Since 1993

The People's Right to the Foreshore

Many people who grew up in the Hamptons used to visit Cartwright Island, a sandbar and shoal system in Gardiner's Bay, without incident. Over the last decade or so, people nearing or landing on the sand have gotten chased off by security hired by the owners of Gardiner's Island. I, and others, believe this practice is wrong, since part of the Public Trust doctrine is that the state owns the beach below the high tide line.

My arrest on Cartwright Island has prompted a flurry of public activity, and here I have presented a variety of documents and letters that I believe support the position of public access to the foreshore.

Statement from Rod Richardson regarding the June 30, 2018 incident on Cartwright Island: Show Me the Ox!

Statement from Citizens for Access Rights, reaffirming its position of the public's right to access the foreshore of Cartwright Island, August 13, 2018

Statement from Citizens for Access Rights, in support of the public's right to visit the foreshore of Cartwright Island: August 8, 2018

I am grateful for all the phone calls and letters of support. It is my hope that public access to the foreshore of Cartwright Island be restored.

-Rod

Signs on Cartwright Island are in the water, well below the wrack line.

All commentary I may make on this site or elsewhere, in print or orally, related to this matter and these materials, is my opinion alone.  I do not speak for other people or organizations. This opinion is based on research and personal experience. All materials posted on this site are intended for education purposes, so the public may learn of the true history and facts regarding Cartwright Island and the beaches of Gardiner’s Bay. My actions are motivated by a deep desire to allow myself and others to explore the beaches of the Hamptons, and by a conviction that we share a fundamental natural and public right to do so.

Next Steps...

Have a listen to this little ditty about Public Access to the beaches:
Mr. Mean High Water