DUXBURY, MASS. (WHDH) - Duxbury officials have once again closed a popular beach to protect piping plovers, and some people who paid $350 to park there for the season are feeling soaked.
The beachfront, which is owned by the Duxbury Beach Reservation and leased by the town for $800,000 a year, has been closed since July 1 to protect wildlife like the endangered piping plover, which is in the middle of nesting season.
The town sells permits for up to $350 to beachgoers who want to drive their cars right onto the sand, and some vacationers say they should get a refund if they can’t use their permits.
“It’s the best time of year, you can’t come on the beach for the Fourth of July?” said Duxbury beachgoer Mike DelRusso. “It’s like, come on. And they won’t give you a refund.”
But town officials say federal and state regulators have been cracking down on environmental laws in recent years, and all the drive-on beach stickers are clearly marked “non-refundable.”
Many other beachgoers say that’s fine with them.
“I feel like for a few weeks it’s inconvenient, but we’ll be back on beach by August,” said Duxbury beachgoer Kim Murphy.
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