Current Update

On May 30th, over 120 federal, state, and local partners gathered to celebrate aquatic habitat restoration efforts in the North Shore Great Marsh region and across the Commonwealth. This official 2007 Wetlands Month Event was held at The Trustees of Reservations Crane Estate in Ipswich, in the middle of the beautiful Great Marsh. Secretary of the MA Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, Ian Bowles, as well as representatives from EPA, NOAA, CZM's Wetlands Restoration Program, The Trustees of Reservations, and the City of Gloucester spoke to the many restoration successes achieved in recent years and highlighted future needs and opportunities for aquatic habitat restoration throughout Massachusetts. Restoration accomplishments within the 25,000-acre Great Marsh region were highlighted, along with more than 100 potential salt marsh restoration opportunities identified in the Great Marsh Coastal Wetlands Restoration Plan. The event was sponsored by EPA New England, CZM's Wetlands Restoration Program, and the Corporate Wetlands Restoration Partnership. Event photos above show attendees socializing and perusing poster displays of more than 20 restoration partners. See the EPA-EOEEA press release for more information.

At the May 30th Wetlands Month event, EOEEA Secretary Bowles announced the formation of an Aquatic Habitat Restoration Task Force. Massachusetts has been actively involved in aquatic habitat restoration for over a decade, and it's an appropriate time to examine where we've been and to chart a course for the next 10 years to continue Massachusetts' leadership in this area. The Task Force will assess the state of aquatic habitat restoration in the Commonwealth and develop recommendations for moving aquatic habitat restoration efforts forward. More information will be provided in the next Wetlands Restoration Update.

FY 2007 Summary of Priority Project Nominations and Technical Services

On May 15th, WRP closed its FY 2007 RFR for Priority Project Nominations. Through this RFR, WRP reviewed a total of 11 nominations and accepted 9 new Priority Projects. Sites that are accepted as Priority Projects are eligible to receive grants and technical services funded by WRP, such as wetland delineation, field survey, mapping and site planning, hydraulic analyses, impact assessments, permitting, and monitoring. Including these newly-designated projects, WRP is now supporting a total of 42 active Priority Projects in various stages of development that have the potential to restore over 3,000 acres of degraded wetlands. See the Priority Projects Page for a list of the new sites and more information.

WRP 2007 Technical Services Summary

During fiscal year 2007, the Wetlands Restoration Program funded approximately $388,000 for technical services at 17 different locations to identify, evaluate, design, and implement wetland restoration projects. These services provided crucial support to help project sponsors and partners develop restoration opportunities and prepare projects for construction. Based on known and projected partner contributions, WRP-funded technical services in FY 2007 are expected to help leverage over $1.5 million in additional non-state funding for these restoration projects from federal, non-profit, corporate, and private sources. A summary of FY 2007 technical services projects is available here.

On May 22nd, partners including WRP, NOAA Restoration Center, Corporate Wetlands Restoration Partnership, Gloucester High School, and Eight Towns & the Bay celebrated the completion of restoration work at the Dun Fudgin' Salt Marsh Restoration Project in Gloucester. Sponsored by the City of Gloucester, this project restored approximately one acre of former salt marsh by removing fill material from a site adjacent to the Blynman Canal and the Gloucester High School. Several speakers, including EOEEA Undersecretary for the Environment Phil Griffiths and Gloucester Mayor John Bell highlighted the importance of restoring coastal habitats and the benefits these projects produce for communities. Event attendees put the final touches on the project by planting native salt marsh grasses within the restoration site.

On June 21st, representatives from EOEEA, the Department of Conservation & Recreation (DCR), and other partners gathered in Orleans to celebrate the re-opening of the Cape Cod Rail Trail and completion of two related salt marsh restoration projects. Re-construction of the Rail Trail offered a unique opportunity for WRP to collaborate with DCR and other partners to restore 16 acres of degraded salt marsh by replacing two under-sized culverts beneath the former railroad bed. The first project, Boat Meadow Creek in Eastham and Orleans, was completed in 2002 and restored 6 acres of salt marsh. The second project, Namskaket Creek in Brewster, completed in late 2006, restored 10 acres of salt marsh and marked a major milestone as the 50th project completed with support from the Wetlands Restoration Program.

