Author: Joe Costa

Buzzards Bay NEP milestones

Last month, Tracy Warncke retired from state service after serving as the Buzzards Bay National Estuary Program’s administrative assistant for thirty years. Prior to joining the NEP, Tracy’s interest in Buzzards Bay water quality began in 1986 when the Town of Bourne began closing shellfish beds due to bacterial contamination. Her husband was a commercial shellfisherman and these closures threatened her family’s welfare. She offered to volunteer for the Board of Health, but they instead hired her to run their water quality monitoring program. During her time with the Board of Health, she served on the Cape Cod Marine Water Quality Task Force and collaborated with Barnstable County Department of Health and the Environment and USGS on several projects including the use of well-point samplers to track bacteria pathways and nutrients from septic systems around Buttermilk Bay. In 1987, she helped with the creation of the non-profit Buzzards Bay Coalition, and was a participant in the first State of the Bay conference.

In 1989, she joined the NEP in an administrative role, however in subsequent years she assisted in a wide range of projects including report and outreach document preparation, purchasing, contract management, organizing workshops, water quality sampling, and website management. Tracy was always a valuable asset when managing calls and questions to the NEP offices from concerned residents on any issue, answering their questions or directing callers to the appropriate state agency or town department.

In May, Ann Rodney similarly retired from the U.S. EPA after 30 years of services, including acting as the NEP’s project officer during the last eight years. Prior to that work, Ann had worked in guiding the first boat no-discharge zone in Buzzards Bay during the 1990s, and also worked in the EPA grants office and Regional Administrators office, often on Buzzards Bay issues.

At the May Buzzards Bay Action Committee meeting, both Tracy and Ann received a certificate of appreciation in their longtime service to the protection and restoration of Buzzards Bay. Thank you Tracy and Ann for your dedicated work over the last 30 years. You will be missed. Good luck and enjoy your retirement.

Buzzards Bay NEP Awards Grants to Protect Habitat and Water Quality

On June 7, The Buzzards Bay NEP announced, through EEA and MCZM, $95,419 in federal grant awards for land protection and water quality projects in the Buzzards Bay watershed. The funding will help the Towns of Rochester and Gosnold protect critical habitat and allow the Town of Mattapoisett and its partner, the Buzzards Bay Coalition, to continue important water quality monitoring in Buzzards Bay. The three grants are being matched by $79,540 in private contributions and in-kind services that will support the protection of important habitat in the region.

The Town of Rochester, and its partner the Rochester Land Trust, will receive $45,000 to purchase and permanently protect 20.9 acres of undeveloped land in the Mattapoisett River aquifer, which provides drinking water to four communities in the Buzzards Bay watershed. The property, which is mostly wooded with a perennial stream, contains designated habitat for rare species. Once acquired, the land will be owned and managed by the Rochester Land Trust, which will provide access to the public for passive recreational activities.

The Town of Mattapoisett, and its partner the Buzzards Bay Coalition, will receive $30,000 to continue the Baywatchers monitoring program, which measures nutrient pollution in Buzzards Bay. For 27 years, this long-term monitoring program has collected basic water quality, nutrient, and algal pigment information at over 200 locations around Buzzards Bay during the summer months. The program also educates the public on their local water quality. The data collected is used by both state and local natural resource managers to make informed water quality related decisions.

The Town of Gosnold, and its partner the Buzzards Bay Coalition, will receive $20,419 toward the permanent protection of over 300 acres of undeveloped land on the island of Cuttyhunk. The funding will help match other state grants to acquire and protect 79 acres of privately owned, undeveloped land and secure a permanent conservation restriction on approximately 230 additional donated acres. The project area contains designated habitat for rare species. This project will also protect more than five miles of coastal shoreline and the island’s only drinking water supply.

See this EEA press release for more information.

Buzzards Bay 2019 Municipal Grant RFP posted

Buzzards Bay Municipal Mini-Grant Program– The Buzzards Bay National Estuary Program is seeking proposals for another round of the Buzzards Bay Watershed Municipal Mini-Grant Program. $95,418 in funding is available for this grant round. Projects (up to $50,000 per project) must implement a recommendation(s) in the Buzzards Bay Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan to protect and restore water quality and living resources in Buzzards Bay and its surrounding watershed. Eligible projects include stormwater remediation designs for discharges affecting marine waters, wetland/open space/habitat acquisition, migratory fish passage restoration, construction of boat pumpout facilities, and many other activities that support the management plan. A 33 percent match of requested funding is required, and only municipalities are eligible to apply. For more information, to view the RFR, and download required forms, see our funding information page. Proposals are due by Monday, May 6 at 4:00 p.m.