Spring 2026 town meetings have demonstrated the validity of the premise behind APCC’s The Cape We Shape campaign: When given the chance to act, voters will support the preservation of critical natural resources. Thanks to work in the trenches by local activists and land trusts, voters in several Cape towns were given the chance to say yes to protecting parcels that provide important water quality, habitat and recreational benefits to all of us.
These yes votes were not a surprise. The residents of Cape Cod have an intrinsic understanding that certain areas need to be protected for Cape Cod to remain a viable place to live, work and play. It is our intent to use The Cape We Shape campaign to help support and expand ongoing protection efforts going forward.
What was a surprise to me were some vitriolic responses to our emails encouraging support for the protection of critical lands. The Cape We Shape campaign inherently recognizes that additional development will occur; that is why the campaign focuses on protecting the most critical of the lands remaining. We recognize both the nuance and complexity of the competing public policy demands surrounding the debate on the future of the Cape. The push back to our advocacy was striking. A handful of people took the time to send responses that were angry and accusatory. Absent was any acknowledgement of that nuance and complexity, of the validity of views not their own.
The land preservation community is a voice that speaks for the betterment and preservation of not just the Cape’s resources but the people who live here and need clean water to drink, open spaces for recreation and a landscape that can withstand the challenges of a changing world.
We welcome the conversation with others seeking to also do good for the community. Collectively we enter these conversations unapologetic for our views, ready to roll up our sleeves to get to work.
