades been set aside as a wilderness, dedicated to the protection of coastal habitat. Access to the shoreline is limited, parking is limited, trails for human activities are scant, and boats are prohibited from pulling onto its beach. During the summer, nearly the entire refuge beach is closed to the public in order to protect the dozen or so piping plover nests that the endangered birds build.
The contrast between the refuge and the rest of the island is evident — there are 1,200 homes in the northern third of the island and more than100 roads, while the southern two-thirds where the refuge is located has perhaps six buildings and one single main road. It is indeed a wilderness, one humans are prevented from fully exploring, but the impressive number of bird species found in the refuge attests to its success as a sanctuary for wildlife.
But now there's talk, as there was several years ago, of grabbing the last big piece of non-refuge land — Sandy Point State Reservation — and plunking it into the already enormous refuge. This would amount to nothing more than a bald-faced land grab that would rob the taxpaying public of one of the finest publicly owned beaches left on the North Shore. It should be immediately taken off the table.
Anyone who has ever been to Sandy Point can attest that it is a summertime oasis, the kind of idyllic setting that makes for lifelong family memories. At the southernmost tip of Plum Island, the 77-acre park is surrounded on three sides by water and shares its only land boundary with the refuge. It is wholly isolated, unless you are willing to make the 6-mile drive through the refuge, or you have a boat. It's never crowded — there's not enough parking to make a crowd — and the views across Ipswich Bay and Plum Island Sound are spectacular.
The waters that surround it are shallow, relatively warm, and calmer and safer than the beachfronts at the northern end of Plum Island. Tidal pools of every shape and size are spread across is long expanse of beach, making it an ideal spot for children and families. In the summertime, its 50 parking spots are highly sought, and on a nice weekend dozens of boaters pull into its protected waters.
The refuge's mission is anathema to what goes on at Sandy Point. No doubt this beautiful stretch of beach would be off-limits to humans during the summer if placed under the refuge's control. This would eliminate a popular, highly used public park that is a major asset to this region.
This isn't the first time that Sandy Point has been eyed for devouring. Almost 20 years ago, a similar trial balloon was floated by the refuge, and it was quickly and loudly shouted down by the public and by the area's elected officials.
Sandy Point State Reservation and the Parker River Wildlife Refuge provide two very different experiences of Plum Island. They each serve their purpose well and should be kept separate.
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