Current Update

-- Stony Brook Salt Marsh Restoration Project Receives Funding
-- In the news -- Student Research at Broad Cove

-- Eight Towns and the Bay Receives GOMC Action Plan Grant

-- Eelgrass Restoration Pilot in the Annisquam River

WRP, The Corporate Wetlands Restoration Partnership (CWRP), and numerous other partners teamed with Thompson Island Outward Bound to restore tidal flushing to 6 acres of degraded inter-tidal wetlands. In July, debris and rubble that obstructed the tidal channel to Boston Harbor were removed and the channel was dredged to the natural bottom elevation. The restoration improves marsh drainage and allows seawater to flood the system during most high tides. The degraded conditions caused by the channel obstruction included an expanding common reed (Phrgamites australis) infestation, poor water quality, and seasonal algal blooms. The restored hydrologic connection to Boston Harbor will facilitate increased growth of native salt marsh vegetation, enhance fish passage into the marsh and its important nursery and feeding habitat, reduce the coverage of common reed, and improve water quality.

As part of a dedication event that took place on August 2nd, numerous volunteers pulled and disposed of the invasive perennial pepperweed (see more on this nuisance plant below). See the project website for more information on the Thompson Island salt marsh restoration.

Last week, construction began at Little Namskaket Creek in Orleans. The 7-acre salt marsh above Skaket Beach Road currently has an 18 inch culvert passing minimal tide flow, and is being replaced with a 5 foot by 4 foot box culvert with a combination tide gate/sluice gate for extreme tide events. The project is being funded by The Gulf of Maine Council, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, The Town of Orleans, and CZM Wetlands Restoration Program. Construction is expected to be completed in mid-December, when the culvert will be fully operational. Construction activities were highlighted in an article in The Cape Codder this week.

In July, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced that the Town of Dennis was awarded a $200,000 Open Rivers Initiative Grant for the Sesuit Creek coastal wetland restoration project. WRP is working with the Town of Dennis and many other partners to advance this 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. With this grant award, funding is complete for spring 2008 construction.

The FishAmerica Foundation recently awarded the Town of Yarmouth a $30,000 Community-Based Habitat Restoration Project Grant for wetlands and fish passage restoration at Bass Creek. The grant will fund construction involving the removal of a perched, undersized culvert to be replaced with an open channel and wooden walking bridge across the channel. WRP has partnered with the Town, federal restoration agencies, and the Corporate Wetlands Restoration Partnership on this project that will restore 35 acres of degraded coastal wetlands. This grant award completes the fundraising needed to construct the project in the spring of 2008.

Stony Brook Salt Marsh Restoration Project Receives Funding
The Town of Brewster has received a $48,600 grant from the Gulf of Maine Council for the Environment and NOAA Habitat Restoration Partnership to hire a consultant to conduct a feasibility study for restoration of 12-20 acres of salt marsh along Stony Brook, just south of Route 6A . The site is one of the premier herring runs on Cape Cod and attracts thousands of visitors annually. The Town, CZM's Wetlands Restoration Program, NOAA, the Association to Preserve Cape Cod, and other partners have determined the marsh's degraded and tidally restricted condition to be an ideal candidate for restoration.

Active Fall/Winter Anticipated Restoration Projects
Several exciting salt marsh restoration projects are anticipated to go to construction this fall and winter. Look for more information on these projects in our next update.

On October 19th, five Derby Academy students presented their salt marsh study findings to state and local officials, following a summer of monitoring work to determine the health of Broad Cove, the salt marsh that borders their Derby Academy campus. Their study contributes to an ongoing effort to determine the potential for restoration of the degraded wetland. Philip Griffiths, Undersecretary for Environment in the state Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, was on hand to thank them for their research. CZM-WRP and local partners will continue to assess the data available and make recommendations on future options to restore salt marsh habitat and function. More information can be found in this article from The Patriot Ledger.

Eight Towns and the Bay received a Gulf of Maine Council Action Plan Grant to facilitate implementation of the Great Marsh Restoration Plan. The $10,000 award will support staff time to work with WRP to increase awareness of potential restoration opportunities in the communities of the Great Marsh and build local support for potential projects.

