Sustaining Plum Island
For Now And The Future
2024-2026 Work of the Foundation:
Keeping Plum Island Beach Open for the Public
One of the priorities of the Plum Island Foundation is to ensure public access and recreational use for all of Plum Island’s public beaches.
Today, we find ourselves defending the public access to the beach. The Town of Newbury, in partnership with Mass. Fish and Wildlife and Mass. Audubon are attempting to again restrict homeowner and public access to a significant portion of the beach for nesting shorebirds.
To many of us, this appears to be retaliation for asserting our property rights back in 2024 and insisting that state agencies follow the law. Sadly, the Select Board has voted to give Mass Fish & Wildlife the authority to proceed, but we are holding the line. We are defending our rights, our land, and the freedom of the beach.
By way of background, this all began during the 2023 and 2024 seasons:
- Numerous complaints were received by the Town from Plum Island residents about excessive and unauthorized fencing by Mass Audubon
- Newbury Select Board asked Plum Island Foundation to conduct a community survey.
- More than 85% of residents said there was far too much fencing on the beach
- 21 out of 22 affected beachfront homeowners reported that they had NOT given Audubon permission to post fencing on their property, despite the Select Board requiring such permission.
- Two homeowners even reported being threatened by Audubon staff and later by Mass Wildlife when they questioned the postings.
In response to our efforts:
- Newbury Select Board required Audubon to obtain written permission from homeowners before installing any fencing.
- We filed 46 No‑Trespass Notices, which forced the fencing back. Before the No-Tresspass notices, 95% of the beach was fenced. After the No-Tresspass notices, 95% of the beach was open to the public.
- For the first time in years, the beach remained essentially open throughout the 2025 and 2026 seasons.
The challenges we face today:
- It appears that retaliation for these actions and the Town voting to reinforce the role and restrictions of Mass Fish and Wildlife have resulted in our current situation, and we have no choice but to defend our rights, our land, and the freedom of the beach.
- Because of this, we have sought and obtained legal counsel to fight for our freedom and defend the citizens of Plum Island against these incursions on our land.
Our Mission
We are dedicated to fostering and protecting a sustainable Plum Island for all to enjoy.
We pledge to provide leadership to consistently and persistently address the issues facing our lovely Island in terms of erosion, sand management, jetties and groins; and ensuring that the beach, the waterways, and the island are here for everyone to enjoy, feel nourished by and experience the wonders of being renewed by the beach and by nature. To accomplish this, we work with the citizens of our Island, and all the stakeholders required to help us accomplish our mission:
- the municipal governments of Newbury, Newburyport, and the surrounding towns,
- our state legislative delegation,
- our federal congressional delegation,
- the Army Corps of Engineers—in our District, and the North Atlantic Division, and headquarters in DC.
18 + Years
Our Vision
Our vision is to create and foster a community of leaders (local, state, & federal) who will nurture our island to continue to be a sustainable place for all to enjoy. We actively support these leaders and our citizens to work together and do all that is required to achieve the vision.
The Trustees founded the Plum Island Foundation in 2007, and we were incorporated as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in 2008
Since our founding we have raised over $400,000 in grassroots donations to pursue our mission. By working proactively with our constituents and collaborating with the MRBA we have helped bring in over $25MM is USACE projects and other resources for Plum Island.
This whole process outlined above is our vision of Democracy in Action; multi partisan, multi stakeholder, local/state/federal collaboration for the common good.
2022 - 2023 Goals
- Help guide the process of implementing the 204 dredge and deposit of sand at Reservation Terrace during the fall/winter of 2022-23. Toward this end, we are guiding a collaborative process with our Mayor, our state legislative delegation, and our federal delegation. We are employing Howard Marlowe’s firm to ‘help’ along the way with permitting, and working collaboratively to get it done in a timely manner.
- To build a political and citizen force to advocate to the Army Corps of Engineers to rebuild the Spur to be installed as close in time to the dredge in order to protect the deposited sand (the Spur was a protective force against the erosive nature of the ocean in the channel of the mouth of the Merrimack). After the Corps rebuilt the jetties, there has been dramatic erosion of over 300 feet of beach, bringing the crest of the waves at high tides to breach over the beach and road and homes. We are initiating a process with both our state and federal delegation, any the mayor, to work with the Corps and others to get this Spur rebuild and create a sustainable beach and neighborhood.
- To ensure that the Piscataqua sand (150,000 cubic yards) is deposited in the most beneficial location in the permitted Newbury site.
- To investigate the recent erosion and scouring of Center Island, just north of the groin, to analyze the increasing erosion and what remedies might be employed to bolster the berm and create a more sustainable area.
- To participate as an engaged member of the Merrimack River Beach Alliance
Current News
Flood Insurance news
Flood Insurance: FEMA Risk Rating 2.0Whether or not you have flood insurance, you need to know about FEMA Risk Rating 2.0 which went live on …
Surprise Donation!
Imagine my face when I opened the attached letter from The Hive, a 4th grade class at Spofford Pond School in Boxford. The class learned …
1/22/21 USACE announces Merrimack & Piscataqua dredges.
Merrimack dredge to place sand at Reservation Terrace. Piscataqua dredge sand to be placed near shore off Plum Island & Salisbury. Read Full Disclosure Here
1/25/21 Reservation Terrace press conference.
Plum Island Foundation helps bring leaders and media to address emergency situation at Reservation Terrace. Read Full Disclosure Here
Jan ’21 DCR Sediment Management Study.
Extensive scientific study of erosion hotspots at Reservation Terrace, Center Island & Salisbury including recommended mitigation options. Download Full Report Here
Our Partners
Thanks to Newburyport.com for hosting the website and to Blue Inn on the Beach for hosting the webcam.
