Massachusetts Bays Program

Cape Cod

On Cape Cod, the regional partner for the Massachusetts Bays Program is the Association to Preserve Cape Cod (APCC). APCC is a non-profit organization which works to implement the CCMP on Cape Cod. Founded in 1968 by Dr. Herbert Whitlock, the organization's mission is to promote policies and programs that foster the preservation of the natural resources of Cape Cod. APCC's goals are to preserve open space, protect water resources, promote responsible planned growth, and achieve an environmental ethic. Our policies and goals emphasize science-based decisionmaking.

Over four decades, APCC has grown in stature and in numbers and has evolved into Cape Cod's leading environmental advocate. APCC's successes include:

Designation of Cape Cod's coastal waters as a Massachusetts Ocean Sanctuary
Designation of Stellwagen Bank as a National Marine Sanctuary
Passage of the Cape Cod Commission Act creating a regional planning agency with both regulatory and planning powers
Passage of the Cape Cod Land Bank Act enabling towns to fund open space protection
Creation of the Cape Cod Water Protection Collaborative to address the region's wastewater infrastructure needs
Designation of Cape Cod as a Sole Source Aquifer
Cleanup of the Massachusetts Military Reservation
Passage of legislation to create the Upper Cape Water Supply Reserve on 15,000 acres of the Massachusetts Military Reservation
Coordination of a Cape-wide growth management initiative to reduce sprawl in natural resource areas by directing growth to designated town centers
Establishment of the Cape Cod Business Roundtable, brining community leaders together to address regional quality of life issues

Currently APCC has about 5,700 members Cape-wide, making it one of the largest non-profit environmental advocacy organizations on the Cape. APCC's goals as a Massachusetts Bays Program partner will focus on coastal habitat restoration and promoting stormwater management to improve coastal water quality. Our priorities for work are:

Restoration of impaired coastal habitat, fish runs, shellfish habitat and salt marshes
Improvement of coastal water quality
Stormwater management and financing mechanisms
Growth management
Wastewater management
Managing coastal erosion
Preventing the spread of marine invasive species

The role of the MBP Regional Coordinator is to provide assistance to towns to help meet MBP regional goals. Assistance can include:

Identifying possible funding for restoration or protection projects
Helping to write, coordinate or review grant proposals
Writing letters of support for proposals
Facilitation and coordination of projects
Opening up lines of communication
Providing outreach, training, and information
Other feasible assistance

Jo Ann Muramoto
Senior Scientist and MBP Regional Coordinator, Cape Cod
Association to Preserve Cape Cod
3010 Main St
Barnstable, MA 02630
p: (508) 362-4226
f: (508) 362-3136

URL: www.mass.gov/envir/massbays/capecod.htm
Updated 04/27/09