Metropolitan Beaches Commission

Talking Points for June 3, 2014

Background:

The Metropolitan Beaches Commission was created in 2006 by the Massachusetts Legislature to take an in-depth look at the 15 Boston metropolitan region's public beaches in Nahant, Lynn, Revere, Winthrop, East Boston, South Boston, Dorchester, Quincy and Hull that are managed by the Department of Conservation and Recreation.

The Commission is co-chaired by Senator Tom McGee of Lynn and Representative Carlo Basile of East Boston. It is led and managed by Save the Harbor/Save the Bay. It is comprised of 22 elected officials and community, civic, nonprofit, and business leaders from Boston and the metropolitan region's waterfront neighborhoods and beachfront communities.


In 2013, the Commission reconvened to examine the impacts of the reforms and recommendations made in its first report, and issue additional findings and recommendations to better leverage these resources for residents in the future.

The Commission held 10 public hearings - two at the State House and 8 in Boston's waterfront neighborhoods and the region's beachfront communities from Nahant to Nantasket. Nearly 1,000 people attended a hearing, and shared their thoughts about how to improve their beach. The Commission also retained the CPA firm of Raphael and Raphael, LLP to conduct an analysis of DCR’s budget and operations, as they did in 2007.
Early in 2014 the Commission invited all those who took part in the process to review our findings and recommendations, to make certain that we got it right before we released our final report.

About The Report:

On June 3, 2014 the Commission released its’ report “Waves of Change”, which contains its findings and recommendations. Copies of the report and the hearing minutes, sticky notes, public comments, the budget analysis and other technical reports and appendices on which the report is based are available online at www.savetheharbor.org/MBC2014

The report contains specific findings and recommendations on how to improve each of the region’s public beaches owned by the Commonwealth and managed by the Department of Conservation and Recreation in each community. The report also identifies a number of continuing challenges and opportunities that we believe need to be addressed to move these beaches from good to great.

The challenges include staffing levels at the beaches, which increased after 2007, but declined in recent years to the point where the Commission believes that the beaches will inevitably reenter a cycle of decline, undermining the progress that has been made and failing to meet public expectations, as was the case before 2007.


DCR also needs additional funds to support free events and programs that
are so important to attracting residents and enhancing their enjoyment of the beaches. Though Save the Harbor’s “Better Beaches Program” has helped local communities jumpstart free events and programs, DCR has a responsibility to provide additional in-kind and financial support of these volunteer efforts.

Much of the Commission’s effort in 2007 and again in 2013 has focused on the basic issues of beach management, maintenance and programming, but capital improvements are also needed to enhance these amenities and expand their capacity to meet the growing need of the more than one million people who live within a short drive or ride to the beach.

Other key challenges that have been considered by the Commission and are described in its recommendations include: water quality and beach flagging, coastal resiliency and sea level rise, parking and public safety, dog management and the issues related to piping plover nesting areas.

Recommendations:

To address these challenges will take continued independent oversight by the Commission. It will also take additional resources and funds to support DCR’s efforts on these beaches.

To accomplish our shared goals for these beaches, the Commission supports two sections of the environmental bond bill that would provide $20 million to improve water quality in Lynn, East Boston, Dorchester and Quincy and $40 million for new equipment and capital projects.

The Commission also recommends that DCR’s budget for fulltime operations and seasonal staffing be increased by $3.5 million per year, and that the DCR make at least $190,000 per year available in matching grants to beach friends groups in waterfront neighborhoods and beachfront communities to support free events and programs like sand sculpting competitions, concerts, beach festivals and competitive swims.

Conclusion:

We all know that a great day at the beach can makes a difference in the quality of life for a child or family, and that is important to all of us who live on the coast.
However, the region’s public beaches are much more than remarkable recreational resources for the region’s families. They contribute directly to the competitiveness of our region, making our cities and beachfront communities better places to live and work. Moreover, the combined economic impact of millions of residents enjoying these beaches also makes them important economic engines for the region’s waterfront neighborhoods and beachfront communities, creating new jobs and economic opportunity.

In 2007, the condition of the metropolitan region’s public beaches was dire. The consensus was that they were failing to serve the region’s residents, who deserved to share the benefits of their $4.5 billion investment in the Boston Harbor clean up.

The Department of Conservation and Recreation, the Patrick Administration, the Legislature and the public deserve credit for the many improvements that have taken place since then.

In the Commission’s 2007 report, “Beaches We Can Be Proud to Use” we observed that “Our beaches have the power to link the more than one million people who live within a half hour of the water’s edge to a resurgent harbor and bay…”

Since then, working together, we have built a good foundation, but more work, additional investments and continued oversight is needed now to move the beaches from good to great.There’s no other place where the benefits of the public’s $5 billion investment in the cleanup of Boston Harbor are more tangible for so many people.

Here is a list of the 22 Metropolitan Beaches Commissioners


Senator Thomas McGee, Co-Chair, Third Essex

Representative Carlo Basile, Co-Chair, First Suffolk

Kip Becker, Boston University

Barbara Bishop, Speaker DeLeo's Office

Representative Garrett Bradley, Third Plymouth

Representative Nick Collins, Fourth Suffolk

Mark Cullinan, Nahant Resident

Paul Grogan, The Boston Foundation

Douglas Gutro, Quincy City Council

Carol Haney, Revere

Senator Robert Hedlund, Plymouth & Norfolk

Representative Bradford Hill, Fourth Essex

Senator John Keenan, Norfolk & Plymouth

Manny Lopes, East Boston Neighborhood Health Center

Chris Marchi, East Boston Community Advocate

Joan Meschino, Hull Resident

Paul F. Nutting, Savin Hill Shores

Samantha Overton, Department of Conservation and Recreation

Senator Anthony Petruccelli, First Suffolk and Middlesex

Kenny Ryan, McDonough Sailing Center

Robert Tucker, Friends of Lynn and Nahant Beach

Representative RoseLee Vincent, 16th Suffolk

The Commission would like to thank the nearly 1,000 people who took part in the hearings and helped to shape the findings and recommendations contained in our report. We would also like to thank former State Senator Jack Hart and former State Representative Kathi-Anne Reinstein for their outstanding service as Co-Chairs of the Commission. Thanks as well to Patty Foley and Bruce Berman of Save the Harbor Save the Bay and David Spillane of Goody Clancy for their help in leading and managing the hearings and producing this report.

Copies of the Commission’s report “Waves of Change” and the hearing minutes, sticky notes, public comments, the budget analysis and other technical reports and appendices on which the report is based are available online at www.savetheharbor.org/MBC2014

For more information about the Metropolitan Beaches Commission or the release of the report, please contact Bruce Berman at 617-293-6243 or by email to