Arrive early, or risk being turned away. That advice, from state Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Gina McCarthy, goes to anyone whose plans this July 4 weekend include a day on or off shore at Long Island Sound who doesn't have access to one of the many private beaches, marinas, yacht clubs and boat launches along the Connecticut coast. “You need to get there early,” McCarthy said this week. “The capacity issue is one of parking primarily, but it's also one of our ability to handle crowds safely and have everyone enjoy it.” Expect that the four state swimming beaches and other parks along the coast will fill up a few hours after opening at 8 a.m., disappointing anyone who arrives later. Public boat-launch ramps will probably fill up early, too.
In southeastern Connecticut, Rocky Neck State Park in Niantic, Harkness Park in Waterford and the boat launches under the Baldwin Bridge in Old Saybrook, on the Niantic River in Waterford and at Barn Island in Stonington are among those areas predicted to reach capacity well before the salt-water seekers stop coming. Shoreline swimming areas are our biggest need,” said Pamela Adams, the DEP's director of state parks. “The public wants to be there. Right now, we're as built out as we can be at our existing state beaches. There's no place to expand.” The four state saltwater swimming beaches — Sherwood Island in Westport, Silver Sands in Milford, Hammonasset in Madison and Rocky Neck — and its two other coastal parks, Harkness and Bluff Point in Groton, together see 40 percent of visitors to all state parks combined.
Hammonasset, the largest and most popular of the four, has parking for 6,000 cars and had 1.5 million visitors in 2004, while Rocky Neck, with parking for 2,500 cars, took in 400,000 visitors. On a peak day like a sunny July 4, up to 10,000 people will crowd the narrow half-mile long swath of sand. Lines of cars waiting to enter the park can be backed up onto main roads. “Sometimes there's so many people, it's blanket-to-blanket and you can hardly walk,” said Margaret Giarratana of Wethersfield as she and her friend, Rose Rossi, relaxed before a swim at an overcast Rocky Neck on Friday. The two visit Rocky Neck two to three times a week during the summer, preferring to come on weekdays to avoid the weekend crowds.
With what is traditionally the busiest beach and boating weekend of the summer now here, the question of whether Connecticut residents have adequate access to Long Island Sound probably never has more immediacy. Earlier this week, during a hearing on a congressional bill aimed at protecting and enhancing Long Island Sound environmental and recreational resources, McCarthy asserted that more should be done to improve existing public access and expand it wherever possible. Along all of the Long Island Sound coastline in Connecticut, only about 20 percent is publicly held.
“We're constantly looking for ways to get people to the water,” McCarthy said, citing a need for more areas to launch small boats such as canoes and kayaks as one example. In written comments for the congressional hearing, McCarthy said that along the 105-mile Connecticut coast, few parcels of significant size and conservation value are left for possible acquisition by the state, and that the “astronomical” value of shorefront property severely limits the state's ability to do so. Adding to that, the existing public areas are at times on the brink of overuse. “Connecticut's coastal parks and wildlife management areas are under tremendous pressure to both accommodate public recreational use and to provide essential fish and wildlife habitat,” she said.
McCarthy said there is a $76 million backlog of maintenance and improvements needed at coastal state parks to provide basic park services. “Unfortunately,” she said, “we do not have the resources to adequately address the needs. Consequently, public access to and enjoyment of Long Island Sound suffers.” David Leff, deputy commissioner of environmental conservation for the DEP, said one of the main challenges the state faces is enabling the public to enjoy the coastal parks and beaches while still protecting the adjoining sensitive natural marshes and dunes. “While we love these special places, it's important we don't love them to death,” he said. “We try to educate the public not to jump on the dunes and to respect the marshes. It's remarkable how little damage there has been. Once people understand the value of the resource, they respect it.”
Recent examples of expanded or improved coastal areas include Silver Sands and the boat ramp at Barn Island, and popular fishing piers at Fort Trumbull State Park and the DEP Marine Headquarters in Old Lyme. Through its policies and grant funding, the DEP also encourages towns and those developing waterfront properties to provide the pubic a way to the water with boardwalks and walking paths. “We're always looking for more coastal access,” Leff said. “The interest is universal and increasing, but it's difficult to come by.” About a year ago, the DEP found a way to make the coast more accessible not through a physical expansion of its resources but by creating a detailed guide of all the places the public can get to the Sound throughout the state. With more than 300 listings, everything from town beaches — open to residents and non-residents alike after a landmark court decision two years ago — to boat launches, lighthouses, small overlooks with a bench and walking paths are included, along with photos, directions and whether the area is suited to fishing, swimming, bird-watching, picnicking and other activities. The guide, which includes information about fees and how to obtain non-resident permits for access to town parks, is available on-line, at ww.lisrc.uconn.edu/coastalaccess. “There is more access than most people think, although many of these areas are small,” said David Kozak, senior coastal planner for the DEP. “The big battle is that most people don't know about many of these places.”
One of the newest additions to the access list is the Niantic Bay Boardwalk, a one-mile path from the town's Hole-in-the-Wall Beach past a narrow, rocky strip known as Railroad Beach and under the Niantic River railroad bridge to Cini Park, also town-owned. Since opening earlier this year, the boardwalk has quickly become a popular spot for walkers and joggers. “Between 6 and 8 o'clock at night, there's a lot of people here,” said Tanya Sherman, doing her thrice-weekly walk one morning this week with fellow Niantic resident Jeanne Stadnicki. “There's always a nice breeze here,” added Stadnicki. “I just like being near the water.” Stadnicki and other walkers using the path this week said they have noticed that it's also made Railroad Beach more accessible to more people for swimming, sunbathing and fishing. Along the boardwalk are several sets of stairs to the beach. There is no admission fee, but neither are there amenities such as lifeguards or a bathhouse.
On the south side of Niantic Bay from Railroad Beach are East Lyme's two municipal beaches, Hole-in-the-Wall and McCook Point Park, which do have lifeguards, changing rooms and fees. David Putnam, parks and recreation director for the town, said both beaches nearly filled to capacity last weekend, and could reach that point over the holiday. About 120 non-residents have purchased town beach passes, available during the week at town recreation offices and on weekends at Tumbleweeds, a downtown store near the entrances to both. While these two municipal beaches may not be able to handle much overflow this weekend from Rocky Neck, about five miles away, other municipal beaches nearby may be a good alternative to overcrowded state beaches. Ocean Beach Park in New London, the largest beach in the state, can handle up to 12,000 visitors. “We try not to turn anyone away,” said Dave Sugrue, park manager. “The access to Long Island Sound here is as good as it gets.”
No comments:
Post a Comment