Association to Preserve Cape Cod - this week... |
Dennis Indian Lands. Photo by Sue Machie.
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| Past as Prologue by Andrew Gottlieb, Executive Director This following quote came from a WCAI report on May 25, 2023, the evening of the EPA hearing on the draft determination that the proposed multipurpose machine gun range represented a significant threat to the Upper Cape Water Supply Reserve.
Colonel Matthew Porter, base commander at Camp Edwards, said he wanted to assuage the EPA’s concerns about “potential” chemical loading. “They're being very protectionary [sic] because the future is unknowable, and that's the way they're looking at it,” he said. “[But] it's not based in historic science. It's not based on 100 years of field firing. It's not based on our studies. It's not based on what we've been dealing with.” |
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What then is the history of this location and water protection? Taken from the latest monthly report posted by the staff at Joint Base Cape Cod responsible for running the $1.4 billion and counting clean-up of this federal Superfund site, here is the Massachusetts National Guard’s own accounting, through April 2023, of the volumes of water contaminated by military activity inclusive of munitions use and disposal by location:
Demolition Area 1: 4.386 billion gallons J2 Range: 3.664 billion gallons
Eastern Plant: 2.518 billion gallons J3 Range: 1.712 billion gallons
J1 Range: 758 million gallons Northern Plan 1.270 billion gallons Central Impact Area: 3.198 billion gallons For those of you keeping score at home, that is 17.5 billion gallons of water that was contaminated enough by military activity on the base to require treatment.
Every drop of that water is part of our sole source aquifer that provides all—not some, but all—of our drinking water. As appalling as the fact that over 17 billion gallons of water on the base has required advanced treatment to remove toxic chemicals at a taxpayer cost of $1.4 billion is that fact that the clean-up is not done; it’s not even close to done. All these facts, the actual history of what the Cape has been dealing with for decades, are all made worse by the JBCC leadership’s (see Col. Porter’s quote above to refresh your memory) inability to apply the lessons of the past to ongoing and future activities on top of the last remaining water supply reserves available to the Upper Cape towns.
Ask yourself, given the history here, isn’t it logical to be worried that it is about to repeat itself? Ask yourself if it is possible to be overly protective of our last remaining water supply? APCC has looked at the data and we agree that EPA has it right. Once lost, our water supply cannot be restored without extraordinary expense and disruption, if at all. If you care about having clean water to drink, you can tell EPA that you agree with them. What happens from here is on us.
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Improving Our Local Water Quality – Public Meeting Yarmouth Stormwater Management Assessment
A public meeting to review a completed stormwater assessment and concept designs for improving water quality. Public input on potential improvements and proposed concept designs is encouraged and appreciated. Tuesday June 13th at 3 p.m.
Via Zoom |
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Please join the town of Yarmouth, the Association to Preserve Cape Cod and Horsley Witten Group to hear about a recently completed stormwater management assessment for areas of Yarmouth south of Route 6, including Lewis Bay, Mill Creek, Parkers River, and Bass River watersheds.
Contact April Wobst, APCC restoration ecologist at ([email protected]) with any questions. |
Weir Creek Salt Marsh Restoration Seeking Community Input!
Public input on proposed restoration and plans for redesign is encouraged and appreciated. Join us for a public meeting about the timeline and scope of restoring tidal flow to Weir Creek marsh in South Dennis. Thursday, June 15, 5:30-7:00 p.m.
Police Community Meeting Room, Dennis Police Station 90 Bob Crowell Rd, South Dennis 02660 (next to Town Hall) Please Register HERE
Please join the Association to Preserve Cape Cod, the town of Dennis, Tighe & Bond, and Woods Hole Group to learn about the proposed restoration of Weir Creek. There will be a discussion about the status of the marsh, and the plans for study and redesign of two culverts under Lower County Road. Learn about the potential impacts of this restoration, share your knowledge about the history of the site, and discuss your concerns about Weir Creek and existing flooding in the area.
