SALISBURY — Local officials are pleased to see the state finally file a plan with the Conservation Commission for the long-term management of state-owned Salisbury Beach, but they don't think it goes far enough to rescue the beach from its current state of erosion.
Of particular concern to town leaders and residents is that the state Division of Conservation and Recreation says it won't allow any more sand onto Salisbury Beach to combat erosion unless another storm savages the coastline. According to the plan presented by the DCR, which owns and manages the beach, only after an environmental crisis prompts another federal disaster declaration will the state consider buying and bringing in sand to replenish the beach.
It took a disaster declaration and enormous local pressure to get the state agency to agree to buy and truck in 20,000 cubic yards of sand to shore up homes after last year's Patriots Day storm left many homes in danger. The sand and emergency work to shore up homes and create a dune to protect the beach cost about $1 million.
Salisbury Conservation Commission Chairman Tom Hughes said he's grateful for that work as an environmental scientist as well as a town official. But waiting for another disastrous environmental event before replenishing the beach is hardly cost effective, Hughes said.
"They spent $1 million to bring in sand after the storm, and it bought 20,000 cubic yards of sand," Hughes said. "When the Army Corps (of Engineers) dredges the Merrimack (River), it will yield about 130,000 cubic yards of sand. That's about seven times more sand than DCR bought last year. It would be more cost effective to take a portion of the dredged sand and nourish the beach before a crisis."
Hughes said the cost of the Army Corps' dredging would be about $1.5 million and will produce enough sand to give huge amounts to Salisbury, Newburyport and Newbury to replenish all their beaches. It makes more sense to use the dredged sand for beach replenishment before a disaster happens, perhaps preventing the crisis, then waiting until after a crisis occurs when DCR would have to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to repair the damage, he said.
Although the mouth of the Merrimack River is usually dredged once every two or three years, it hasn't been dredged since 1999, primarily because of a lack of federal funding to the Army Corps. At recent meetings on the dredging, DCR officials have said the department might be willing to contribute the local matching funds required in dredging projects.
Given the number of times DCR has proposed making use of the dredged sand in its Salisbury Beach management plan, many speculate the state department hopes to have at least a part of the sand for its use at Salisbury Beach sometime in the near future.
Along with using dredged sand to replenish the beach after declared emergencies, DCR also proposes creating a stockpile of sand to be stored on the state reservation. Hughes is hoping the town and DCR can share control of the stockpile. Hughes said portions of the stockpile could be used in emergency situations and placed on the beach as a buffer when fierce storms and related beach erosion are forecast.
DCR's management plan still needs final approval, Hughes said, and the Conservation Commission will meet at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, May 21, to begin its page-by-page review of the 163-page report.
Hughes said although the town can't force the state to commit to spending the money on replenishment without a federal disaster declaration, he believes state officials are willing to work with the town.
However, he said, since DCR filed the management plan with the Conservation Commission as a notice of intent, there are measures the Conservation Commission can require of DCR during the approval process.
Commissioners review Notice of Intents under the provision of the Wetland's Protection Act and the town's wetlands bylaw, Hughes said.
"In consideration of the impact caused from the management of the beach for its recreational purposes, as part of the conditions of approval, the Conservation Commission can require DCR to mitigate those impacts with certain methods," Hughes said, "which can include things like planting dune grass, installing snow fences and beach nourishment, when that's possible."
