Piping plovers threaten Hampton Beach Fourth of July fireworks

HAMPTON — Hampton Beach’s firework spectacle for Fourth of July is hinging on a nest of federally protected piping plovers across from Bernie’s, projected to hatch days before the holiday weekend.

There were two nests that caused Memorial Day fireworks to be canceled, one near A Street and the Ashworth by the Sea Hotel, the other on the sand across from Bernie’s Beach Bar on the corner of L Street. The nest near A Street has hatched and its young moved on, but the nest near Bernie’s was laid later than usual, according to Fish and Game biologist Brendan Clifford, and now the hatch date is projected to be around June 27 to 29.

“If they hatch on schedule, it’s going to be the last week of June, sometime in that window,” Clifford told Hampton Beach Village District commissioners in their monthly meeting June 8. “If that happens, then we should be all set for fireworks on the Fourth of July.”

The birds are federally protected as a threatened species. Efforts to protect the plover species are being made in other coastal communities like Ogunquit, Maine and throughout Massachusetts and along the East Coast. Their numbers are improving in New England but struggling elsewhere down the coast, according to Clifford.

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The plovers have been nesting in proximity to the fireworks at Hampton Beach for the last three summers, brought on by a combination of open sand when the coronavirus pandemic caused beaches to close, as well as growth in the birds’ population.

Previously, the plovers nested at the southern end of beach, where there was no impact on the fireworks.

Disturbances to the nest in front of Bernie’s could keep the birds from properly incubating the eggs, which is why Clifford advised people respect boundaries like the rope that has sectioned off the nests from beachgoers.

Fireworks are not specifically prohibited, but Clifford advised commissioners any disturbance to the nests could result in fines to those who cause them. The nest is within a half-mile of where the fireworks go off, which Clifford said is close enough to disrupt the birds.

“If something happens and they happen to still be incubating on the Fourth of July, then it’s going to be an issue,” Clifford said. He said if the eggs go unhatched, the birds might stay on them longer than their typical incubation period. A nest in front of the Ashworth by the Sea hotel last year went unhatched and the parents sat on them for about 45 days before abandoning them.

“That kind of variable is unknown at this point, how long they’ll incubate if they don’t hatch,” Clifford said. “We want them to hatch and move out of there, but there’s some unknown component here.”

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Can anything be done about the plovers?

Clifford told commissioners they or the state could apply for a habitat conservation plan with the federal government that would allow them to discourage the birds from nesting near the fireworks in the future. Those plans, acquired through the Fish and Wildlife Service, require applicants to demonstrate they will improve the plover’s habitat elsewhere, which Clifford said can be costly.

Clifford said the applicant is typically the property owner, Hampton Beach’s sand being on state property. He told commissioners that New Hampshire State Parks would likely be the applicant and that state Fish and Game would work closely with them. State Parks did not respond to an inquiry into whether they were interested in pursuing the permit this week.

Massachusetts communities like Cape Cod have been working under a habitat conservation plan for several years now that allows them more beach access while fostering the plover population.

In Orleans, Massachusetts, federal authorities allowed for electric enclosures with bait to be installed on the beach to attract predators that threaten plovers and expose them to the electricity, deterring them from returning, according to a story in 2015 by WBUR.

At the same time, tourists using off-road vehicles were granted more access to beaches near piping plover areas at certain times. Orleans Selectman John Hodgson said at the time that the plan was meant to “get some balance back" as the plover population began impacting beachgoers, according to WBUR.

The cost to the town of Orleans to allow the self-escort program was $60,573, according to WBUR, the program having a five-year window that has since passed. Orleans town officials did not return phone calls seeking clarity on how the cost was determined.

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Plovers disrupt more than fireworks

The plovers have also disrupted Seabrook’s beach raking operations, the town announced this week on social media. Town Manager Bill Manzi said he has been told the eggs will likely hatch in the coming weeks so the operations can resume. He said the town wants residents to be aware of the plovers so they do not think the raking is being neglected for any other reason.

“People sort of think we’re not raking the beach because we don’t want to, or there’s some other priority,” Manzi said. “It’s definitely hindered our operations.”

Plovers are also being protected in Maine, monitored by Maine Audubon in communities along the coast. Laura Zitske, Maine Audubon’s coastal birds project director, said the southernmost community with plovers is Ogunquit, where there are 19 nesting pairs and about 35 chicks. She said making the tourist community and piping plovers coexist takes a lot of communication and work to succeed, but she believes Ogunquit has demonstrated that is possible.

“We have a lot of partners that we communicate with extensively,” Zitske said. “We work together so that people can enjoy the beach and plovers can also nest and raise their young.”

What will Hampton Beach do?

Hampton Beach Village District Commissioner Chuck Rage said he is waiting to learn more about what a habitat conservation plan could look like at Hampton Beach. Even though the state is the property owner, the Village District commissioners and other local beach officials maintain a relationship with state parks officials.

“Is it going to be $5,000, or is it going to be $50,000?” Rage said.

Costs to applicants for a habitat conservation plan depend on a variety of factors, said Carolyn Mostello, a coastal waterbird biologist for MassWildlife. She said municipalities that agree to pay into a mitigation fund to help the birds pay $6,000 per pair, the figure derived from a settlement related to an oil spill in Buzzard’s Bay that impacted plovers.

“We have sites that are impacting more pairs, and costs them more money. Sites that are impacting fewer pairs, it’s costing them less money,” Mostello said.

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Comparing Hampton to towns in Massachusetts is difficult, said Fish and Wildlife Service biologist David Simmons, since the variables that determine each plan permit are vastly different. He said the process of acquiring such a permit would involve discussion between the town, the state, the Fish and Wildlife Service and any number of other stakeholders.

“Because they are site-specific, it’s really difficult to say how it would shake out,” Simmons said.

Rage said if it's too costly, fireworks may need to wait until July moving forward.

“We’ll do what we have to do,” Rage said. “We’ve got to protect the birds.”

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Piping plovers endanger Hampton Beach Fourth of July fireworks 2022