Bourne Receives Federal Funds For Wetlands Restoration

News of the funding award came on Monday, April 22, when the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) announced the award of $5 million in federal grant funding for two coastal habitat restoration projects through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Coastal Zone Management Habitat Protection and Restoration Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) competition.

Bourne will receive $338,000 of the funds for the Puritan Bog Coastal Wetland Restoration Project. The EEA press release said the money will be used “to complete modeling, design, and permitting to restore 15 acres of coastal wetland at a retired cranberry bog and reestablish tidal exchange to the site.”

“Alterations of the wetland to support cranberry farming cut off natural tidal flow and promoted the growth of invasive reeds,” the EEA said. “Restoration of tidal exchange and wetland functioning will reestablish native salt marsh vegetation, support a rich diversity of plant and animal species, and provide refuge for juvenile fish and other aquatic species.”

The condition of the bog, located near the opening of Little Bay Lane off Puritan Road, has been questioned for some time, because it has deteriorated over the years. According to Bourne Conservation Commission minutes from a December 2016 meeting, the new owner of the property at 162 Puritan Road wished to “eventually restore the operation of the bog” if possible.

The EEA announcement said the Bourne restoration project also has the potential to support movement of the marsh to higher elevations inland of the wetland as sea levels rise. Removal of flow control structures in the retired bog will also reduce flooding hazards and help prevent road failure due to flooding, the agency said.

“The Town of Bourne is excited to explore potential alterations to the Puritan Bog area with a very capable project team,” Bourne town engineer Timothy P. Lydon said. “This project could meet town goals of improving wildlife, repairing the natural ecosystem and increasing climate resiliency, and we are looking forward to analyzing the challenges ahead.”

The Town of Yarmouth, according to the release, will receive the lion’s share of the funding, $4.7 million, to restore 57 acres of coastal wetlands at retired cranberry bogs, remove structures that restrict flow and replace a concrete fishway with a natural channel.

Both the Bourne and Yarmouth projects will provide significant benefits to the surrounding communities, including climate resilience in the form of reduced flood risk and enhanced public access to coastal natural resources, the EEA said. Massachusetts Governor Maura T. Healey credited her administration with working hard “to identify and secure federal dollars to address climate change impacts and improve environmental resources for our communities.”

“These projects will transform degraded former cranberry bogs into thriving wetlands that will provide habitat to important species, flood control in time of storms, and access for all to beautiful natural areas,” Gov. Healey said.

EEA Secretary Rebecca Tepper noted that the Bourne and Yarmouth projects “underscore the effort and teamwork that goes into restoring wetlands habitat.” Ms. Tepper thanked NOAA and the other federal agencies involved “for investing in the nation-leading resilience work in Massachusetts.”

The EEA noted that the Puritan Bog Coastal Wetland Restoration Project has been a restoration priority in the region for nearly two decades. In addition to the Town of Bourne, the project has been identified by various federal, state and local groups, including the US Department of Agriculture National Resources Conservation Service, the Buzzards Bay National Estuary Program, the Association to Preserve Cape Cod, the Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game’s Division of Ecological Restoration and the Buzzards Bay Coalition.

Brendan Annett, the Buzzards Bay Coalition’s vice president of watershed protection, cited the importance of improving “the quality and quantity of coastal wetlands throughout the Buzzards Bay watershed” as a top priority for the coalition.

“Coastal wetlands are critically important to the health and vitality of Buzzards Bay,” Mr. Annett said, “for improving coastal water quality and providing important habitat to fish, shellfish and other wildlife in our local communities.”