Association to Preserve Cape Cod |
First snow. Photo by Sue Machie. |
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| Success at a Crossroad by Andrew Gottlieb, APCC Executive Director |
It is inarguable that the funding made available to towns from the Cape and Islands Water Protection Fund (the Fund) has sparked long overdue investment in water quality restoration projects. The evidence is clear. Over $120 million has been awarded to eight Cape towns over the last three years, providing a source of principal forgiveness on loans that lowered town construction costs by 25 percent. That’s serious property tax relief for residents who pay for these projects.
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Further evidence of the power of the Fund to motivate towns to proceed with long overdue and much needed projects can be seen by looking at the draft list of town projects selected for state loans. The list supports over $400 million in new project activity for Cape towns. No small part of the equation prompting towns to seek the state loans that are the prerequisite for accessing the principal subsidy provided by the Fund is how attractive the Fund makes financing these major projects. And that is now the rub.
The unprecedented level of project activity proposed by the towns is exactly what is needed to first arrest, and then reverse, the decline in water quality. The sharp surge in the number of projects seeking financing has strained the revenue model on which the Fund was based. Simply put, there is a risk that the subsidy amount available to each project in the short term may have to be reduced in order to support all the projects on the table. The success and effectiveness of the Fund is now a threat to its robust and substantial subsidy. There is a fear that towns will slow down on projects waiting for the funding levels to increase.
While understandable at one level, slowing down on projects would be the wrong thing for the Cape, our environment and economy. Rather than sit back and watch what happens, we here at APCC have mobilized and are deep in discussions with our partners at the Cape Cod Commission, the Fund Board, and the legislative delegation to find the right levers to pull to bring additional resources to the Fund and maintain the momentum we have fought so hard to spur. The Fund is one of the great public policy success stories of this century. We owe it to ourselves and the water resources of Cape Cod to work hard to adjust to success and keep it rolling. |
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APCC has again contacted the offices of Senators Markey and Warren and Congressman Keating to again ask for their help in blocking any additional funding for the overbudget multipurpose machine gun range (MPMG) at Joint Base Cape Cod. Now that the broad parameters of a federal spending plan have been agreed to, APCC is again concerned that the Guard will seek supplemental funding for the construction of the MPMG. APCC has asked our delegation to be looking for any attempt to include language funding the MPMG in one of the spending bills. Based on past practice by the Guard, it is pretty certain that the Guard will bypass the delegation so APCC has asked them to be in frequent communication with the relevant committee members and their staff to avoid a surprise inclusion of money for this project in a must pass bill when it comes to the floor.
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Above: Goldfinch eating birch seeds |
Why you shouldn't feed wildlife this winter - Some good advice from MassWildlife |
Providing food for wildlife does more harm than good.
Each winter, MassWildlife receives inquiries from the public regarding whether or not to feed wildlife. While people have good intentions, supplemental feeding of wildlife typically does more harm than good. Most wildlife seasonally change their behavior to adapt to cold temperatures and scarce food supplies. Supplemental feeding can alter that behavior and have detrimental, and sometimes fatal, effects. Wildlife in Massachusetts have adapted over thousands of years to cope with harsh winter weather, including deep snow, cold temperatures, and high winds.
Supplemental feed sites congregate wildlife into unnaturally high densities, which can: - Attract predators and increase risk of death by wild predators or domestic pets;
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Spread diseases among wildlife or cause other health issues (e.g. Rumen acidosis in deer, Aflatoxicosis in turkeys);
- Cause aggression and competition over food, wasting vital energy reserves and potentially leading to injury or death;
- Reduce fat reserves, as wild animals use energy traveling to and from the feeding site;
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Cause wildlife to cross roads more frequently, therefore increasing vehicle collisions;
- Negatively impact vegetation and habitat in areas where feeding congregates animals.
Providing wildlife with food at any time of year teaches them to rely on humans for food, which puts them at a disadvantage for survival and can lead to human/wildlife conflicts. Once habituated behavior is established, it can be very difficult or impossible to change.
What can you do?
The best way to help wildlife make it through the winter is to step back and allow the animals’ instincts to take over. To help wildlife near your home, focus on improving the wildlife habitat on or near your property, by including natural food and cover (e.g., some conifer cover and regenerating forest or brushy habitat). It is also important that wildlife populations are in balance with what the habitat can support. Bird feeding
MassWildlife biologists advise against feeding wildlife. While backyard bird feeding during winter months is generally acceptable, we recommend using native plants and water to attract birds to your yard. Fallen bird seed can unintentionally attract many types of wildlife, including turkeys, small mammals like squirrels and mice, and predators like foxes, fishers, and coyotes that feed on small mammals. If you notice unwanted wildlife in your backyard, bring in your bird feeders immediately.
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Goldfinch on purple coneflower |
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"Grow These Native Plants So Your Backyard Birds Can Feast
Native plants beat even the best bird feeder. Here’s what to put in your garden to transform it into a year-round wonderland." Read more... |
Bluebird eating sumac berry |
Not the best video, but fun to see these robins devouring winterberry in this municipal landscape. |
Now accepting applications for Seasonal Positions |
Seasonal pond monitoring technician will conduct pond water quality monitoring as part of APCC’s Cape Cod Regional Pond Monitoring Program funded through the Cape Cod Commission’s Freshwater Initiative. More information and how to apply can be found here.
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Guidelines for Cape-friendly Landscapes - an APCC publication |
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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. |
Thank you for this important book! Hopefully everyone of us with a yard will read it and put it to use! - Vicky Titcomb of Titcomb Bookshop |
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?
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We are grateful for the several retail shops that are partnering with us 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 [email protected]. |
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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.
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!
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| APCC Caps are 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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A Cape Cod Native Plant-selector
~ to help you choose the perfect native plant for your garden location. |
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| Common Sneezeweed Helenium autumnale |
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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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APCC is rated four stars by Charity Navigator and 2023 Platinum by Candid (formerly Guidestar). |
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