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Riley communications,
Old Saybrook

"De l’audace, encore de l’audace, et toujours de l’audace."
Your access to the river is being threatened, but there's hope.

This is what's happening to land that has been deeded to public access for years.
You, the public, are no longer welcome on your land.

Our opinion: If you don't want the public near your property, don't buy property that has deeded public access!
Not everyone thinks this way. Read the article from the Hartford Courant to see what happened in Deep River last summer. The town won this battle; click here for the latest developments.
Others in the area have blocked access areas more quietly; they have subtly extended their side yards into the area, so when you get there, you say, "Huh? What public access? I can't walk across these people's yard to get to the river, can I?"
So you go home.
You don't get to use the public access area that your tax money paid for.
Sorry if it offends anyone, but we don't think this is right. Neither do local town governments.
But there is good news on the public-access issue. The Essex Board of Selectmen has demonstrated that towns can tell property owners to cut this nonsense out - and make it stick. Click here for more.
And the town government of Old Saybrook has taken the same stance regarding public access points on Long Island Sound. Click here for that story.
Support yor local government by letting them know you appreciate their efforts. Click here to go to the e-mail-o-matic page and get a conveneint way to send your message.

You can get a copy of the DEP's outstanding map of public coastal-access points, just by sending them
an e-mail. There are some places where you have to pay to park (the local towns need the money to maintain the beaches and pay the lifeguards, so that's fair). Get the map. Find the places you paid for with your taxes, and go there.

Don't let anyone take your river away from you.


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