Ocean Resources and Waterways Trust Fund Deposits and Expenditures

Find an overview of this trust and a summary of its deposits and expenditures.

Under the Oceans Act of 2008, projects subject to the Massachusetts Ocean Management Plan and its implementing regulations (301 CMR 28.00) are subject to an Ocean Development Mitigation Fee (PDF, 124 KB), as established by the Secretary of the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA). The Oceans Act also created an Ocean Resources and Waterways Trust Fund, which was established to receive payments associated with the fee as well as other appropriations, grants, or investment income. The implementation guidelines (PDF, 152 KB) for expenditures from the trust are set by the EEA Secretary.

Summary of Trust Deposits

Each deposit to date is noted and briefly described below.

Amount	Source
$1,000,000	Supplemental mitigation related to benthic impacts associated with construction of the Hubline natural gas pipeline project in Massachusetts Bay.
$42,650	Permit violation associated with unpermitted fill for the Hubline natural gas pipeline project (rock cover used to bury the pipeline).
$20,000	Ocean development mitigation fee for the Comcast/NSTAR communications/electric cable project between Falmouth and Tisbury.
$240,000	Ocean development mitigation fee for the Vineyard Wind offshore export cable through Nantucket Sound.
$25,000	Ocean development mitigation fee for the Amitie communications cable through the North Shore and South Essex ocean sanctuaries to Lynn.

Summary of Trust Expenditures

The EEA Secretary serves as trustee of the trust. To direct the administration and management of the trust, EEA has developed Ocean Resources and Waterways Trust Implementation Guidelines (PDF, 152 KB). Each trust expenditure to date is noted and briefly described below.

Year	Amount	Project
2022
	$33,450	Statewide benthic infauna sampling and analysis by the MassBays National Estuary Partnership to support the MassDEP Coastal Condition Assessment (2022 samples).
	$30,270	Statewide benthic infauna sampling and analysis by the MassBays National Estuary Partnership to support the MassDEP Coastal Condition Assessment (2021 samples).
	$972	Renewal of the TerrSet integrated geospatial software license for mapping and analyzing resources and uses in Massachusetts waters and the Gulf of Maine.
	$743	Acquisition and data processing of North Atlantic right, humpback, fin, sei, and minke whale densities in and around Massachusetts waters and the Gulf of Maine from 2015-2020 to convert observations to sightings per unit effort for each species in a five minute by five minute grid.
	$1,626	Providing public notice of the availability of the draft and final 2021 ocean plan for review and comment and printing of ocean plan for limited public distribution.
2019-2020
	$3,451	Acquisition and data processing of North Atlantic right whale, humpback whale, and fin whale densities in and around Massachusetts waters from 1998-2018 to convert observations to sightings per unit effort for each species in a five minute by five minute grid and technical guidance to develop maps from these data.
2019
	$1,318	Purchase of TerrSet integrated geospatial software for mapping managed resources and uses in the ocean plan.
2017-2018
	$217,000	Geotechnical and geophysical characterization of five offshore sand study areas identified in 2015 ocean plan.
2014
	$4,403	Acquisition and data processing of North Atlantic right whale, humpback whale, and fin whale densities in and around Massachusetts waters from 1998-2014 to convert observations to sightings per unit effort for each species in a five minute by five minute grid and technical guidance to develop maps from these data.
2012-2013
	$117,568	Sediment and infauna analysis to ground-truth seafloor maps and identify regions with statistically similar sediment types and infaunal communities. Project area included state waters of Massachusetts Bay from Boston harbor area north to New Hampshire border.
	$41,228	Acquisition of seafloor imagery and analysis of benthos in the Massachusetts Wind Energy Area south of the Martha’s Vineyard.
2011
	$143,733	Sediment and infauna analysis to ground-truth seafloor maps and identify regions with statistically similar sediment types and infaunal communities. Project area included southern Cape Cod Bay, Buzzards Bay, and south of Islands.
2010
	$15,469	High-definition video camera to ground truth seafloor and sediment maps and support habitat classification and fisheries management.
	$120,300	Sediment and infauna analysis to ground-truth seafloor maps and identify regions with statistically similar sediment types and infaunal communities. Project area included ocean area off of South Shore and northern Cape Cod Bay.