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In many cases, towns are fighting back against encroachment and loss of rights of way. For example, the Rockport Town Clerk, Frederick Frithsen, says that "Rockport is very active in keeping track of all of its rights-of-ways and publicly owned land through our Rights-of-Way Committee."
When wandering the town, the committee's efforts are quite visible: public rights of way are clearly marked by signs, ensuring access for everyone.
Unfortunately, budgetary concerns, pressure from developers, and simple oversight sometimes lead towns and cities to sell oceanfront property. Once the land is private property, these lands will rarely, if ever, again be accessible to all.
That hasn't stopped some municipalities from trying to reclaim property. Gloucester is currently negotiating with landowners to recover some property deeded for public oceanfront access.
Their Open Space Plan describes, in detail, the status of the city's 57 original public landings, and provides an interesting glimpse into the history of these properties. More than half of these landings are now in private hands.
For example, according to the plan, the Clay Cove Landing is "no longer City property, although the landings were [deeded] to be the use 'of the people of the Commonwealth forever,' and not to be sold or leased." The plan recommends negotiating with the current landowners for access. In other cases, abutters have encroached on the property, or the city has leased some public land to abutters in violation of the deed.
We at NESK encourage Gloucester and other cities and towns to continue their fight to reclaim land that is deeded for public use. Moreover, any improvements to existing public landings, like a sign indicating that the property is public, is a huge step forward.
Boat Launches
For kayakers, perhaps the most important piece of ocean access is the boat launch. Kayaks are quite flexible in that they can be launched from ramps, beaches, and even low docks, but paddlers still need an access point and a parking spot.
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Ramps
Unfortunately, most launch ramps and associated parking areas are built with powerboaters in mind. Inevitably, this reality leads to conflicts with kayakers.
Take, for example, the state launch ramp on Squam Lake in Holderness, New Hampshire. There is no parking for cars without boat trailers, and signs threaten that anyone who violates this rule will be towed.
Why? According to the State of New Hampshire, registration fees pay to keep up the lot, so there is no room for cars that don't pay for boat registration.
Such logic is perfectly understandable -- we shouldn't expect someone else to pay for what we use. Unfortunately, a kayaker's only alternative is on-street parking a quarter-mile down the road.
New Hampshire should take a lesson from Rockport's Granite Pier. This town ramp is funded by parking fees paid by users (approximately $10 per car). Even when there is no attendant, users put their fee in a drop-box and receive a day parking pass to display.
Other fee-for-use systems don't work quite as well. At the town ramp in Plymouth, Massachusetts, signs clearly state that parking is for "vehicles with trailers only." Once inside, paddlers can find six or eight spots for cars only, but these fill quickly during the summer. Again, the only alternative is to park far away, and kayakers must still pay the ramp fee.
Resident parking restrictions are also a concern. Any launch with limited parking should certainly give priority to residents (who pay taxes for upkeep).
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