Restoration Completed at Shore Road Salt Marsh in Yarmouth

In June, CZM's Wetlands Restoration Program (WRP) helped the Town of Yarmouth complete the Shore Road Salt Marsh Restoration Project—restoring tidal flow to a degraded 4-acre marsh upstream of Lewis Bay on the Nantucket Sound side of Yarmouth. The original 15-inch culvert had collapsed and was blocked, severely restricting tidal flow to the marsh. The restriction caused ponding of freshwater on the marsh surface that killed large patches of native salt marsh vegetation and allowed for the encroachment of the invasive reed Phragmites. During construction, the old culvert was removed and replaced with an 18-inch pipe to greatly increase tidal exchange. The town of Yarmouth sponsored the project, with the majority of funding provided by WRP for design, permitting, and construction. WRP will monitor the site for changes in marsh vegetation and other indicators of restoration progress.

In June, with financial assistance from WRP, the town of Dennis completed the purchase of a 6-acre wooded conservation property. The property, located in East Dennis, was purchased with $100,000 from a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grant awarded to WRP in January. Prior to the purchase, this land had been primed for housing, with existing permits to build seven homes. This acquisition is part WRP's Sesuit Creek coastal wetland restoration project, which will restore more than 60 acres of degraded coastal wetlands, as well as a fish run that is important for several diadromous fish species. Construction is expected to begin this fall.

In early June, staff from CZM and WRP participated in a meeting of the Marshfield Board of Public Works regarding potential restoration of the Green Harbor River which is a large tidally-restricted estuary. The purpose of the meeting was to present preliminary results of water quality and hydraulic modeling of the estuary and to solicit the Board's support for the restoration initiative (the DPW is responsible for the operation and maintenance of the existing tide gate structure). The Board voted unanimously to endorse modification of the existing tide gate structure and coordinate with the Conservation Commission, CZM-WRP, and other project partners on this restoration effort.

Herring River Draft Restoration Plan Prepared

Wellfleet's Herring River Technical Committee has prepared a draft Restoration Plan documenting the dramatic benefits and many complexities of the Herring River Restoration project, the region's largest coastal restoration effort. The final Restoration Plan will form the basis of a second Memorandum of Understanding between the towns of Wellfleet and Truro and the Cape Cod National Seashore. If approved, the MOU will provide an administrative framework to implement the project. In addition, WRP, the Town of Wellfleet, the Gulf of Maine Council, and other agencies are collaborating to develop detailed topographic data and a hydrodynamic model of the Herring River floodplain that will provide critical baseline information for project planning and design.

In March, WRP published the Draft Great Marsh Coastal Wetlands Restoration Plan. The Draft Plan is an online web site intended to help communities in the North Shore Great Marsh region identify and advance restoration efforts for degraded and former coastal wetlands. The web site presents maps, photos, and descriptions of 121 potential and completed salt marsh restoration sites. WRP sought public input on the Plan via an online comment form and through several informational meetings held in Great Marsh communities in April. Input received during the comment period will be addressed as the Final Plan is prepared for publication later this summer. The Final Plan will be updated over time as progress is made to restore degraded coastal wetlands in the Great Marsh.

WRP will continue to work with the Great Marsh communities and other partners to advance priority sites toward restoration. Great Marsh communities and local advocates are encouraged to use the Plan as a resource to generate local priorities and support for restoration and to collaborate with WRP on promising restoration projects.

It has been over 10 years since biocontrol beetles (Galerucella spp.) were first released to control the invasive purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) in Massachusetts wetlands. WRP and wetlands experts have seen positive results, including significant reductions in purple loosestrife at many release sites and natural beetle migration to other nearby wetlands infested with purple loosestrife. With the help of wetland scientists and other volunteers, WRP is now documenting observations of biocontrol beetles and their effects on purple loosestrife in untreated wetlands across the State.

WRP and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently produced a laminated, pocket-size field identification card for purple loosestrife biocontrol beetles. The goal of the card is to provide guidance to monitors who will report observations of beetle adults, eggs, and larvae observed on purple loosestrife. Anyone who spends time in wetlands is encouraged to familiarize themselves with the beetles and report observations to WRP. For more information or to request an identification card, see the WRP biocontrol project website .

