New Regulation for Dogs on Nauset
The new regulation on Nauset Beach will be as follows:
Dogs are allowed south of trail 1 as long as they are on a leash
at all times not exceeding 30 feet, along with proper disposal of
waste. If these regulations are violated, the penalties are: First
offense will revoke the seasonal permit for one year. Second offense
will revoke the seasonal permit for 3 years. Third offense is yet
to be determined but possibly no eligibility for seasonal permits.
Updated 12/18/2007
As of 12/2/07 the new point on Nauset has taken quite a beating over these last few months. Many of you may know that the two camps at the end of the beach have been severely damaged. The Broad camp which was the most southern camp on the spit was totally destroyed and had to be completely removed including the sea wall that had be up on the bay side for many years. The next camp which is the Harris camp was torn in half and remains that way until FEMA determines the next steps. There have been several other camp owners who have begun removing valuables from their camp preparing for the upcoming storms that could very well claim 2-4 more properties. There is zero dune line remaining in the North village and any average storm this winter or even spring WILL wash away more property. The front beach has built up after the storm to look more like an average winter beach. There is very little water on the access road and certainly worth a trip down to see all the damage. There has been talk around town in regards to opening south beach to ORV's. From the research I have done and spending some time with a few of the Chatham selectmen, I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for the beach to open. On the other hand, it certainly would be a treat to get back out on that part of the beach. As it stands right now, one could drive on at the Chatham light and drive all the way to the southern tip of Monomoy and not get a tire wet. Last I heard the town of Orleans is trying to move forward with the section 10 permitting. Again, another ordeal I wouldn't be holding my breath for. I'm trying to keep an open mind, both towns have surprised me in the past, I hope 2008 brings good surprises.
Happy Holidays,
Scott Morris, Beach Rep
Updated 04/12/2007
 Happy spring to all!! It’s finally here and I am ready for another exciting beach season. I have forgotten all about last years closures on Nauset Beach; they don’t even exist in my memory anymore. I have sent in my permit fees via the internet renewal program and have even spent a weekend on the beach in the rig with family and friends. It’s been a long cold winter and it’s time to get out of the house and enjoy the beach once again. I would recommend you take a ride out on the beach; some things have changed over the late winter /early spring months due to wind and tide phenomenona.
The front beach has taken the brunt of the storms narrowing a lot of the beach between trials 1 and 5. As always, south of trail 6 to the south barricade is in pretty good shape. Don’t hesitate to use the middle trail, it’s very dry and in great shape. If you plan on coming out on the beach with a self-contained vehicle and you use the middle trail in front of the camps in the North village, use caution. The trail twists and slopes so be careful not to catch your vehicle on the trail markers. Other than that, get out there and enjoy.
The conservation project is scheduled for Sunday May 6th and with some good weather it will certainly be a lot of fun. Talk to some of the folks that have come out for the project, I’m sure they will be happy to explain what we do. I’m looking forward to getting up to Provincetown on Friday night for the project on Saturday. I hope everyone makes an effort to attend.
Nauset Beach stickers will go on sale Thursday May 3rd at the old American Legion in Orleans. Non-resident over-sand- $180.00, Non-resident self-contained $250.00, Resident - $40.00
Scott Morris, Nauset Beach Representative
Updated 03/18/2007
After ripping off another page on the calendar I see a word printed on the 21st day of March that says SPRING BEGINS. I’m sure this is a word we’ve all been waiting to see since last fall. With that being said, it’s time to look forward to the last of the sportsmen shows and the beginning of the MBBA conservation projects. Before we know it, we’ll be leaving the spring meet looking forward to Memorial Day weekend. Those of you that have been following the message board and attending the monthly meetings are aware of all the recent meetings that have taken place. I was privileged enough to attend a meeting in Washington D.C. with a representative of the United States Department of the Interior. The meeting went well and we hope that the information that was past along will help us in our efforts to coexist with the piping plover on our OSV (over-sand vehicle) accessible beaches.
