Crane Beach Management Plan 2004 Table of Contents Introduction and Acknowledgments 1 Executive Summary 2 Land Use History 3 Scenic Resources 4 Natural Resources 5 Cultural Resources 6 Structural Resources 7 Visitor Experience 8 Land Conservation 9 Current Management 10 Recommended Actions 11 Implementation 12 ________________________________________________ Section 1: Introduction & Acknowledgments Since 1891, The Trustees of Reservations has worked to protect special places in Massachusetts. These protection efforts have relied upon the generosity of private individuals and the collaborative efforts of volunteers, local communities, professionals, and other conservation organizations. This management plan for Crane Beach is the product of just such a successful partnership. While management of Crane Beach is well-established, The Trustees of Reservations felt it was important to affirm the outstanding characteristics of the property and to review current management practices with a focus on applying newly understood resource protection principles to ensure the continued protection and preservation of these special qualities. A program of careful planning and sound management is essential to fulfill these goals. Thus, during the spring of 2003, The Trustees embarked on a process to develop a comprehensive management plan for Crane Beach. The planning process included: • Forming a planning committee made up of individuals from Ipswich and the North Shore area who represented different property management perspectives. The group met many times to review current management issues and to consider the future of the property. • Reviewing current patterns of property use. • Surveying visitors to help The Trustees learn how they are using the Beach and what changes they might like to see. • Presenting information and gathering ideas at a public forum. • Compiling a history of the property and identifying the Beach’s historic features. • Describing the site’s natural, scenic, cultural, and structural resources and identifying management issues related to the protection of those resources. • Developing a comprehensive suite of management recommendations and an associated implementation schedule. This planning process has sought to define the Beach’s essential features and to articulate goals and guiding principles that will shape future decision-making. By outlining specific recommended actions that will achieve those goals, this framework is intended to guide conservation efforts while enhancing the public’s enjoyment of this priceless asset for years to come. We are enormously grateful to all of the volunteers, staff, and other professionals who have worked very hard over the past 18 months to produce this management plan. Leading the way 1 - Introduction and Acknowledgments 1 -1 was a Management Planning Committee that consisted of Trustees’ members and volunteers as well as several Trustees' staff members. The planning team included: Volunteers: Staff and Consultants Priscilla Brooks, Ipswich; Chair Lisa Vernegaard, Director of Planning and Stewardship Jay Coburn, Beverly Craig Henkels, General Manager, Crane Estate Tommy Gunn, North Andover Franz Ingelfinger, Northeast Regional Ecologist John Nove, Ipswich Wayne Mitton, Northeast Regional Director Tim Purinton, Ipswich Peter Pinciaro, Superintendent, Ipswich/Newbury Management Unit Ed Rauscher, Ipswich Jim Younger, Director of Structural Resources Norton Sloan, Ipswich Electa Kane Tritsch, Cultural Resources Consultant David Standley, Ipswich In turn, the committee drew upon the assistance of several other individuals. Special thanks go to Vin Antil, The Trustees’ GIS Manager, who prepared the maps included in the management plan; Susan Hill-Dolan, who worked with Electa Tritsch to research the history of the property; Sally Matkovich who compiled and analyzed the data found in the visitor survey reports; Duncan Fitzgerald who reviewed the geomorphology of the beach and analyzed the potential impacts of future sea-level rise; Dorothy Monnelley who assisted in a review of the property’s scenic resources; and Edie Dondero, who compiled the final product. Thanks to the thoughtful and tireless participation of all of these individuals, and their passionate interest and concern for this unique treasure, Crane Beach will forever remain one of The Commonwealth’s most special places. S Andy Kendall Priscilla Brooks Executive Director Chairwoman, Crane Beach Planning Committee September 2004 1 - Introduction and Acknowledgments 1 -2 Section 2: Executive Summary 2.1 Introduction Crane Beach, located on the shores of Ipswich Bay in Ipswich, Massachusetts, is a spectacularly beautiful place. Spanning nearly seven miles of shoreline on the Atlantic Ocean and the Castleneck and