Days after bulldozers carved off a sizable chunk of the Horseneck Beach dunes, the Westport Conservation Commission ordered the Mass. Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) Wednesday to cease and desist excavating and widening a trail and beach access road through the state reservation's west end.

Town administrator James Hartnett confirmed the cease and desist Wednesday afternoon, when asked if the conservation commission had issued an order:

“Yes after consultation with MassDEP a cease and desist was issued,” he wrote in an email to Shorelines.

A spokesperson from DCR could not provide a response by Wednesday afternoon. Chris Capone, the town’s conservation agent, also could not be reached to comment on the matter Wednesday.

Point residents first noticed activity at the end of Bridge Road about a week ago. By Saturday, bulldozers and earthmovers had considerably widened most of Horseneck’s paved access road and “healthy trail” that runs through the dunes and to the open beach area well over a quarter mile to the east, doubling the path’s width from 10 to 12 feet to more than 20.

Directed by state and Westport police details, dump trucks hauled the excavated sand, soil and vegetation up Bridge Road and down John Reed. It was offloaded in Horseneck's easternmost parking lot.

Conservation commission members and other town officials learned of the work over the weekend, and some residents who raised concerns feared for the impact on rare species habitats and particularly, piping plovers. It is currently nesting system and large portions of the beach and dunes are closed.

Westport fish commissioner Everett Mills said the work should never have been started, and the area must be restored.

“We know they’re upsetting the piping plovers,” he said. “Just because it’s the state, it doesn’t give them the right to do that.”

On Wednesday, Fire Chief Daniel Baldwin said that while the department had discussions about emergency access in the area a year or two ago, the department was not involved in the work.