Please direct questions to April Wobst, APCC restoration ecologist ([email protected]), or Tom Andrade ([email protected]), town engineer with the town of Dennis.
Funding for this project has been provided by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation National Coastal Resilience Fund, and the EPA Southeast New England Program (SNEP) Watershed Implementation Grants through collaboration with Restore America’s Estuaries. |
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Voice Your Support for the EPA’s Report on the Machine Gun Range
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency determined that the multipurpose machine gun range proposed by the Massachusetts Army National Guard on the Upper Cape Water Supply Reserve would create “a significant public health hazard” due to potential contamination of the region’s drinking water supply. If the draft determination is finalized, federal funding to construct the project will not be allowed. The public comment period ends on June 26. A final decision will be issued by the EPA at the end of the comment period.
The public comment period gives us the opportunity to let the EPA know that concerned Cape Cod citizens and visitors support its draft determination—that the machine gun range poses too much of a risk to our drinking water supply and should be prohibited from being constructed.
CLICK HERE for a sample message and talking points. |
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Celebrating Cape-friendly Landscapes! |
Leslie Spencer from Falmouth sent us an email: Just wanted to share a photo of our home in Falmouth with a portion of our front yard turned into a wildflower patch! When the daisies are done blooming the sunflowers [black-eyed Susans] come!! It was through the APCC that I learned about the positives around reducing lawns! Thanks for all your doing ! |
Do you have a Cape-friendly landscape to share? Send a few pictures and a brief description or comment to [email protected]
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We are ready if you are! Want to learn about ways you can make your landscape more Cape-friendly? Our team will come visit with you at your property and help you identify steps you can take to conserve water, protect water quality, support pollinators and birds, reduce your carbon footprint. A written report will provide you with more details and resources for more information about your interests. For more information CLICK HERE.
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Water Quality Monitoring at Village Pond by Laura English
On a quiet morning in mid May, I joined Sophia Feuerhake, senior water quality technician, from the Association to Preserve Cape Cod (and Pond Village resident), in her canoe on Pond Village Pond. I had signed up to volunteer with the APCC to assist in pond monitoring as part of the Cape Cod Commission's Fresh Water Initiative, a collaborative mission employing the APCC as water monitors and data collectors and the Center for Coastal Studies as water analysts. That morning we would go to three ponds: Village Pond and then Clapps and Blackwater ponds in Provincetown. The three year CCC project entails collecting data and water samples once a month from April through October across 50 ponds on Cape Cod with the goal of assessing the overall health of the Cape’s ponds and lakes. Additionally, according to the CCC, the study will “identify regional trends in water quality, and evaluate the impact of these critical resources on the region’s economy.” Our Village Pond and Great Pond off Collins Road are the two in Truro being monitored for the study.
My work that day entailed helping Sophia gather data including water clarity, temperature, pH levels, salinity, and dissolved oxygen at different depths. We collected water samples at different depths as well, which will be analyzed by CCS for alkalinity, total phosphorus, total nitrogen, nitrate/nitrite, orthophosphate, ammonium, chlorophyll and phaeophytin. It is a very exciting project and we are so fortunate to have our pond included! Finally, if you see a black sedan with an aluminum canoe atop driving down Pond Road, most likely that’s Sophia! Give her a wave and a big thank you for all the important work she and the CCC, APCC, and Center for Coastal Studies are doing! For more information on this project, please click here: Pond Monitoring Program |
VOLUNTEERS SOUGHT FOR POND MONITORING PROGRAM |
Want to contribute to the study of Cape Cod's freshwater ponds, learn more about our ponds, and have some fun? We are seeking volunteers to accompany APCC staff in a canoe and assist with the data collection.
Minimum time commitment is a full morning: A volunteer shift is 7:30 a.m. to ~ 12:30 p.m. Sampling days are Monday through Thursday. Once per month. Sign up for one time or more!
Physical ability. Volunteer must be comfortable being on the water and have the physical ability to get in and out of a canoe, to paddle to deepest point of pond, and to safely pivot in their seat to assist with the sampling and recording information on a field data sheet.
