Posted on August 20, 2020
Seashore Superintendent Brian Carlstrom said work is under way or will begin soon on projects including the rehabilitation of Cape Cod (Highland) Light in Truro and the restrooms at Marconi Beach, the building of the new bath house at Nauset Light and the construction of an accessible walkway at Province Lands Visitor Center..
Due to severe erosion that gutted the dunes and destroyed the beach path at Coast Guard Beach last winter, a new path is in place a few hundred feet north of the old one. Also, the roofs of the Coast Guard building and restroom building will be replaced this fall.
Also completed are repairs to the Atlantic White Cedar Swamp Trail in Wellfleet.
About 300 feet of wooden boardwalk and two seating platforms were replaced. The wooden section was the last remaining segment to be swapped out along the 2,500-foot-long boardwalk, which was originally constructed by the Job Corps in the 1960s. Most of it had been resurfaced with plastic lumber in the early 2000s.
The trail meanders through a white cedar swamp that the Seashore identifies as an isolated remnant of an ecosystem created after the last ice age, and normally found in mid-Canada or farther north.
“Through public advocacy and $75,000 in financial support from Friends of Cape Cod National Seashore, the profile of this project was raised to the national level, making a compelling case for the National Park Service to match the donation through the Centennial Challenge program. Thank you to the Friends and everyone who donated to this important project,” said Carlstrom. “Our neighbors and visitors love this outstanding trail, and we want to keep it in excellent condition for everyone to enjoy.”
The project followed several conservation practices. Cedar tree trunks, recovered through the park’s fire management program, replaced rotted boardwalk support pilings. The new trail surface is a recycled material selected not only for its structural integrity, but also for its environmental compatibility and lack of PVCs. Sawdust was captured and removed to keep it out of the wetlands.
Source: Coastal News Today
