Current Update

CZM and WRP are pleased to announce the appointment of Beth Suedmeyer to the position of Restoration Planner. Beth will coordinate WRP planning projects and assist with restoration policy development and collaborative / interagency restoration initiatives. Beth joined CZM last year as the Invasive Species Specialist. In that role, she helped implement action items from the Massachusetts Aquatic Invasive Species Management Plan by developing a marine invasive species monitoring program and managing the Purple Loosestrife Biocontrol Project. As the Restoration Planner, Beth will continue to coordinate the Purple Loosestrife Biocontrol Project for WRP.

Beth brings to WRP a diverse set of skills in natural resource management, biological field work, environmental education / outreach, and GIS and data management. Beth received a masters degree in GIS for Development and Environment from Clark University in 2001. After graduating, she conducted research as a Fulbright scholar assessing a conservation initiative in Kerinci Seblat National Park in Indonesia. From 2003-2005 she worked at Tufts Center for Conservation Medicine as a GIS Specialist, managing and analyzing data for wildlife conservation projects and integrating GIS into conservation research and coursework. Beth is a returned Peace Corps volunteer and has been involved in both wetlands and prairie restoration projects in her home state of Illinois.

This summer, the Wetlands Restoration Program joined NOAA's Habitat Restoration Center, the MA Corporate Wetlands Restoration Partnership (CWRP), and a host of other local, state, and federal partners to celebrate the completion of two salt marsh restoration projects. On June 23, the Chelsea Collaborative hosted a dedication ceremony for the Locke Street Salt Marsh Restoration Project in Chelsea. Completed last October, the Locke Street Project removed over 1,500 tons of accumulated stormwater sediment from a one-acre salt marsh situated between Mill Creek and a Route 1 exit ramp. The restoration partners recognized generous contributions from CWRP donors Charter Environmental, Waste Management Inc., ERM Inc., Alpha Analytical, and the BSC Group.

On July 10, the Thornton Burgess Society held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to open a new pedestrian footbridge constructed at the former State Game Farm in East Sandwich. The new bridge replaces a failing culvert and water control structure that prevented the full passage of tides upstream. With funding and support from Ducks Unlimited, the Conservation Law Foundation, Natural Resources Conservation Service, and CWRP donors Duke Energy and the Horsley Witten Group, the old structure was demolished and removed in April. A new open channel was created to provide a larger, more efficient hydrologic connection between Scorton Creek and the eight-acre salt marsh upstream. The new wooden-deck bridge was constructed by a group of Thornton Burgess volunteers.

The U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee has approved $1.5 million to help fund acquisition of a 25-acre parcel in the Town of Wellfleet. The acquisition is a key element of efforts to restore the adjacent 1,100-acre Herring River estuary. The funding was included as part of the Fiscal Year 2007 Commerce, Justice, and Science Appropriations bill which passed through Committee in June and should be voted through the Senate later this fall. This funding would be t

he second infusion of federal support for the largest wetland restoration project in the Commonwealth's history, improving habitat for a host of salt marsh dependent species and 6.5 miles of river habitat that is currently obstructed and severely degraded. Last year, Congress secured $500,000 as down payment to support Wellfleet's efforts to acquire land adjacent to the Herring River. The total federal funding is matched by $3 million from local, state, and private nonprofit partners. See the press release for more information.

WRP, the Town of Dennis, and NOAA are working together to restore tidal hydrology to the 50-acre Sesuit Creek coastal marsh system in Dennis while protecting low-lying properties and other sensitive resources from increased tidal inundation. The project received a $200,000 grant from the NOAA Community-Based Restoration Program to fund restoration design and project permitting. An additional $150,000 was recently allocated to the town of Dennis by the Massachusetts legislature for project construction.

The Waquoit Bay Reserve and Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) were awarded a grant for $174,680 from the NOAA Community-based Restoration Program for the South Cape Beach Salt Marsh Restoration Project. The Reserve and DCR are partnering with WRP, the Town of Mashpee, and the Citizens for the Protection of Waquoit Bay on this project to address tidal flow restrictions that are degrading the salt marsh habitat. This grant will be combined with other funds to pay for the replacement of two undersized culverts with new structures that will allow more natural tidal exchange between the marsh and the bay.

The Gulf of Maine Council funded several Massachusetts wetlands restoration activities in FY 2006. The following awards were given to projects in which WRP is involved: Newman Road, Newbury -- $30,500; Little Namskaket, Orleans -- $70,000; Bass Creek, Yarmouth -- $50,000; Green Harbor River, Marshfield -- $54,792; Association to Preserve Cape Cod, multi-site marsh monitoring -- $10,000; and Salem Sound Coastwatch, Phragmites control project -- $11,956.

US Fish and Wildlife Service and Coastal America Foundation (CAF) Sign Agreements totaling $55,000

The CAF recently signed cooperative agreements with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service for $55,000 to fund restoration projects at several tidal and non-tidal wetlands in Massachusetts. Tidal restoration will occur through the replacement of restrictive culverts with larger openings to increase tidal range and water salinity. Freshwater wetland restoration will occur through the release of biocontrol beetles, Galerucella puslia and G. calmariensis, at selected sites to reduce and control stands of purple loosestrife as part of the WRP Purple Loosestrife Biocontrol Project (see below for more info).