The condition of Nauset beach is still fair for this time of year. As of the weekend of 2.24.07, the beach was in very good condition, a condition that is very rare for this time of year. Compared to the last few years, we are in much better shape this year going into the spring months. Orleans and Chatham will have two bird monitors per town to help out with the migrating shorebird program. We will just have to wait and see where our little feathered friends decide to set up camp this season. With a little luck, the plovers will take over the southern end of Nauset beach and leave a little space in between for us to enjoy our summer as well. Permits will again be renewed over the Town of Orleans web site: www.town.orleans.ma.us. Any new registrations will need to be processed in person when the stickers go on sale during the first week of May. Anyone that may have any questions regarding Nauset beach can contact me at scottmorris@mbba.net
Enjoy the rest of winter and early spring.
Scott Morris, Nauset Beach Representative
Updated 02/22/2007
Happy February to all. One month closer to beach season and things seem to be aligning for what I hope will be a FULL season on the beach. Orleans and Chatham have resolved the inter-municipal agreement (IMA); therefore, management of Nauset Beach should remain status quo. There is talk that the 2007 beach stickers will have an electronic bar code on them to basically make checking on and off the beach totally computerized. Pretty fancy if you ask me, but no one is asking, so oh’well.
There hasn’t been any positive feedback concerning any section 10 permitting to date. I would assume now that the IMA is complete, attention will now be drawn to finding a way to avoid a total closure like we had for the first time ever in June and July of 2006. The MBBA access committee recently met in Bridgewater to set up an agenda for our upcoming meeting with Holland and Knight which is our legal council from D.C. Our meeting is scheduled for the first week in February, and we are all looking forward to getting together.
Haven’t spent much time out on the beach of late, last trip was the weekend of 1-5 and the place looked great. Let’s hope we dodge a few storms and have plenty of beach come spring. Would like to remind everyone to check out the dates for the upcoming conservation projects and make every effort to attend.
For beach access and conservation,
Scott Morris, Nauset Beach Representative
Updated 01/08/2007
Happy New Year to all! I hope everyone’s holiday season was a good one. With 2007 upon us, I’m sure were all looking forward to beach season. We can all agree that 2006 was very interesting to say the least. There have been countless meetings here in Orleans and Chatham regarding the inter-municipal agreement that Orleans chose not to renew in 2007. Some kind of decision will be made on or before January 31, 2007 on whether or not the towns will operate the beach the same as they have for many years.
The other obstacle is the process of applying for a section ten permit. Orleans has spent some time with state and federal environmentalists with hopes of gathering information to help in the section 10 permitting process. As a representative of the MBBA, I have offered Orleans the assistance of the MBBA, along with our newly hired environmental law firm. To date, these offerings have not been taken advantage of by the town of Orleans. Unfortunately, due to the 6 to 12 month process period it’s highly unlikely that a section 10 permit will be in place come the summer of 2007. Hopefully, Orleans will be able to put some kind of program in place to help with access come plover nesting season.
I was able to take a ride out on the beach New Year’s Day to find the beach in really good condition. The end of the beach is in exceptionally good shape with the overall width of the front beach looking wider than it did at summers end. With winter and spring storms ahead of us, having a little extra beach now is certainly a good thing. Keep in mind the air station at the lower parking lot is closed for the season. If anyone would like to get more information regarding Nauset Beach issues, feel free to email me at, scottmorris@mbba.net.
Have a good winter,
Scott Morris, Nauset Beach Representative
Updated 06/08/2006
Ladies and Gentleman,
Here is the latest report for Nauset Beach…
As of 6/7/06 Nauset Beach is closed to ORV traffic from trial 7 to the south barricade. Unfortunately, there is a good chance that the birds that are nesting at the Pochet wash-over will hatch some time this month (June) and therefore, pose the threat of closing ALL of Nauset beach to ORV traffic. This is something I can assure you that both towns are trying to avoid. If any alternative measures that the towns are submitting to the state are accepted, the towns of Orleans and Chatham will make the necessary changes to allow Nauset Beach to remain open to ORV’s.
