The Town of Nantucket’s Natural Resources Department presented a small pilot project on Feb. 20 to test two new dune‑stabilization technologies at Madaket and Dionys Beach, and the Conservation Commission continued the public hearing to March 6 to allow staff and the applicant to provide additional details and complete required filings.

The pilot, presented by Morgan Nelson, coastal resources technician for the Natural Resources Department, would install 27‑by‑60‑foot trial plots at two shore locations, each containing four adjacent treatments: a cliff stabilizer with plant plugs, a dune guard with plant plugs, plant plugs alone, and an untreated control. Nelson said the plan calls for “a 1,600 square foot total parcel on each plot,” UV‑protected materials and removable components that can be adjusted as sand accumulates. Nelson described the expected planting density as roughly “6 to 10 plugs in each dune guard.”

Commissioners pressed staff on legal and technical questions. Commissioner RJ (Turcotte) praised the test approach but asked whether the devices qualify as a “water dependent use” under the commission’s regulations, and whether they should be treated as coastal engineering structures. Commission chair Seth Engelberg and several members said the group must apply existing performance standards while recognizing that emerging technologies may outpace rules. Nelson said the pilot is explicitly experimental: “we don't know how well it's going to work. That's the point of this whole pilot project.”

Why it matters: island erosion, public access and habitat protections intersect here. Commissioners emphasized monitoring, documentation and durable materials to avoid leaving debris on beaches. Several members asked that the permit include specific monitoring requirements, storm‑event photography and contingency steps if pieces fail or are dislodged by storms. Nelson said monitoring will be frequent and that staff already plan near‑real‑time checks during wind events; Natural Resources staff and the commission discussed imposing a condition requiring prompt post‑storm inspections and georeferenced photographs.

Supporting details: commissioners debated how to classify the devices for permitting. Engelberg noted the commission must work “under the regulations that we currently have,” while Turcotte and others raised that some treatments might be considered a structure because they are anchored, non‑biodegradable and could alter bank function over time. Tim Brain asked whether the dune guards collect sand from both wind (aeolian transport) and wave action; Nelson replied they are designed primarily to capture aeolian transport but the pilot will test both dynamics. Nelson also said permit timing is constrained by bird‑nesting season: installations must be finished by April 1 under the schedule she described, otherwise work must pause due to the town’s bird‑season restrictions.

Public participation and next steps: a nearby resident, Hilo Thomas, identified himself as living about 100 yards from the trial and offered volunteer help with monitoring. Commissioners and staff agreed to continue the hearing to March 6 so the applicant can finalize permit materials and so the commission can craft monitoring and failure‑response conditions before any installation.

The hearing was continued to March 6; no formal permit was issued on Feb. 20.