Field Notes
PLOVER FLIGHT A SUCCESS ON GREAT POINT Trustees of Reservations' property superintendent Steve Nicolle reopened the Galls from its southern end to vehicle traffic to Great Point on the morning of July 18.

Nicolle had been waiting for the last of three chicks near the south beach of the Galls to learn to fly before opening up the beach to motorized traffic. He closed the beach from this point north on June 15 when the three eggs hatched, and allowed only pedestrian traffic during the period of closure.

Beach drivers who do get onto the narrow barrier beach known as the Galls and drive out to Great Point will discover that its very tip is cordoned off with fencing and warning signs to protect a colony of nesting terns whose chicks all recently hatched. These terns in 60 to 70 nests are nesting above the high-tide line in an area also occupied by around 25 to 30 seals. The Trustees are not allowing walkers to venture up the tip of Great Point.

Dogs are prohibited from all the beaches north of the Wauwinet House from April 15 to Sept. 16.

LAND ANGELS Federal legislation enacted in 2006 that boosted benefits to those who donate conservation restrictions to local conservation organizations is going to expire Dec. 31 if extension legislation is not filed.

The original act increased the maximum deduction property owners could take from 30 percent of their adjusted gross income annually to 50 percent. It also allowed farmers and ranchers to deduct up to 100 percent of their adjusted gross income and raised the number of years that property owners could take deductions from six years to 16 years.

To extend these benefits, Congress must enact HR 1576. The Trustees of Reservations urges you to write your senators and representatives and ask them to support this legislation by co-filing this bill. When you do that, tell the Trustees by emailing them at mwheeler@ttor.org. Specifically, contact Senator John Kerry, Representative Richard E. Neal, Representative John Olver and Representative James McGovern.

A conservation restriction is granted by a property owner to a conservation organization, such as the Nantucket Land Council, to protect the land from development. Some owners allow public use of their conservation property while others don't. Either way, the land is protected forever from development.

The Nantucket Land Council, a steward of many of the conservation restrictions on the island, holds some 1,000 acres in 60 conservation restrictions, including 270 acres owned by the Linda Loring Nature Foundation off Eel Point Road.

'SCONSET REVEALED Before the ocean rises up and grabs all of 'Sconset's houses in Codfish Park and along the Bluff, you might want to soak up a little history on this part of the island.

To do that, attend the Nantucket Preservation's Trust's presentation, "History in the Making: The Storied Houses of Siasconset," tonight at 7 p.m. at Wade Cottages in 'Sconset. Michael May, executive director of the Nantucket Preservation Trust, will speak about a history of Codfish Park and the Bluff from 1885 to 1950 that was done for the Siasconset Beach Preservation Fund as the first part of a village-wide study. Expect to see many historic photos of these parts of 'Sconset. Call the Preservation Trust at 228-1387

for details. I