Hampton Beach Memorial Day fireworks canceled due to piping plovers

HAMPTON — The Hampton Beach Memorial Day fireworks show has been canceled due to concerns over nesting endangered piping plovers.

"We are sorry to announce the cancellation of fireworks for Sunday, May 26, per the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department, due to the nesting of endangered piping plovers," the Hampton Beach Village District announced. "We are sorry for any inconvenience this may cause. Thank you for your understanding."

The birds have nested close to the launch area for the fireworks since 2020 and were the reason fireworks were canceled for Memorial Day in 2021 and 2022.

Plovers are protected by both state and federal endangered species laws. Their nests are roped off from the public, and harming, harassing or taking a piping plover or one of its eggs can result in jail or fines of up to $25,000.

Last year, New Hampshire Fish and Game officials said the birds had moved further north and south from the fireworks launch site near 200 Ocean Blvd., giving the green light for the show to occur Memorial Day weekend 2023.

Brendan Clifford, a biologist with the New Hampshire Fish and Game, said Tuesday his department was watching the plovers closely regarding their nests and proximity to fireworks. He said they would make a recommendation to State Parks if the show could go on as planned. The Village District was notified Thursday the show would need to be canceled.

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Why piping plovers are now on Hampton Beach

Piping plovers are an endangered species with populations recovering in locations along the eastern seaboard. While the population in New England has improved in recent years, plovers in southern states have continued to struggle, according to Clifford and other biologists.

In New Hampshire, the small birds usually nest at the southern end of the beach in the sandy dunes at Hampton and Seabrook beaches. However, they migrated to the main beach in 2020, when it was shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Officials said, at the time, the birds may have discovered the area because no one was on the beach.

The birds returned the following year to nest near the fireworks launch site again in 2021. The birds’ nesting season caused fireworks to be canceled in May and June each year, though the plovers left the area in time for the Fourth of July show.

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