For the third year, WRP has funded school and volunteer-based salt marsh

monitoring on the North and South Shores and on Cape Cod. Grants to the Association to Preserve Cape Cod, the Cohassett Center for Student Coastal Research, and MA Audubon-North Shore are supporting each organization to recruit, train, and manage volunteers who are collecting data on physical and biological changes at salt marsh restoration sites in each region. Volunteers measure soil salinity, count and measure plants, make observations of birds, and monitor fish usage in order to assess the effectiveness of restoration actions relative to nearby healthy marshes. All groups are using uniform procedures for collecting the data along with a proprietary software tool developed by CZM specifically for entry and management of salt marsh restoration monitoring data.

WRP initiated a Purple Loosestrife Biocontrol Project in 2000 with the goal of enhancing the health, condition, and diversity of habitats and native species within wetlands that have been degraded by infestations of the invasive, non-native purple loosestrife. As of 2006, 17 sites have been treated under the guidance of the WRP. The project expanded this year following funding allocations through a Cooperative Agreement with the USFWS and other federal monies allocated to Massachusetts for implementation of the Aquatic Invasive Species Management Plan.

Prior to 2006, WRP had coordinated releases at 10 sites. This year releases were conducted at 9 sites, with 6 of these being new project expansion sites. Volunteer organizations have been involved in beetle rearing

, beetle release, and spring and fall site monitoring. Extensive monitoring of treatment sites has occurred to document the effects of the beetles on purple loosestrife growth and the establishment of beetle populations. Several sites in Massachusetts have shown successful reductions in purple loosestrife coverage and vigor after multiple beetle releases over 3-4 years.

WRP consults with the Massachusetts Natural Heritage Program and local conservation commissions during the review process for proposed release sites. WRP and local volunteers are committed to monitoring selected release sites for three or more years. A summary report of monitoring results is provided to state agencies and the conservation commission in each town where a release has occurred. This Fall, WRP will post a new web page providing comprehensive information about the Purple Loosestrife Biocontrol Project. For more information contact Beth Suedmeyer.

Public Works Magazine Highlights Collaborative Habitat Restoration and Infrastructure Improvement Opportunities

The May 2006 issue of Public Works magazine featured a culvert replacement and salt marsh restoration project at Phinney's Bay in Barnstable as an excellent example of a public works department working in collaboration with state restoration agencies to replace infrastructure and improve environmental conditions -- all in one project. In an article entitled, Engineering and Environmental Equilibrium, Hunt Durey, WRP Manager, and John Jacobson of the Barnstable County DPW were quoted highlighting the collaborative nature of the project and the opportunities for restoration and infrastructure replacement to work hand-in-hand. To view the article, click this link.

WRP continues preparation of a draft inventory and restoration plan of all potential salt marsh restoration sites in the Great Marsh region on the North Shore of Massachusetts. The data resulting from recently completed rapid assessments of 20 sites will be combined with information on over 100 potential salt marsh restoration sites to produce a draft restoration plan that will be released in late 2006. After incorporating input from town officials and others, the final restoration plan will be completed and posted on the web. WRP will work with the Great Marsh communities and stakeholders to advance promising sites toward restoration.

Phase two of the Great Marsh Restoration Plan will focus on identifying areas in the

Great Marsh region that have potential for eelgrass restoration. Preliminary research at a pilot study area in the Annisquam River in Gloucester is nearing completion. CZM staff are conducting a comprehensive monitoring program in the Annisquam to collect preliminary data on environmental characteristics such as water clarity, exposure to wave energy, substrate type, and human impacts (e.g., mooring fields and navigation channels). Data will be incorporated into a habitat suitability model for eelgrass restoration that will help prioritize sites that may be suitable for restoration projects.

Following this process, test plots will be planted with eelgrass to gauge survival and growth at sites that the data and model indicate have the greatest potential. CZM will complete a report documenting data results in fall 2006, plan for implementation of test plots in winter 2006-2007, and complete test plots in spring-summer 2007. If test plantings are successful, CZM may pursue a larger scale restoration effort in the Annisquam, and will explore options for expanding the effort to other Great Marsh areas. Contact Tony Wilbur for further information.

WRP offers a broad range of technical services that assess restoration needs, costs, and feasibility, and help advance projects to the point where they are ready for construction. FY 2006 contracts are now complete and included feasibility studies and other technical work at 19 sites.

WRP to Announce RFR for FY 2007 Priority Projects
WRP will soon issue its annual call for priority wetland restoration project nominations. WRP conducts a Priority Projects solicitation each fiscal year to determine which new projects will be eligible to receive WRP technical assistance, either internally through staff support or externally through pre-qualified technical services firms. Sites that are accepted as Priority Projects are eligible to receive technical services funded by WRP, such as wetland delineation, field survey, mapping and site planning, hydraulic analyses, impact assessments, title and deed exams, permitting, and monitoring. The maximum anticipated value for all WRP-funded technical assistance in FY 2007 is $400,000. WRP will send out an email notice announcing the posting soon.

