Dead Trees Removed From Morris Island Shoreline

CHATHAM – The trees and shrubs removed from the shore and flats off Morris Island last week were already waterlogged and sand-filled, and the northeaster didn’t make the job any easier for U.S. Fish and Wildlife crews.

 “It was a long week,” said Grace Bottitta-Williamson, project leader of the Eastern Massachusetts National Wildlife Refuge Complex, which includes the Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge.

 With help from the town’s public works department, the crews — who came from Rhode Island, Maryland, Hadley, Mass. and the Eastern Massachusetts refuge complex — dozens of dead trees and shrubs were pulled off the shore and flats on land where the Monomoy refuge maintains trails. Ongoing erosion has uprooted and carried away the trees and shrubs, sending some into the channel between Morris Island and Monomoy creating hazards to navigation.

 The erosion created a “conveyor belt” of trees from east to west, said Harbormaster Jason Holm.

 Bottitta-Williamson couldn’t say exactly how many trees were removed. “It was a lot,” she said. “It was more than I expected.” Large DPW trucks made about 16 trips to the transfer station with debris, while smaller trucks made about 20 trips.

 About 70 trees were removed from the flats and waters in the past several months by town personnel and town contractors. Last week’s clearing by the Fish and Wildlife Service was a big help, said Holm.

 “While not foolproof, it certainly put a mega dent into what we had over there,” he said.

 Bottitta-Williamson said erosion could be observed even as crews worked, and while there are “a lot less trees left,” it’s clear that the situation is ongoing. Officials will be looking at how much resources should continue to be put into maintaining the Morris Island trails, which were closed during the work but are open once again.

 “It’s still a fantastic habitat, even with the changing conditions,” she said. Over the next few weeks, work will be done to repair some of the trails and replace signs, she added.

 Some of the trees made it as far as the Harding’s Beach shore. Natural Resources Director Greg Berman said since they don’t pose a hazard to navigation, they will be removed by the DPW as time and opportunity allows.

 “We are aware of the situation, monitoring it closely, and want to stay proactive about addressing them,” he wrote in an email.