Westerly faces deadline to fix beach

WESTERLY, R.I. (AP) - Rhode Island and local officials are working toward an April 1 deadline to restore dunes and replace sand at Misquamicut State Beach.

The Westerly Sun reports that officials are set to meet today to focus on requirements and permits. Town Manager Steven Hartford says the deadline was set by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service because of the annual arrival of the federally threatened piping plover.

The town is developing a plan to redistribute sand stockpiled in the Misquamicut parking lot.

Hartford says the state could take about 30,000 of the 67,000 cubic yards in the parking lot and the town would use 15,000 cubic yards.

The rest would be distributed to fire district beaches and private property owners.