Posted on December 17, 2018
The Childs River restoration project in Mashpee and Falmouth is one of 12 river and wetland initiatives across the commonwealth to be designated Priority Projects through the Department of Fish and Game’s Division of Ecological Restoration.
The Baker-Polito Administration announced the designations on December 6.
The designation enables Priority Projects to become eligible for technical services, including data collection, engineering, design work, permitting, project management and grants.
“Ecological restoration is an important tool for local stakeholders working to protect and preserve rivers and wetlands across the Commonwealth,” Governor Charles D. Baker Jr. said in a statement.
“In addition to the assistance provided at the local level, the Priority Project Program assists the state in ensuring that environmental assets are able to adapt to the impacts of climate change.”
The Falmouth Rod and Gun Club intends to remove stream barriers along the Childs River in an effort to re-naturalize the river’s channel and floodplain through the former cranberry bogs to benefit a variety of species, including wild Eastern brook trout and American eel.
The designation from the governor is a boon to the local initiative and could lead to significant grant funding, locals say.
“It is of great value to everyone working on the program,” said Kenneth H. Bates, club member and Mashpee resident. “It’s huge.”
The project has support from Mashpee and Falmouth, as both towns have agreed to lease land to the gun club for the duration of the project.
In April, Falmouth Town Meeting provided $150,000 in Community Preservation Act funding for the river’s restoration. The Mashpee Community Preservation Committee is reviewing a request to assist the project.
On December 3, Falmouth selectmen approved a conservation restriction for the Farley Bog, the lower section of the project, and approved its transfer to the club, allowing the project to move forward.
Aside from the Falmouth club project, the governor also announced the designation of 11 other projects, including a restoration project in Mattapoisett.
In partnership with the Buzzards Bay Coalition and the Natural Resources Conservation Service, 57 acres of former cranberry plantation in Mattapoisett will be restored. The project will repair connectivity on Tripp’s Mill Brook and improve habitat for rare species by enhancing hydrology, controlling invasive plants, and introducing native plantings.
The new Priority Projects include dam removals, culvert replacements, urban river revitalization, salt marsh restoration, and streamflow restoration. Each project restores healthy habitat while also helping communities prevent storm damage, address aging infrastructure, and improve outdoor recreation.
Once completed, backers say, the projects will provide significant social, environmental and economic benefits to the commonwealth and local communities. More than 45 active ecological restoration projects throughout the state are designated as Priority Projects.
“The Priority Projects Program is the primary vehicle by which the Division of Ecological Restoration pursues aquatic habitat restoration and river revitalization projects that present the greatest benefit to the commonwealth, both ecologically and socially,” said the director of the state Division of Ecological Restoration, Beth Lambert.
Source: Cape News
