VOICES AWAY FROM THE BLUFF
AN INDEPENDENT SERIES
Blair Perkins 18 Golf View Drive

ROB BENCHLEY/The Independent file Blair Perkins

Editor's note: This week, The Nantucket Independent

continues Voices Away from the Bluff,

examining the ramifications of the

Siasconset Beach Preservation Fund's

beach nourishment proposal. For 10

weeks, we will talk to 10 islanders who

have concerns and questions about the impacts of the project on their daily lives

and the island environment.

We encourage letters to the editor sent to

don@nantucketindependent.com or to 15 North Beach St., Nantucket, MA 02554.

Tell us about yourself - line of work, connection to Nantucket.

My name is Blair Perkins. I am a lifelong resident of the island and grew up on a farm in the Hidden Forest, raising goats, chickens and ducks.

My family owns and operates the eco-tour company Shearwater Excursions, Inc., known mostly for 15 years of providing tours by boat out to watch whales to the east of Nantucket and seals out on Muskeget Island.

In general, what are your thoughts about the erosion control methods employed by SBPF in the past, presently and in its current proposal?

My general thoughts on the project are negative. Their methods for attempting to control erosion, on-site, seem haphazard and ill conceived.

Their past and present record shows failure analogous to a child building a sandcastle below the high tide [mark] with a small surf running. Their future plans appear to be nothing more than an act of desperation, without regard to the long-term consequences.

From your perspective, what are the pros and cons of dredging sand offshore and pumping it onto a beach to rebuild it (beach nourishment) in relation to the SBPF proposal?

Although other locations have had temporary and very limited success with beach nourishment, (and this is the most important aspect/difference between here and other locations) they had very different modeled coastal dynamic parameters than the eastern shore of the island. To date, there is little to no wave/swell modeling specific to the site; only assumed projections from one vector. The pros would be temporary like the "child's sandcastle" analogy. Also, I have noted the lack of data concerning critical habit for the endangered Northern Right Whale. I would expect to see input on this endangered species known to these waters on an annual basis. The cons could/would be permanent too, not only the offshore "take" (there is no such thing as "borrow" in this case) site, which refers to the benthos, but also the tens of thousands of birds and fish which rely on the site-specific food web, which exists throughout the water column from top to bottom. In addition, the shoreline profile of a significant part of the entire island could/would be impacted by the disturbance.

Should the Board of Selectmen approve the use of Town-owned land, necessary for the project to go forward?

No. I envision this proposed project to be continuous, thereby making the Town of Nantucket's land a continuous construction site.

Where do you draw the line between preservation of public and private property and protection and conservation of natural resources?

I don't draw the line. I truly feel for the ones who are losing their property, but protection of natural resources is paramount.

How should SBPF modify its proposal to address the projected negative impacts of its beach rebuilding project?

I don't think any modification of the proposal will result in a positive outcome.

If this proposal is approved and harmful effects occur, what should SBPF be prepared to do to remedy the negative impacts?

Nothing. I feel any mitigation could adversely impact the areas further.

If rebuilding the beach with offshore dredged sand beneath their bluff properties is not the answer, what should the residents of Baxter Road do to protect their property from erosion?

Move their homes like the owners of the lighthouse.

Alternately, if the project and its environmental mitigation slows the rate of erosion, creates shorebird habitat, successfully replaces the cobble areas offshore with artificial cobble areas and does not harm the ocean bottom, would you recommend other island shorelines for this erosion control method. Why, why not?

I honestly don't see this proposal being successful, so the long-term impacts would be negative. In my lifetime of observing the ocean and its power especially with the addition of our legendary lateral tidal movements (littoral drift), all our shorelines would have a net negative impact.

Is there anything you want to say that I haven't asked you about today on SBPF's offshore sand dredging and beach rebuilding proposal?

No. Thanks for the opportunity to

share my thoughts on this matter. I