Eelgrass Restoration Pilot in the Annisquam River
CZM, in partnership with the City of Gloucester, the U.S. EPA and the MA Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF), continued to examine the potential for eelgrass habitat restoration in the Annisquam River. Eelgrass planted in 5 test plots (Lobster Cove, Goose Cove, outside of Goose Cove, Mill River, and the mouth of the Little River) this summer will be periodically monitored to determine the success of these test plots and subsequently guide restoration planning. For details, contact Tony Wilbur.

Purple Loosestrife Biocontrol Project Continues Expansion--27 Sites Now Treated

This summer beetles were released at 17 sites with WRP assistance. Twenty-seven sites have been treated through WRP project facilitation since 2000. WRP and partners continue to observe beetle damage and activity on numerous purple loosestrife plants at release sites, as well as sites away from known beetle releases.

The Boston Globe featured an article on purple loosestrife biocontrol in July, highlighting a release at a Mass Audubon Sanctuary on the Wenham/Beverly town line.

In order to have a better understanding of beetle distribution, WRP initiated a Galerucella beetle and damage observation reporting system this year. Migration of beetles to other purple loosestrife areas is anticipated and is ultimately the desired outcome, as a balance is struck between populations of beetles and purple loosestrife at infestation sites. Numerous volunteers sent in their observations via a Google Map page that allowed them to plot observations on a map. This information will be helpful for maximizing treatment effectiveness and efficiencies in the future. For more information on the project see the website.

Since 2005, the USFWS has supported purple loosestrife biocontrol efforts in Massachusetts. This collaboration continues, as the Coastal Americas Foundation has entered into a Cooperative Agreement with USFWS to work with WRP to further expand the biocontrol effort. We are pleased to continue this valuable and effective partnership.

Lessening Loosestrife - Mass Audubon Receives EPA 5-star Grant for Expansion of School Participation in Purple Loosestrife Biocontrol Project

The Massachusetts Audubon Society will work with the Essex Agricultural and Technical High School, Glen Urquhart School, DeRosa Environmental Consulting Inc., Parker River National Wildlife Refuge, and WRP to restore wetland habitats through the control of invasive purple loosestrife in 66 acres of the Great Marsh. This project will implement a regional pilot program to propagate beetles at local schools. This activity will include training and education for teachers and students on beetle propagation and their role in controlling invasive plants.

Mapping and Controlling Perennial Pepperweed in the Great Marsh
The Great Marsh Perennial Pepperweed Eradication Project is collaboration between Parker River National Wildlife Refuge (PRNWR), Mass Audubon, and numerous other local partners. The project was initiated in 2006 to control and eradicate perennial pepperweed on and near the Refuge. Perennial pepperweed

(Lepidium latifolium) is a relatively new invasive plant in the Northeast U.S., and is currently found only in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New Hampshire. Perennial pepperweed is a serious problem in western rangelands. Once it becomes established it quickly takes over large tracts of land. By mobilizing local residents and groups to help map distribution and form control brigades, the goal of this project is to eradicate this invasive plant from our region. Over the past 2 years, 150 volunteers have helped pull pepperweed at 65 sites covering 8.5 acres in the Great Marsh. Contact Sarah Janson at the PRNWR for more information. Please familiarize yourself with this invasive and report any observations to Sarah.

For the last several years, Eight Towns & the Bay and partners have conducted a survey of the upper Great Marsh (in the vicinity of Plum Bush Creek and Little Pine Island Creek) for common reed (Phragmites australis). Although large dense stands of Phragmites have been present around the margins of the marsh for some time, their surveys have revealed the presence of isolated small to moderate sized stands of Phragmites distributed generally throughout this portion of the marsh. Ducks Unlimited, in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and others, has received a grant from the North America Wetlands Conservation Act to implement a pilot Phragmites control program. The purpose of this program is to attempt to control the invasion and spread of Phragmites at an early stage so as to avoid more extensive control efforts that would likely be required in the future. Pilot treatments were conducted late this summer, and partners will continue to monitor responses to various treatments. For more information, contact Peter Phippen with Eight Towns and the Bay, Graham Taylor at USFWS/PRNWR, or Craig Ferris with Ducks Unlimited.