I certainly understand the frustration that is starting to build with the numerous issues that are surrounding us due to the piping plover. As stated in an above post, the MBBA Officers, Board of Directors and general attendance at last nights meeting spent hours discussing what WE AS A ORGANIZATION can due to look deeper into what is going on with this threatened species. Several of us did not get home until after midnight last night. It’s obvious that we have a steadily growing issue on or hands and it is time to work together as a team. It’s a proven fact that power is in numbers and it’s time to do something about this.
My suggestion right now is to stay in touch with your beach reps., this is very important. Keep in mind that this message board is a great tool and thousands of people read our posts. Therefore, don’t let your frustrations out on this message board, give your beach rep a call or drop an email. Again, I can assure you, your organization and the local beach managers are trying there best to keep these beautiful beaches open for all to coexist and to enjoy.
Keep your head up and don’t give up…
Scott Morris, MBBA Nauset Beach Representative
Updated 11/18/2005
As we see another season slowly come to an end, I am happy to say that we all had a great season out on Nauset this year. Both Orleans and Chatham did an outstanding job keeping ORV access open to the best of their ability while dealing with a very narrow front beach and of course, the bird situation.
Unfortunately, for some folks that would of enjoyed a few early October weekends out on the beach, mother nature threw us a curve ball with all this wind and rain as of late. This leads me to my next point of concern. Nauset beach has once again taken a beating from the recent storms. All the beach that had built up nicely over the summer is now gone. We had hoped it would of at least lasted through the beginning of the winter, but when you have 40-knot winds out of the northeast for several days, the beach tends to suffer tremendously. With some kindness from mother nature this winter, hopefully the beach will not suffer the damage it did in 2005.
The beach however, is open to ORV access. I would stress caution when driving on the front beach due to all the new sand that will be washing up. Also, keep in mind the middle trail will be very wet due to the recent rain storms.
Hope to see everyone at the banquet. For Beach Access and Conservation.
Scott Morris, Beach Rep.
Updated 10/26/2005
As we see another season slowly come to an end, I am happy to say that we all had a great season out on Nauset this year. Both Orleans and Chatham did an outstanding job keeping ORV access open to the best of their ability while dealing with a very narrow front beach and of course, the bird situation.
Unfortunately, for some folks that would have enjoyed a few early October weekends out on the beach, Mother Nature threw us a curve ball with all this wind and rain as of late. Which leads me to my next point of concern; Nauset beach has once again taken a beating from the recent storms. All the beach that had built up nicely over the summer is now gone. We had hoped it would have at least lasted through the beginning of the winter, but when you have 40-knot winds out of the northeast for several days, the beach tends to suffer tremendously. With some kindness from Mother Nature this winter, hopefully the beach will not suffer the damage it did in 2005.
The beach however, is open to ORV access. I would stress caution when driving on the front beach due to all the new sand that will be washing up. Also, keep in mind the middle trail will be very wet due to the recent rain storms.
Hope to see everyone at the banquet.
For Beach Access and Conservation.
Scott Morris, Beach Rep .
Updated 09/06/2005
Where did the summer go? All I can say is time fly's. We have enjoyed one of the best summers, weather wise, in a while on Nauset beach this year. We have also had one of the worst fishing and clamming seasons in some time. The Red Tide issues crippled the clamming on North Beach all summer and has just reopened as of Saturday August 6th. Fishing on the other hand seems to be real slow even in the boats. There are fish to be caught, but far and few in between.
We did however luck out as far as the plovers are concerned. The birds that did finally nest did so south of the barricade, therefore, it did not affect beach access. The wash over at Pochet that some folks may have read about, is an issue that is effected by moon high tides and heavy easterly wind. Without these two factors, the area is easily passable.
I am looking forward to the fall fishing and seeing everyone at the Fall Banquet.
For Beach Access and Conservation.
