Plum Island Foundation Annual Report

The First Year -- November 2007 to November 2008

Dear Friends of Plum Island hello,

I am writing today as the President of the Plum Island Foundation, but also just as a fellow citizen within our community, to let you know what the Foundation has been doing to protect your interests on Plum Island and to share with you our Plan for the next year of effort toward making the vision below a reality for all of us. We hope that after you read this letter, you will see fit to send us a contribution to help fund the work for the coming ’09 year. We need your help.

We have a vision for Plum Island that we believe many of you would hold as shared and possibly even sacred. We see our Island with dunes fortified by natural bio-degradable sandbags up and down the beach, melded into the dunes, covered with growing sea grass. We see a Center Island healthy, full of sand, strong with sea grass on the west side all along the edge of the parking lot up to the north and down to the south. We see healthy and re-sized jetties and groins that block the harmful currents and open up to the natural cycles of replenishment. We see an Island that sustains the natural wildlife at the south end, and allows for the sacred space for visitors to come experience the beauties and inspirations of the salt marsh and the ocean natural. We see an Island being sustained by nature and by the self-responsibility of human beings living into the future as a jewel of the earth’s formation.

Toward this vision, we dedicate the Plum Island Foundation.

Our accomplishments from November ’07 through November ’08:

• We worked to create public and governmental awareness for the nature and level of urgency of the problems confronted at Plum Island. This included:
  • When we started, there was significant debate as to whether there was a problem. There were newspaper editorials denying the problem, and some called us ‘alarmist’ and ‘self-interested’. As we held public meeting after public meeting, presented studies and photographs from Google earth of the shorelines from the last 10 years through the present brought up experts from the Army Corps to Marlowe and Company, the whole of public opinion and governmental concern has aligned with us to work to solve the problem. We also made it clear that the issue is not just about protecting homes (as important as we see that to be), but also to protect the integrity of the Water and Sewer System, the ensure that Northern Boulevard remains a viable passageway to guard for health and human safety, and also that the issue is a tax base issue.
  • The governments of Newbury and Newburyport, which initially denied any financial responsibility for dealing with the situation, now enthusiastically participate in meetings with the Army Corps, DEP, DCR, the US Congress, and other stakeholders that can help resolve the issue.
  • With all of your contributions, we hired a professional firm, Marlowe and Company, that specializes in these kinds of projects, has definite expertise, and relationships with all the stakeholders required to make it happen.
• We have developed the beginnings of a short, medium and long term approach that includes:
  • Calling for some form of short term solution to Center Island, along with other stakeholders, leading to the approval of Sand-tubes that were recently approved by the Newbury Selectmen, DCR, and DEP; and are funded to be installed at Center Island before the onset of the tough winter.
  • Calling for the consideration of either the extension of this Sand-tube approach, or the larger Geo-tube approach, to all areas of significant erosion—whether private and/or public expense, to be determined in the next months. (If you are interested in having the Sand-tubes installed in front of your home, please email us immediately, as we are trying to ensure a unified and coordinated approach all along the beach.)
• Longer term, we have worked with Selectman Vince Russo, Mayor Moak, and Representative Tierney through the assistance of Howard Marlowe to have appropriations made in the Water Bill for monies to dredge the Merrimack, to study putting the sand on the beach rather than out at sea, and toward studying the need for repairing the Jetties.
• And even longer term, we are working to ensure that further funding will be available for the repair of said Jetties. 
• We have worked with State Senator Bruce Tarr to develop a Working Group that includes Newbury Selectmen, Conservation Commissioner Doug Packer, Tim Leonard, Mayor Moak, and Plum Island Foundation Board members to continue to refine the above Working Plan and to work toward the implementation of the Working Group’s refined and agreed upon Plan.
• We are developing a Self-Help approach for home-owners to both install the Sand-tubes mentioned above, and also to shore up foundations, pilings, and strengthen the overall infrastructure of homes and buildings on the Island. In addition, we are encouraging home-owners to plan sea grass, install snow fencing, and take responsibility for their part of the vision.

Our Plan for November ’08 through November ’09 include:

• Completing the installation of the sandbags at Center Island before the onset of winter.
• Developing a shared and agreed upon Plan that addresses the next short term, medium term, and long term needs that comes our of Bruce Tarr’s Working Group.
• Continuing to shepherd the process for the Federal funding for dredging, studies, and placement of the sand from the dredging on the beach. We hope to have the dredging and deposit occur during ’09.
• Continuing to press the Federal government, and to work with the Army Corps, to repair the South Jetty, which is badly eroded and de-composed, particularly at the landward end on the west side. We think the jetty repair will take through 2010 or 2011.
• Continue the study of the other erosion and weather issues to ensure that we develop a sustainable shared Plan and that we implement that Plan for the Island to make the vision presented in the beginning of this letter a reality.

The Plum Island Foundation has the following roles:

• We are a catalyst for awareness and education of the public and the government.
• We are a convener of meetings to move things forward.
• We are a connector between people and governments and organization to promote good communication and to make things happen.

I want to take this opportunity to thank US Representative John Tierney, State Senators Bruce Tarr and Steven Baddour, State Representatives Michael Costello and Harriett Stanley, Vince Russo and the Newbury Town Government, and Mayor John Moak.

We want to thank all of you who have contributed over the last 12 months and to our sponsors. We hope you feel a sense of contribution and accomplishment. Remember, 12 months ago there was very little talk about this issue. Some doubted there was a problem. At times, even the local newspaper wrote editorials slanted in the direction of denying the problem. Now, that is all different. There is a recognized problem. There is action occurring. There is collaboration for future action. There is coordination to meet the urgent needs at Center Island. You all helped to make this possible.

We will be holding a membership meeting just after the new year, and we will notify you of the time and place.

One more thing, I want you to know that the Board of PI Foundation currently includes Bob Connors and Mark Friery. They are great workers on your behalf and great partners to work with for me. Thank you gentlemen for all that you have given.

Thank you again. I want to say from the fullness of my heart, we have been so moved as the spontaneous outpouring of support and financial assistance. Help us drive this home.

Marc Sarkady
President of the PI Foundation