Pond monitoring will be conducted by APCC staff at the deepest point in the pond. Staff will use a canoe, and with the help of volunteers will measure depth, Secchi disk depth, water quality parameters using a sonde, and collection of water samples for lab analyses of nutrients, chlorophyll, and alkalinity. Lab analyses will be done by the Center for Coastal Studies, a state-certified laboratory contracted by APCC. If you are interested in learning more, please SIGN UP HERE. |
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The Jewels of Cape Cod ~ Our Freshwater Ponds |
Swimming with Turtles - Susan Baur |
Pond Stories is a collection of writings and other media from Cape Codders and visitors who love the 890 local ponds that dot the Cape. We hope this collection of stories awakens your inner environmentalist to think deeper about our human impacts to these unique bodies of water. |
Send us your favorite pond photo, story, poem, video, artwork—we want to share with everyone why the Cape's ponds and lakes are so special! Email your pond connection to [email protected] |
Have a favorite pond? Want to connect with others who are active in protecting their ponds? Join the Cape Cod Ponds Network. For more information about past meetings of the Pond Network and to sign up (scroll down the page), click here.
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From the Cape Cod Climate Change Collaborative... |
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An important natural resource assessment report on what's at stake - "Hanging in the Balance"
The preservation of open space on Cape Cod isn't over yet! There are known mapped areas of critical habitat and valuable natural resources that need protection and should not be lost to development.
Click on the photo below to reach the Hanging in the Balance story map. Once you click the photo, you will be at the story map. Then simply scroll down through the images and text that tell the story. Click here for the full report (pdf).
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| By popular request...
APCC Caps are now available for purchase! $25 includes shipping & handling Click here for more information and to order. ~ This is one great way to show your support for APCC's work. |
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APCC's 3rd Annual Native Perennial Plant Sale |
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Thank you to BlueFlax Design, LLC, sole sponsor of the plant sale! |
| WOWSA! 121 orders in less than 3 hours! Over 1,000 plants! THANK YOU to all of you who placed orders for plants at our sale yesterday!
And a HUGE shoutout to the volunteers! You helped make the plant sale an enormous success. Thank you. |
When the dust settles and we've had a chance to catch our breath, we may have a few plants available for sale, so watch for notices. |
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A Cape Cod Native Plant-selector
~ to help you choose the perfect native plant for your garden location. |
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News from the Pollinator Pathway Cape Cod -
The National Organization of Pollinator Pathway has named Pollinator Pathway Cape Cod one of the top 15 pathways in the country. This wonderful designation is a reflection of the hard work and enthusiasm of all of the PPCC members and individuals who are making a difference with their properties. Congratulations to all!
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The Pollinator Pathway Cape Cod is a group of organizations promoting native plants and pollinator-friendly land care practices to create a boat load of safe oases for our native bees, butterflies and a whole host of other pollinators that are crucial to the health of our ecosystems. Join us! It's easy. There are no fees. You just need to pledge to ADD native plants, SUBTRACT a little lawn, AVOID yard chemicals, especially pesticides, and LEAVE the leaves. And, help us spread the word. If you wish, please get on the map to show your support of pollinators!
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| Rain Barrels for Cape Cod
Order online from Upcycle Products $99 each
includes FedEx shipping to your door APCC receives a portion of the proceeds.
For more information, click here. |
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| APCC Enewsletters. Our weekly newsletters are archived on our website and easily shared.
You can find past newsletters and share with your friends to sign up for future enewsletters HERE. |
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Are you thinking of going solar? We hope so! In partnership with SUNPOWER BY E2 SOLAR in Dennis, APCC receives $500 for every solar installation when APCC is named as referral.
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| Thank you to the homeowners who just contracted to install solar panels through E2 Solar. May the sun always shine for you! |
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Expressions Gallery, 578 Main Street, Chatham
CLICK HERE |
Expressions Gallery donates 20 percent of its profits to APCC's work. |
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Thank you to our business sponsors |
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