Scott Morris
Updated 05/25/2005
As of May 10, the beach that was just starting to show signs of
rebuilding, has once again been ripped into by our most recent 48
hour Northeast blast. It’s been reported to me that the front
beach is not passable at high tide, an issue we have dealt with
the entire winter. Hopefully the Southwesterly wind will once again
be upon us.
The project scheduled for Sunday May 15 will take place, and fortunately
Mother Nature has given us a low tide at 12:00pm. This will certainly
help in accessing the front beach during the project. The center
trail by the cupola is very wet, but is passable.
I hope to see a great turn out this weekend for the Provincetown
and Nauset projects. Hope everyone is all ready for Spring Meet,
it sounds like it’s going to be one to remember.
Scott Morris, Nauset Beach Rep.
Updated 03/12/05
I was out on the beach this weekend and was lucky enough to be
able to enjoy one of the few winter weekends that it didn't snow.
The beach has taken an extreme pounding this winter, the damage
that has been done this winter is the worst many people have seen
in a long while. Many of the camp owners in Chatham now have what
they like to call "the million dollar ocean view that they
wouldn't pay 5 dollars for". Ocean views for camp owners are
the last thing they want to see. This only means that the ferocious
Atlantic in zeroing in on there property slowly but surely.
There are many wash-overs along the beach now. The biggest occurred
roughly one half mile from the air down area before trail1. This
wash-over is approximately 150 yards wide and allows the ocean to
flood the marsh at extreme high tides. Beach officials estimate
that Nauset beach has lost over 30 feet of dune line thus far. I
believe that the beach will rebuild itself before summer and will
give us a very wide beach this season. However, the reason the beach
will be so wide will be the result of the extreme dune erosion.
This is great for the present, but bad for the future of Nauset
beach.
Anyone that is planning to take a ride out on the beach, I would
suggest that you wait until low tide to take the tour of the damage.
Hope to see everyone at the Conservation project on May 15, 2005.
Scott Morris, Beach Rep.
Updated 2-28-05
Unfortunetly, Nauset beach has taken some serious punishment from
the recent storms. The boardwalk that traffics the public to the
ocean from the parking lot had to be cut back approximately 20 feet
due to erosion. As of this past Sunday, there is a 6 foot drop at
the end of the board walk down to the beach. I took a ride out on
the beach as well, only to find a 75-100 yard stretch of beach about
a half mile from the parking lot completely washed out from the
ocean to the marsh. The Orleans parks Dept. was also in the area
and informed me that they would be shutting the beach down momentarily
and I needed to turn back. I did however speak to a camp owner who
had gone out to check on his camp. He informed me that he now had
what all camp owners dread, waterfront property. He informed me
he has never seen the beach as damaged at it is right now. I asked
if this was similar to the 78 storm, he said that he has always
had some kind of dune in front of his camp, now there is nothing
there.
I was contacted by one of the camp owners who asked if it would
be possible to put some people together to dig in some snow fence
to at least mark out the trails so once the beach is reopened that
people are not driving where they shouldn't be. If anyone may be
interested in lending a hand on Saturday, please get in touch with
me. I would say the beach will still be closed this weekend, so
we may have to ride out with the camp owners.
The meeting that was held on Jan 19 at the Orleans town hall pertaining
to the banning of animals on Nauset beach had to be rescheduled
for Thursday Feb. 3 due to an overwhelming number of people who
showed up to defend there dogs. At this point, it is hard to tell
what will happen. Orleans wants the ban in place and Chatham does
not. I would image both towns will have to come to an agreement
in order to enforce the regulation properly. I am still sticking
with my original thought that this issue will not amount to much.
I believe a leash law will be put back into effect and that people
will get one last chance to obeyed by the regulation or be willing
to loose the ability to bring there animal to the beach.
Enjoy the rest of the winter.
Scott Morris
When you are on the beach and have questions or problems look for
the Red, White Courtesy Patrol sticker. They are there to help.
Nauset Courtesy Patrol members are:
Scott Morris (Beach Rep)
Dan Carnali
Barry & Rose Hemeon
Warren Sentance
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