Sipson Island

Sipson Island is an island on the eastern coast of Cape Cod, located on Pleasant Bay in Orleans, Massachusetts.[1] It has a total area of 25 acres (10 ha).[2]

Not to be confused with Simpson Island.

The Island has been privately owned since 1711. It was sold by the Monomoyick people to English settlers of the Plymouth Colony.[3] In June 2020, the Sipson Island Trust purchased 22 acres of the island, which was put up for sale in 2018, and reopened it to the public for the first time in 300 years. Until its sale, Sipson Island was Cape Cod's last privately owned whole-island property.[4]

Funds were raised from private donations solicited by the Friends of Pleasant Bay and the Compact of Cape Cod Conservation Trusts.[5] At its 2019 town meeting, the government of Orleans decided not to buy a $1.5 million permanent conservation easement that would guarantee public access.[6]

To reach the island, it is necessary to travel by private boat to the eastern shore. Access from the west is by kayak or paddle board. The new owners allow only shallow-draft boats under 22 feet to land on the shore in order to protect the natural marine life on the island.[7]

References
  1. "Sipson Island". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2020-09-09.
  2. "Sipson Island - Massachusetts, United States - Private Islands". Retrieved 2020-08-02.
  3. By Lauren M. Johnson. "For the first time in 300 years, this island in Cape Cod is open to the public". CNN. Retrieved 2020-08-02.
  4. Machemer, Theresa. "Cape Cod Island Opens to the Public for the First Time in 300 Years". Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved 2020-08-02.
  5. Sipson Island off Cape Cod reopens to public for first time in more than 300 years after being purchased in June for conservation, public access and educational purposes
  6. Town meeting balks at spending $1.5M for public access.
  7. "A Mass. island just opened to the public after more than 300 years | Boston.com". www.boston.com. Retrieved 2020-08-02.

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