Queens Borough President Donovan Richards announced Wednesday that a previously closed-off section of Rockaway Beach from Beach 43rd Street to Beach 47th Street in Edgemere has now been reopened for the pubic to use for the first time in multiple decades.
The section had been closed to beachgoers as part of an effort to protect the nesting areas of the endangered birds known as piping plovers. The decision to reopen this section of the beach came after it was determined that doing so would not bring harm to these birds or interfere with their breeding.
“After decades of Edgemere residents being unable to use a beautiful natural resource that lies within their own neighborhood, I’m proud to share that the section of beach between Beach 43rd Street and Beach 47th Street is now officially open to the public. This re-opening helps to achieve some fairness for the mainly Black and Brown residents of Edgemere, who have been denied the beach access they deserve and that most other residents of the Rockaways have long enjoyed,” Richards said. “Edgemere residents have for too long had limited access to places where they can cool off and enjoy the summer. Their neighborhood has long suffered from underinvestment and neglect, but this beach reopening helps achieve some measure of equity for them.”
Richards also thanked the members of his Edgemere Beach Task Force for the support they provided in getting the section of Rockaway Beach reopened. The task force included the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, Queens Community Board 14, the Piping Plover Project, the Edgemere Community Civic Association and the Edgemere Alliance.
“NYC Parks is pleased to announce the reopening of the stretch of beach from Beach 43rd to Beach 47th Street for swimming. This area experiences periodic shoreline closures seasonally to ensure the protection of the wildlife in the Rockaway Beach Endangered Species Nesting Area,” NYC Parks Borough Commissioner Jacqueline Langsom said. “The stretch is now staffed with six lifeguard chairs, opening up the area to swimmers and sunbathers. We are so grateful to our excellent beach operations staff for making sure the site was cleaned and prepared for beachgoers as quickly as possible, and to our committed lifeguard staff who keep swimmers safe every day throughout Rockaway Beach. And we are of course thankful to our wildlife staff for their dedication to keeping the piping plovers, American oystercatchers, least terns and common terns of this critical stretch of waterside habitat safe and protected throughout the summer.”