Last year, WRP accepted another ten project nominations as designated priority projects through the FY 2006 priority project RFR. See the Priority Projects page for more information including a location map and aerial images of each site. There are currently over 40 active Priority Projects in various stages of development that have the potential to restore over 3,000 acres of degraded wetlands.

WRP will also soon issue an RFR seeking proposals for wetland restoration grants for designated Priority Projects. Activities that are eligible to receive grants include actual construction and related activities, and post-construction monitoring. Approximately $200,000 in funding is anticipated to be available for the FY 2007 grant round. Eight grants were awarded in FY 2006 to fund proposals for construction-related activities and for monitoring of restoration sites. See the WRP Project Funding page for more information.

NRCS Prepares Watershed Plan EIS for Cape Cod Water Resources Restoration Project

The Natural Resources Conservation Service is partnering with 15 Cape towns, the

Barnstable County Commissioners, Cape Cod Conservation District, and the MA Executive Office of Environmental Affairs to propose a major water resources restoration project. Over 10 years, the project proposes to spend $27 million to restore tidal flow to 1,500 acres of coastal wetlands (26 tidal restriction projects), 4,200 acres of anadromous fish spawning habitat (24 fish passage projects), and 7,300 acres of shellfish beds (26 water quality projects). If authorized by Congress, the federal government would provide 75% ($20M) of the funding, while the remaining 25% ($7M) would be raised from non-federal sources.

This project will greatly accelerate the rate of habitat restoration across the Cape over the next decade. The 76 individual projects proposed in the EIR will restore critical habitat “services” that have been lost due to historic degradation of Cape Cod’s coastal areas. Restored habitats will enhance recreational and commercial fisheries, protect people and property from flooding, improve water quality, and raise property values. They are an integral part of a healthy coastal environment that supports the region’s economy, safety, and overall quality of life. WRP and CZM strongly support the proposed plan and anticipate significant involvement in its implementation. Click the link to visit the NRCS project web page.

WRP is an active member of the town-appointed Herring River Technical Committee (HRTC), formed by the Wellfleet Board of Selectmen to develop an ambitious plan for the Herring River Estuary Restoration Project. Potentially totaling more than 1,100 acres, this project will be the largest and most comprehensive estuarine restoration effort ever undertaken in Massachusetts. Under a unique partnership arrangement, with funding and technical support provided by NOAA, USFWS, the Cape Cod National Seashore, Conservation Law Foundation, Coastal America Foundation, and WRP, professional consulting services for development of the restoration plan are being performed by ENSR Inc. ENSR will work closely with the HRTC and other partners to redesign the main Herring River Dike at Chequessett Neck Road, assess low-lying roadways and other structures within the floodplain, and begin development of the Restoration Plan.

The New Bedford Harbor Trustee Council has allocated funds for the third round of funding for New Bedford Harbor Restoration. The source of funding for the Council's actions is a $20 million restoration fund, established as a result of settlements between the Federal government, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and the companies responsible for releasing PCBs into New Bedford Harbor. The following salt marsh restoration projects are currently in various stages of development: Sawmill Dam Site (Acushnet), Riverside Auto Wrecking Site (Acushnet), Nonquitt Marsh (Dartmouth), Round Hill Beach (Dartmouth), Marsh Island (Fairhaven), West Island Beach (Fairhaven), Winsegansett West (Fairhaven), and the Former Reliable Truss Site (New Bedford). A project map can be viewed here.

A short course entitled “Succeeding with a Dam Removal Project” will be held October 16-18 in Amherst, MA. This course is taught by a group of national experts and covers a range of issues related to removing dams including engineering techniques, sediment management, ecological restoration, channel restoration, regulatory issues, and community issues. Contact Brian Graber of the Riverways Program with any questions.

WRP staff have been accepted to present at the upcoming 3rd National Conference and Expo on Coastal and Estuarine Habitat Restoration December 9-13, 2006 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The conference theme is "Forging the National Imperative for Restoration" and will bring timely national attention to the challenges and opportunities to comprehensive coastal ecosystem restoration. For more information see the National Conference Homepage .

This conference, titled "The Spirit of Cooperation: Integrating Partnerships Between Science and Management for Sustainable Ecosystem Restoration", will be held April 22-27, 2007 in Kansas City, Missouri. The purpose of the conference "is to provide a forum for physical, biological, and social scientists, engineers, resource managers, planners and policy-makers to share their knowledge and research results concerning ecosystem restoration throughout the United States. The public forum will exchange information and "lessons learned" on opportunities for and challenges of achieving ecosystem restoration through partnership... The roles of policy, planning, and science in establishing goals and performance expectations for achieving successful and sustainable ecosystem restoration will be explored. Successful partnerships and means to leverage resources will be an important component of these meetings. To learn more, visit the conference web site.