State (Mass.) Receives $2 Million in Federal Grants to Protect Wetlands on Cape Cod
Contact: Terri Edwards 413/253-8324 The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today awarded two National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grants totaling $2 million to the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation for the long term protection of 705 acres and the restoration of an additional 40 acres of wetlands on the north shore of Cape Cod. The federal grants will supplement more than $700,000 contributed by the state and $7 million donated by other public and private entities. The state will protect through the purchase of perpetual conservation easements 386 acres at Quivet Marsh and Crowes Pasture on Cape Cod Bay on the border of the towns of Dennis and Brewster. This area, designated as part of the Federal Coastal Barrier Resources System, is the largest remaining tract of unprotected, undeveloped land on the Cape Cod coast. Local entities instrumentally involved in ongoing efforts to protect this area and in funding the project, include the towns of Brewster and Dennis, The Compact of Cape Cod Conservation Trusts, Brewster Conservation Trust, Dennis Conservation Trust, Save the Crowe, Association for the Preservation of Cape Cod, Orenda Wildlife Trust and two private landowners. ($1 million federal grant, $500,000 from state, $6.26 million from partners) A federal grant has also been awarded for coastal conservation projects within the Sandy Neck/Barnstable Marshes, which include coastal dunes, a barrier beach, and a salt marsh salt marsh
Salt marshes are found in tidal areas near the coast, where freshwater mixes with saltwater.
Learn more about salt marsh system that has been designated by the state as an area of critical environmental concern. The funds will support the restoration of 40 acres of tidal salt marsh by replacing an undersized culvert under Route A to improve the flow of tidal waters. The funding will also allow the state to purchase conservation restrictions on two properties totaling 75 acres that will ultimately be purchased by the towns of Sandwich and Barnstable. In conjunction with the project, the Barnstable Land Trust and the town of Sandwich will grant conservation restrictions to the state on an additional 244 acres. Partners in these wetlands protection efforts include the towns of Barnstable and Sandwich, The Nature Conservancy, Barnstable Land Trust, Massachusetts Corporate Wetlands Restoration Partnership, the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, and the Natural Resources Conservation Service. ($1 million federal grant, $209,000 from state, $809,000 from partners) -more-coastal wetlands grant/2
Salt marshes are found in tidal areas near the coast, where freshwater mixes with saltwater.
Learn more about salt marsh system that has been designated by the state as an area of critical environmental concern. The funds will support the restoration of 40 acres of tidal salt marsh by replacing an undersized culvert under Route A to improve the flow of tidal waters. The funding will also allow the state to purchase conservation restrictions on two properties totaling 75 acres that will ultimately be purchased by the towns of Sandwich and Barnstable. In conjunction with the project, the Barnstable Land Trust and the town of Sandwich will grant conservation restrictions to the state on an additional 244 acres. Partners in these wetlands protection efforts include the towns of Barnstable and Sandwich, The Nature Conservancy, Barnstable Land Trust, Massachusetts Corporate Wetlands Restoration Partnership, the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, and the Natural Resources Conservation Service. ($1 million federal grant, $209,000 from state, $809,000 from partners) -more-coastal wetlands grant/2
