About the Massachusetts Bays Program
In the 1980's, Boston Harbor was considered one of the filthiest in the nation. The pollution problem stemmed from the antiquated sewage treatment facility located on Deer Island, which discharged approximately 138 tons of wastewater solids and sludge just one-half mile offshore into the harbor every day.
In 1982, the City of Quincy and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) filed suit against the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for violations of the Clean Water Act in Boston Harbor, and won.
The Massachusetts Bays Program (MBP) was launched in 1988 as a result of the settlement fines from this lawsuit. That same year, MBP was nominated into the U.S. National Estuary Program, and was officially accepted in 1990. The National Estuary Program (NEP) is sponsored by the EPA to identify nationally-significant estuaries threatened by pollution, development, or overuse, and create comprehensive management plans to ensure their ecological integrity. MBP is one of 28 NEPs in the U.S., and is administered by the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management.
Our Plan
In the early years of the program, MBP conducted a major scientific research program to determine specific pollution problems in the Bays. At the same time, a Management Conference was convened to provide a forum for open discussion and collaborative decision-making. The "Conference" included nearly 300 representatives from federal, state, and local government agencies, regional planning agencies, various user groups, public and private institutions, and the general public. These individuals were organized into a network of committees which collaboratively oversaw the activities and research of MBP. Based on the research results, the "Conference" developed the Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP). The CCMP was finalized in 1996, and contains 15 major Action Plans with 72 specific action items. The CCMP serves as a blueprint for coordinated action among all levels of government to restore and protect the diverse natural resources of the Bays. Because the initial focus of MBP has shifted from scientific research gathering and planning to CCMP implementation, the Management Conference and associated committees have also evolved. Today, the Management Committee and the Massachusetts Bays Estuary Association are examples of two such active Committees. Our Management Structure
The Massachusetts Bays region covers over 800 miles of coastline, from the tip of Cape Cod Bay to the New Hampshire border, and serves 50 coastal communities. With such a large area to cover (MBP is one of the largest NEPs in the country), MBP devised an innovative staffing structure to ensure that each region would receive the attention it deserved. MBP has teamed up with three nonprofit organizations and one Regional Planning Agency based in coastal Massachusetts to host MBP staff members. As a result, MBP staff is working with communities to implement CCMP projects in five coastal subregions: Upper North Shore, Salem Sound, Metro Boston, South Shore, and Cape Cod. These regional staff members lead groups called "Local Governance Committees" (LGCs), which are comprised of appointed members from each coastal community within a subregion, including municipal officials, members of non-profit organizations, state and local governments, and the public at large. LGCs are responsible for identifying priority needs within the community and devising projects that implement CCMP goals. Through this close relationship with municipalities MBP is able to successfully complete projects and improve the overall health of the Bays. What We Do
Fortunately, the Massachusetts Bays have come a long way since the 1980's! With the help of numerous groups and agencies, Boston Harbor is noticeably cleaner. A 1996 Boston Globe article touted, "the harbor clean-up has turned into one of the remarkable success stories of recent years."
However, Boston Harbor is just a tiny fraction of the entire Massachusetts Bays region. MBP and its partners have made great strides in improving the health of the Bays' estuarine environment, with an understanding of the importance and inevitability of human uses and impacts.
- MBP works through collaborative planning.
From the writing of the CCMP to developing campaign slogans, MBP works in a formal collaborative structure emphasizing the role of communities. Between Fiscal Years 2005 - 2007 alone MBP leveraged $3 million in local project implementation funding. - MBP provides hands-on support and assistance for community and citizen action.
MBP assists municipalities in seeking funds and passing bylaws, and holds technical workshops for local officials. Projects include working with communities to restore anadromous fisheries in coastal rivers and to restore tidal flow in wetland sites. MBP has also assisted conservation agents and planners in 20 towns to reduce land use impacts to threatened coastal resources. - MBP cultivates environmental education and stewardship.
MBP conducts volunteer training programs to monitor the success of wetlands restoration projects, stormwater outfalls, swimming beaches, and to search for marine invasive species at numerous sites throughout the Bays. MBP and its nonprofit partner, the Massachusets Bays Estuary Association, created a stormwater outreach campaign called Think Blue Massachusetts to encourage people to make simple behavior changes that benefit coastal water quality. - MBP develops innovative models for improving resource protection.
MBP led efforts to protect the Massachusetts Bays from invasive species by hosting a New England regional conference of scientific experts, and led surveys in 2000, 2003, and 2007 of non-native marine species in the Gulf of Maine. MBP also developed three regional inventories of Tidally Restricted Wetlands used coastwide to guide wetland restoration efforts.
URL: www.mass.gov/envir/massbays/aboutus.htm
Updated 3/28/08
