Opening South Boston beach now up to the city, Massachusetts wildlife officials say

If state wildlife officials had the final say, Southie residents could now be cooling off at the L Street Beach behind the renovated Curley Center.

But even with MassWildlife determining last week that beach access would not harm the threatened piping plovers, the city still has to complete its own review.

“They don’t need any extra permissions because we have already issued our determination,” a MassWildlife spokesperson told the Herald on Wednesday. “As long as they follow their beach management plan, there is no other review on our end.”

City officials say the Conservation Commission is scheduled to vote July 19 on the beach management plan, which outlines conditions the city needs to take for access not to have an adverse effect on the piping plover.

Rev. Mariama White-Hammond, head of the city’s Environment Department, which oversees the Conservation Commission, has been out of town. She received an invite from the U.S. Embassy of London to participate in a discussion that took place Wednesday regarding “net-zero economies with a focus on sustainable affordable housing,” according to a spokesperson.

One condition in the beach management plan features “a qualified shorebird monitor” regularly monitoring the presence of the piping plover from April 1 through Aug. 31, with the areas of habitat delineated with fencing and warning signs by April 1, according to the state-approved guidelines.

“These areas shall remain fenced as long as viable eggs, unfledged chicks, or territorial or courting Piping Plovers are present,” the plan states.

Mayor Michelle Wu said the city’s hope is for the beach to partially open next month.

“There are some provisions around when the birds are there and when the birds are not there,” the mayor told the Herald. “My understanding is that we still have to wait for the birds to not be actively nesting. It may be a couple of weeks after that.”

The beach management plan lays out how raking should be done “as infrequently as possible” and “it must be conducted outside of fenced areas,” and all non-emergency vehicles “shall avoid areas of symbolic fencing” and “shall not  travel within 100 yards unfledged Piping Plover chicks.”

Councilor At-Large Erin Murphy said she still had not received a response from the Conservation Commission on her request for an emergency meeting to expedite the opening, as of Wednesday evening.

If the commission held a meeting earlier than next Wednesday, the beach could reopen shortly after, Murphy told the Herald on Tuesday. But a city spokesperson refuted that claim, saying the threatened piping plover bird species continues to stand in the way of access, and wildlife officials still had to say when residents could gain access.

“They may be oversimplifying that process,” the MassWildlife spokesperson said. “At this point, the task is the Conservation Commission reviewing the project under the Wetlands Protections Act. After that, the Conservation Commission might add their own additional things they want to see, but again, the state’s review is done.”

Cape Cod resident David Dudzinski Stayed cool at M Street Beach late Wednesday morning as temperatures soared into the 90s. Learning how to “coexist” with nature is critical, he said, pointing to how migratory fish are coming back with the Boston Harbor being cleaned up.

“I’m always on the side of coexisting and working on a plan that allows for nature to flourish and people to flourish,” he said. “There is plenty of beach.”