On August 2, EOEEA Secretary Ian Bowles launched the Aquatic Habitat Restoration Task Force, charging the group with evaluating restoration efforts during the last decade, evaluating the status of aquatic habitat restoration today, and recommending a blueprint for the next four years. This was the first of six meetings that will culminate with the submission of a report and recommendations to EOEEA. The Task Force is chaired by CZM's Assistant Director, Bruce Carlisle, and includes representatives from: WRP, the Department of Fish and Game's Riverways Program and Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF), the Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP), Mass Audubon, The Nature Conservancy, American Rivers, the Ipswich River Watershed Association, the Corporate Wetlands Restoration Partnership, and Coastal America (a coalition of federal agencies that support restoration). The 10 Task Force members represent the state, federal, corporate, and non-profit interests of the aquatic habitat restoration community. Themes discussed at the meetings include: restoration policy and regulations, restoration capacity, and coordination. The Task Force has met biweekly over a three month period. Following a final meeting in November, a report will be produced providing a recommended blueprint for the future of aquatic habitat restoration in Massachusetts.

Request for Proposals for National Estuary Program Community-Based Restoration Partnership
The National Estuary Program Community-based Restoration Partnership invites proposals for its citizen-driven habitat restoration projects. The partnership is seeking to fund on-the-ground activities within watersheds of the National Estuary Programs that restore marine, estuarine, and riparian habitats benefiting living marine resources and foster local stewardship of the coastal environment. The deadline for proposals is November 16, 2007. See the announcement for more information.

American Rivers seeks proposals for river restoration project grants as part of its partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Community-based Restoration Program. Program funding is provided through NOAA's Open Rivers Initiative, which seeks to enable environmental and economic renewal in local communities through the removal of stream barriers. Applications are currently being accepted for the first cycle of fiscal year 2008 with a deadline of December 3, 2007. Potential applicants should contact American Rivers to discuss potential projects prior to submitting an application. Applicants can expect notification about funding decisions in early March 2008. See the Program website for more information.

MACC 2007 Fall Conference
The MACC's fall conference (in Pittsfield) will be held on Saturday, November 3rd . The theme will be "Wetlands Regulatory Exemptions and Exceptions: Proper Application and Preventing Abuse". See the MACC website for more information and registration.

Estuarine Research Federation's Conference – November 4-8
Estuarine Research Federation's 19th Biennial International Conference will be held in Providence, Rhode Island from November 4-8, 2007. The central attractions of the conference are the variety and excellence of scientific presentations, and the interchanges among scientists, managers, and students. The conference features nearly 1,300 oral and poster presentations. See the conference website for more information.

AMWS Annual Meeting to Focus on Climate Change

The Climate Change in New England: Projections & Policy conference will be hosted by the Association of Massachusetts Wetland Scientists (AMWS) and co-sponsored by MACC on Friday, November 9, 2007. Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Ian Bowles and DEP Commissioner Laurie Burt are scheduled to speak. For more information and to register, please see the conference website or email administrator@amws.org.

A workshop to foster an exchange of information among experienced and potential practitioners of tidal hydrologic restoration in the Southeast region of the U.S. will be hosted by the NOAA Restoration Center and the NOAA Coastal Services Center. The workshop will take place January 16 & 17, 2008 in Charleston, SC. For workshop, lodging and registration information, please see the website.

The River Management Society (RMS) is exploring new territory—the rivers and streams of New England. This is RMS's first national symposium in the Northeast and their also branching out from the formats and topics of past gatherings. This meeting of river experts will be more intimate and interactive, offering new ideas and ways of learning. However, many favorite elements from the past will remain, including field trips to local rivers and estuaries for onsite examples of management successes and challenges. The symposium will be May 12-15, 2008 in Portland, Maine. Abstract proposals are due November 30th. See the symposium website for more information.

2008 Restore America 's Estuaries' National Conference on Coastal and Estuarine Habitat Restoration

Restore America's Estuaries is pleased to announce the Call for Dedicated Sessions, Presentations and Posters for the 4th National Conference on Coastal and Estuarine Habitat Restoration – Creating Solutions through Collaborative Partnerships. The five-day conference will explore the state-of-the-art in all aspects and scales of restoration, and will be comprised of field sessions, plenary sessions, expert presentations, special evening events, workshops, a poster hall, and a Restoration Exposition. The Conference will be held in New England, October 11-15, 2008 at the Rhode Island Convention Center in Providence. Proposals are due January 31, 2008. For more information, visit the RAE conference website.