Association to Preserve Cape Cod

Truro. Photo by Sue Machie.

What I'm Thinking...

Community Engagement is a Must

by Andrew Gottlieb, APCC Executive Director

While APCC is not a housing advocacy organization, we recognize that the utilization of the already disturbed, underdeveloped, and underutilized portions of Joint Base Cape Cod (JBCC) provide an opportunity for redevelopment that would go a long way toward infusing enough new units of housing into the regional market to make a difference.

With the Commonwealth as the landowner, there is a chance to redevelop portions of JBCC in a way that protects a mix of new rental and ownership units from being swept up into the red-hot real estate market, maintaining true affordability and filling a much-needed void in the housing market. There is an opportunity here to plan a vibrant carbon neutral community, with heating and cooling provided by redevelopment of the wastewater treatment plant at the base to include anaerobic digestion and power provided by renewable energy. There is clearly a case to be made here that using a portion of JBCC for housing is the single most transformative step that can be taken to address the housing needs of the region with minimal environmental impact and a positive net effect on the climate.

At the same time, there is an important opportunity to implement real and permanent protections to the 15,000 acres on JBCC that comprise the Upper Cape Water Supply Reserve, which would be the most significant open space preservation project remaining on Cape Cod. The reserve protects and provides water to five Cape communities and is the largest remaining contiguous forested area outside of the National Seashore. This area deserves lasting protections and now is the time to enhance the existing protections.

The good news here is that MassDevelopment is planning to undertake a study to look at housing opportunities at JBCC. On its face this effort, initiated by current leadership at JBCC itself, is a positive step. However, upon review, it is quickly evident that the parameters proposed by JBCC are far too narrow and limited, and have been developed without any meaningful input from the surrounding communities and the general public.

APCC has told MassDevelopment that the scope for the housing study at JBCC requires revision and expansion to fully capture the opportunities at JBCC. Specifically, APCC has suggested that a broader analysis of the existing Master Plan is needed to determine the military needs that can and should continue to be met at JBCC, and to also determine the highest and best uses for the remaining land. JBCC leadership has already concluded that there is excess land at the base that does not serve military needs. What remains is to build the case for the ongoing military functions and to establish the best uses of the repurposed land.

Only if the MassDevelopment process is done with meaningful community engagement from the scoping stage to completion will the process have any credibility with the surrounding communities and have any chance of success. An open process that improves understanding of the remaining military uses of JBCC and recreates broken bonds of trust is in the interests of JBCC leadership, even if they can’t see that. A robust revised Master Plan makes JBCC less, not more, vulnerable to federal closure in future rounds of congressionally mandated base closures.

There is every reason to do this broader review and to do it well, and that responsibility now appears to fall on MassDevelopment. Before the full scope of the MassDevelopment engagement is settled, APCC calls on MassDevelopment to broaden the scoping conversation to include perspectives other than the command staff at JBCC.

APCC, the Barnstable County Commissioners, the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce, the Cape Cod Commission, and the leadership of the communities that house and abut JBCC are just a few of the key stakeholders with whom MassDevelopment must engage to have a productive process.

Current awareness of MassDevelopment’s plan is minimal and a lot of work remains to be done to build consensus on the scope of the initiative if it is to be successful.

Update on Chase Garden Creek Assessment

Since spring of this year, APCC has been investigating the condition and stability of the Chase Garden Creek salt marsh, located on the northern shore of Dennis and Yarmouth.

Results from a GIS-based survey, comparing the ratio of unvegetated to vegetated cover across the marsh, indicate that some areas of the marsh are more at risk from future sea level rise than others. A rapid field assessment of marsh integrity based on plant community composition corroborated these findings.

In November, APCC met via Zoom to review the results from the two vulnerability assessments with key stakeholders, including members of town staff from Dennis and Yarmouth, the Aquaculture Research Corporation, Cape Cod Conservation District, Cape Cod Commission, Cape Cod Mosquito Control, Coastal Zone Management, Dennis Conservation Land Trust, Division of Ecological Restoration, Massachusetts Audubon Society, and USDA National Resources Conservation Service.

There was strong consensus to pursue restoration actions for the areas of the marsh most vulnerable to sea level rise, but all agreed that more data and information gathering was necessary before the preferred restoration techniques and timeline could be discussed. APCC will be collecting additional data to inform this decision-making process in the summer of 2024 and will continue to coordinate with local and regional partners as well as the broader public going forward. Stay tuned!

To access the recording and presentation slides from the November meeting or if you are interested in learning more about this project in general, please visit the dedicated Chase Garden Creek webpage. This work is funded by the Lavori Sterling Foundation.

Freshwater Initiative: Cape Cod Regional Pond Monitoring Program

APCC in the field with Harwich Conservation Trust...

APCC staff was hosted by Harwich Conservation Trust (HCT) last week to tour the Cold Brook Eco-Restoration Project, now underway in Harwich.

Above, large tree trunks with roots intact are brought into the site, needed to stabilize the stream's new configuration. All other slash and excavated soils remains on site and are used to establish new contours and habitat features.

For more information on the Cold Brook Eco-Restoration Project, see HCT's website.

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The Guidelines gives homeowners steps they can take in the design and maintenance of their properties that will support pollinators and birds, manage stormwater, conserve water, and protect the Cape's water quality.

This 40-page booklet is beautifully illustrated by Marcy Ford with content that is easily digestible and supported by numerous resources for additional learning.

We've enjoyed creating it and hope it will help you with ideas to help you steward your piece of Cape Cod and maybe foster an environmental ethic in the decisions we all make in our own managed landscapes. Get your copy here—and maybe one for a friend?

We are partnering with several retail shops to make this publication more widely available: Brewster Book Store, Birdwatchers General Store, Crocker Nurseries, Wellfleet Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary, Cape Abilities Farm, Cape Cod Museum of Natural History, the Cape Cod Lavender Farm, Heritage Museums and Gardens, Titcomb's Bookshop, and Sea Howl Bookshop.

If you are a retailer and would like to sell this publication at your store, contact Kristin at kandres@apcc.org.

You can view the book's content as a pdf on our website.

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.

Spearheaded by the Nauset Garden Club in 2021, the pathway has grown to 44 organizations and 277 residential properties across Cape Cod that are dedicated to supporting pollinators.

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. Please get on the map to show your support of pollinators on Cape Cod!