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Ask Joe By Arden Miller, CZM Joe, a Massachusetts resident since 1974, began working at the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM) in 1980. He has represented CZM on numerous committees involved with coastal and marine issues. What types of coastal issues are distinct by region and which kinds affect all of the regions? All regions are affected to some extent by stormwater run-off, public access issues, and development pressure. They just vary in intensity and details. The area north of Cape Cod is part of the Gulf of Maine and, geographically, typically has a rocky coast, whereas the area south of Boston is known for its sandy beaches and dunes. So beach erosion is an issue specific to the sandy areas. In terms of coastal development, the area from Boston Harbor north tends to have more people and more industrial uses (including the working ports of Salem and Gloucester). Both areas have a limited amount of coastal space, and a lot of people want access to it. And since the coast is finite and everyone and their brother wants a view of it, there is always pressure to build in the few undeveloped areas. During the time you've been a part of the Massachusetts Emergency Management Team, what coastal area disasters generated the most media attention? Between August, 1991, and November, 1992, we had three presidential declarations of disaster. In August, it was Hurricane Bob. In October, Bob was followed by the "No Name Storm" or "Halloween N'oreaster" as it was referred to. (Since then, with the publication of Sebastian Junger's book The Perfect Storm, this storm has come to be known by the book's title.) And then, between December of '92 and March of '93, there were two intense winter blizzards that were bad enough to warrant a declaration. These were very busy times for Massachusetts and hazards. As part of the disaster team, I was on camera so much, the Assistant Director joked that CZM should sell ad space on my jacket sleeves! During the past 30 years, which coastal region have you seen the most changes in when it comes to physical and economic development? Definitely Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket have changed the most significantly when it comes to physical development. Just in terms of sheer numbers of people and all the amenities that go with them—more buildings, more stores, and more parking lots equal more issues when it comes to water quality, parking, traffic, and beach access. As for economics, the fishing industry has changed dramatically. Going back 30 years, Massachusetts was in the top 10 in terms of value and volume and Gloucester, New Bedford, Boston, and Chatham were all within the top 25 ports in the nation. Now, due to overfishing, regulations, and environmental conditions, that's all dropped significantly, though, I must say, the fish tastes just as good! And, while the average fish catch has fallen, the cost of living in Massachusetts has risen. For a fisherman, just catching the amount of fish to earn a salary you can live on is a very difficult proposition these days. In your opinion, which coastal town in Massachusetts most embodies the qualities associated with New England? Boston and Salem represent what I think of as quintessential New England. Both have the rich maritime history coupled with the feeling of small towns. Even Boston, with nearly 600,000 residents, has a small town atmosphere. I see the same people on the train every day. And, in the summer, you can smell the coastal air in Boston. And just look at the State House—there's a life-sized sacred cod plaque hanging in the Chamber of the House of Representatives! In Salem, if you take a walk down Federal Street, you'll see all the brick facade Federalist houses that were built during the heyday of the clipper ships when captains made their fortunes at sea. What local-level issue has caused the most impassioned reactions from people? The development and implementation of the Massachusetts Water Resource Authority's underground tunnel and accompanying sewage treatment plan. In 1983, when this plan was unveiled, Boston Harbor was filthy. Fish kills were reported on a daily basis. The sewage was only treated in a primary way—which is to say that large items were screened out, and the rest was dumped directly into the Harbor. The new proposal was for sewage to receive secondary treatment, meaning that after the primary treatment, sewage is further filtered to remove all sludge. The effluent would then travel through a deep rock tunnel extending under Massachusetts Bay to about nine miles east of Deer Island. No one was sure if this would change things; people wondered if it was going to be like playing three card monte—changing the location and varying the treatment, but without any real difference. And beyond all the wondering was the outrage over the expense. The proposed tunnel was the first of its kind and people doubted it could be pulled off. We're still paying for it in that our water bill used to be, like, nothing, and now, well... But the gamble did pay off: the Harbor is a lot cleaner and I can't remember the last time a fish kill was reported. What coastal town has the best fried clams? Oooh—that's a tie. Clam Box in Ipswich or Essex Sea Food in Essex, on Cape Ann. Different batters, but both are delicious! | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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