Project partners continue to monitor restoration results and expand biocontrol efforts to new sites. Beetle releases are planned at seven additional sites during the summer of 2007. Through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, a part-time field assistant will be hired to conduct beetle releases, field monitoring, data management, and outreach activities for the 2007 field season.

WRP appreciates the outreach and education assistance of the Association of Massachusetts Wetlands Scientists (AMWS) which published an article in their March newsletter summarizing the biocontrol project. A copy of the article was reproduced with permission from AMWS.

The New Bedford Harbor Trustee Council recently announced Phase III awards of grants and contracts totaling more than $5.7 million for natural resource restoration projects in the New Bedford Harbor Environment. WRP continues to partner with the Council and others on multiple wetland restoration projects in the New Bedford Harbor region. For more information on the recent awards, see the Phase III summary.

The Gulf of Maine Council–NOAA Habitat Restoration Partnership is currently soliciting Letters of Intent (LOIs) for coastal habitat restoration projects within the Gulf of Maine watershed. This solicitation requests LOIs for funding that will be made available through a Request for Proposals to be released in August 2007. LOI's will be accepted anytime between June 15, 2007 and August 15, 2007. Entities eligible to apply for the funds include NGOs, municipalities, schools, and tribal and state governments. See the announcement for more information.

On behalf of the Estuary Habitat Restoration Council, the Army Corps of Engineers is soliciting proposals for estuary habitat restoration projects. Recommended projects must provide ecosystem benefits, have scientific merit, be technically feasible, and be cost-effective. Proposals selected for Estuary Habitat Restoration Program funding will be implemented in accordance with a cost-share agreement with the Corps. Proposals must be received on or before August 20, 2007. For more information see this RFP.

The Final Report and Recommendations of the Massachusetts Coastal Hazards Commission (CHC) is now available. The CHC was launched in February 2006 to consider coastal hazards including erosion, flooding, and sea-level rise that threaten coastal development and communities, with a goal to review existing coastal hazards practices and policies, identify data and information gaps, and prepare a report with recommendations to the Legislature. With more than 1,500 miles of diverse coastline in the Commonwealth, the CHC faced many diverse and important issues related to coastal hazards. This final report includes 29 recommendations and potential implementation plans. To view the full report and additional information about the CHC process, see the CHC website.

Recommendation #21 is of particular interest to the restoration community because it addresses transportation crossings and tide gates associated with coastal aquatic habitats to achieve both flood-control and restoration benefits. The Commission's recommendation (below) mirrors a top priority of aquatic habitat restoration partners – improving coordination and advanced planning for transportation infrastructure repair / replacement projects to incorporate restoration elements into project designs. This topic will also be a focus of the newly-formed Aquatic Habitat Restoration Task Force.

Excerpt from the Final Report and Recommendations of the CHC--

Transportation Infrastructure and Flooding

Transportation crossings of wetlands and waterways have contributed to flooding and resource impairment by altering hydrology and degrading wetland storm damage/flood protection and habitat functions. In coastal areas, existing bridges and culverts are often too small to pass normal floodwater or tidal flows, and without the critical influence of normal tides, upstream estuarine wetlands become degraded. Inland crossings may impound water, thereby exacerbating flooding and posing significant obstacles to fish and wildlife movement. Associated tide gates, which directly manage flood waters, are often not maintained or do not function as designed.

As existing crossings deteriorate and are scheduled for replacement by local municipalities and state agencies, numerous opportunities arise to correct past errors by modifying structural designs to reduce flooding and improve environmental conditions. To ensure that new transportation infrastructure does not impair the storm damage and flood protection of coastal resource areas, early stages of transportation project planning should evaluate the proximity of proposed projects to areas subject to storm damage, flooding, and tidal influence. Failure to identify these features early on can result in projects that have adverse impacts on natural buffers to hydraulic storage and flow and that compromise the storm protection provided to landward property, infrastructure, and natural resources. The resulting impacts of such projects can include loss of life and property, increased public expenditures for storm recovery activities, taxpayer subsidies for flood insurance and disaster relief, and risks for emergency personnel. To address issues associated with tide gate management, the Commonwealth should assign and provide funding for an agency to inventory, monitor, and oversee maintenance of tide gates to protect public safety and reduce flooding risks, similar in function to DCR Office of Dam Safety.