Ipswich Rivers, Crane Beach is one of the most significant barrier beach systems in New England. (See Maps 2.1 and 2.2.) Comprising 1,200 acres of wide sandy beaches and distinctive white sand dunes, expansive salt marshes, pitch pine forests, maritime shrubland, and red maple swamps, the property supports a rich diversity of plants and wildlife and plays a critical role in protecting the Essex River Estuary and inland communities. Without a doubt, Crane Beach is one of the Trustees of Reservations’ most ecologically significant properties. Attracting more than 200,000 visitors each year, it is also The Trustees’ most visited property. This combination of ecological significance and intensive public use creates a substantial management challenge for The Trustees as it seeks to protect the ecological integrity of this special place while ensuring opportunities for public enjoyment of all that the property has to offer. Map 2.1 Locus Map of Crane Beach 2 – Executive Summary 2- 1 Map 2.2 Crane Beach 2 – Executive Summary 2- 2 The Crane family and the legacy of their estate continue to be a hallmark of The Trustees of Reservations and a symbol of public-spirited conservation in Massachusetts. Almost sixty years have passed since Florence H. Crane donated 1,000 acres of beach and dunes to The Trustees of Reservations in memory of Richard T. Crane, Jr. Since then, the Crane family has bequeathed additional portions of the family’s estate, including sections of beach, Castle Hill, and Crane Wildlife Refuge. Together, these parcels protect more than 2,100 acres of the Castle Neck and Essex Bay estuary. This management plan addresses the beach portion of the estate, including Castle Neck, Steep Hill Beach, and Cedar Point. Recommendations for management of the Estate’s other elements, Castle Hill and Crane Wildlife Refuge, can be found in separate management plans.1 This plan provides a comprehensive description and assessment of the Beach’s scenic, historic, and ecological resources and outlines visitor use and attitudes. Recommended guidelines and actions build on this analysis by addressing threats to resources and the visitor experience and identifying key opportunities to enhance the management of Crane Beach. 2.2 The Goal The Trustees’ management of Crane Beach is guided by several overarching factors. The first is The Trustees’ organizational mission, set forth by founder Charles Eliot in 1891: The Trustees of Reservations preserves for public use and enjoyment, properties of exceptional scenic, historic, and ecological value throughout Massachusetts and protects special places across the state. Second, management will advance the goals set forth by The Trustees’ Field Operations 2003 strategic plan “Conservation in Action!” This plan contains several initiatives, including the following: • Be a leader in the conservation field through the exemplary stewardship of the scenic, historic, and ecological features of each property entrusted to our care. • Expand our education and interpretation program to turn visitors into the future stewards of the Massachusetts landscape. • Provide meaningful opportunities for volunteers to participate in hands-on management. • Protect our plants and animals and their habitats. • Eliminate deferred maintenance (i.e., repair and then properly maintain structural features that have failed and no longer serve their intended function properly). Finally, the overarching vision for the entire Crane Estate, developed during the winter of 2004, directs the team of staff and volunteers who manage Crane Beach to pursue a high standard of management for this spectacular property: Building on the innovations and successes of the past fifty years, The Trustees will establish the Crane Estate as a nationally recognized model of “conservation for 1 For more information, see: • The Trustees of Reservations. (2002). Cornelius and Miné S. Crane Wildlife Refuge Management Plan. Beverly, MA: The Trustees of Reservations. • The Trustees of Reservations. (1997). Castle Hill Master Plan. 2 – Executive Summary 2- 3 people.” Exemplary stewardship of the Estate’s unparalleled collection of scenic, historic, and ecological features will make this one of the most magical places in Massachusetts for people to visit and enjoy. 2.2 The Plan for the Future of Crane Beach Based on these goals, and the in-depth description and analysis, the plan lays out a framework for future decision-making in seven areas and includes eight sets of goals and 99 recommended actions. Section 12 outlines an implementation schedule, and estimates the total cost of plan implementation, in today’s dollars, at approximately $2.2 million. The following section highlights key goals and recommendations. Natural Resource Management (See Sections