Plum island Point (Newburyport side of the Island) has become a tourist hot spot with the nice weather. It’s being flocked by tourists who are ignoring the “locals only” signs on the turnpike. They are creating their own parking lots and shifting current barricades (4 saw horses which aren’t nearly enough) to come in and out as they see fit. 

Additionally these tourists are walking down to the beach and over the dunes (there is signage to indicate this is not allowed) which are severely eroded causing risk to themselves and our already at risk dunes. Social distancing is scarce and folks are coming in crowds.

We are asking for the Newburyport Police Department to enforce the protection of our dunes as well as the safety of our health by eliminating the ability for tourists to congregate at Plum Island Point disregarding current city and state mandates. The parking lot barriers should be more solidified to deter maneuvering around them. Stronger signage as to penalty and cost for non-local visitors, stronger signage for those who slip past regarding the protection of the dunes and more police visibility would be greatly appreciated. 

We are not as a community stating - by any means - that Plum Island is private and that we 'own' this space.  We more than most know how healing being by the ocean can be. We look forward to nothing more than to have everyone be free, healthy and sharing space again. We are stating that this is a temporary ask as we try to eradicate Covid-19 as well as protect our beaches from erosion. We are asking those who are not local to the area to respect the closing of the parking lots as opposed to ignoring it. We all want life to get back to a sense of normalcy but until the local and state government release current restrictions we ask that you help us support their (our) efforts to flatten the curve.