Trailer turbulence at Horseneck Campgrounds.

EverythingWestport.com

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

“I’ve been coming here for 30 years,” Mike, a Norton resident, said while preparing a salsa for his grilled fish. “And come October 12 when they shut down, there’re moving right in and tearing up the road and removing the camp sites. It’s not right.”

Mike is echoing the sentiments of the many recreational vehicle campers that regularly use the 32 oceanfront trailer lots in the Horseneck Beach Campgrounds. The Department of Conservation and Recreation, saying its part of the master plan for the park, are moving the campsites to protect the dunes and endangered nesting birds like the Piping Plover. They said there have been numerous public hearings about the plan.

The DCR has recently opened two new bathhouse complexes which are a credit to Horseneck Beach and the state.

“There used to be houses all along here,” Mike said. “And the shorebirds do a great job of picking off the Piping Plovers without any help from us.” Mike was referring to the resort and vacation homes that used to exist all along Horseneck Beach that were destroyed by the ’38 hurricane.

It has been reported by the Boston Globe that camper Betty Weeden of Portsmouth, R.I. plans to submit a petition with 700 signatures to lawmakers and Governor Deval Patrick to get the state DCR to reconsider the decision. “We’ve all signed it,” Mike said. “I’ve had my two weeks, and I’m leaving Friday. Before the internet, you could come down here and easily get an ocean lot. Now it takes a lot of planning and very early reservations. But that may be all over now.”

The campsites in question directly face the Elizabeth Islands, and offer spectacular views of Buzzards Bay. The DCR is intending to move the sites further back into the park.

State Representative Michael Rodrigues, Democrat of Westport, said he thinks the campsites should remain where they are.

“These spots are a treasure, and are valued by all campers who come here,” Mike the camper said. “In past years this area was pretty rough with parties and such. It’s now mostly families who just want their kids to enjoy the ocean.”

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