Association to Preserve Cape Cod

Above: Photo by Sue Machie

What I'm Thinking...

A Step in the Wrong Direction

by Andrew Gottlieb, Executive Director

For almost two decades, the Cape and the state have been building a set of financing tools that have broken the barriers to progress on wastewater management needed to improve water quality. The lynchpin of this wildly successful financing strategy is the State Revolving Fund (SRF) loans for municipal projects. It is against this backdrop that APCC was stunned by proposed changes to the terms of future project financing that is proposed to begin this year. APCC submitted comments to DEP to push back against changes to the financing approach that have the potential to stop dead in its tracks all progress being made on wastewater management on Cape Cod.

With no advance public notice, the draft 2025 Intended Use Plan (IUP) caps towns to $50 million in financing and provides no carryover costs for new projects in subsequent years.

The towns proposing projects for the 2025 funding cycle did so assuming that the terms of financing would be what they have been in prior years. The simple fact is that few, if any, towns proposing projects that require multi-year financing will be able to obtain voter approval of the entire debt for a project with uncertainty about SRF funding past year one. Few town meetings will proceed with funding a large multi-year project lacking clarity on the debt and subsidy structure of the financing.

The Cape projects are big because the problems we are solving are big. Arbitrary limits on how much a town project can be financed is the functional equivalent of not offering financing at all.

APCC believes that the changes to the 2025 IUP discussed above must be rescinded and that the terms and conditions of financing revert to those that have been historically in place. Supplementing future SRF capacity through the upcoming Environmental Bond is an obvious source of additional funding that the Cape needs. APCC will work with the Healey administration and our legislators to develop an approach that continues to build on, instead of undoing, the progress we are making on water quality improvement and wastewater management.

APCC Ecosystem Restoration Program

APCC Staff Ecologist Inspires Restoration

at Mashpee High School

Mike Palmer, APCC restoration ecologist, recently visited Mashpee High School to share his knowledge and passion of ecological restoration with Mrs. Vitelli's science class.

Mike's presentation focused on APCC's restoration work in Mashpee, particularly the completed Childs River project and ongoing efforts at the Mashpee River, Upper Quashnet River, and Red Brook. He emphasized the multi-step nature of restoration, beginning with clear objectives, thorough site assessments, and detailed restoration plans.

Implementation of such a project involves activities like native plantings, invasive species removal, and stream channel restoration. Ongoing monitoring and adaptive management are crucial to ensure project success. Mike stressed the importance of careful planning, community engagement, and a focus on long-term sustainability for successful restoration outcomes.

The students will be designing their own restoration projects, applying the principles they learned from Mike. This visit to the school aligns with APCC's commitment to educating and engaging the public to become good environmental stewards. By connecting with local schools and providing hands-on learning opportunities, our Ecosystem Restoration Program has the opportunity to inspire students to become active participants in local restoration projects.

Students were encouraged to participate in the "Source to Sea" project community engagement process being led by the Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (WBNERR). This public visioning process will begin in early April, inviting residents and stakeholders to share their input on the ongoing river and bog restoration efforts in the Mashpee area. Details on how to get involved will be shared in an upcoming newsletter!

Advocacy Works

You speak up and your elected officials respond! To date, a big thank you to Sen. Fernandes, Rep. Vieira, Rep. Xiarhos, and Rep. Luddy, who have signed on to cosponsor the state bill, An Act Restricting the Use of Rodenticides in the Environment.

The bill has been filed in the House by Rep. James Hawkins (HD.1721) and Senate by Sen. Michael Moore (SD.1447). These bills would phase out the use of second generation anticoagulant rodenticides (SGARs) in Massachusetts, and need support from as many legislators as possible to gain some momentum. Ask your legislator to cosponsor the bills.

Raptors, foxes, coyotes, and other predators help keep our ecosystems in balance. Shocking numbers have been sickened and killed after eating poisoned rodents. Cape Cod wildlife advocates meet every month on the fourth Thursday of the month, 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. via Zoom. To join, sign up with Mass Audubon here. To register for the monthly meetings, register here.

Local partners with APCC are Cape Wildlife Center, Wild Care Cape Cod,

and Sierra Club Cape Cod.

Stay informed on Facebook: Rescue Cape Cod Raptors

Trees, Glorious Trees

Pitch Pine

~ a pillar of the Cape's pitch pine-oak plant community

Pitch pine (Pinus rigida) is the prominent evergreen species on the Cape, providing some much-needed greenery in these long winter months. This retention of foliage is an adaptation which takes advantage of warmer winter temperatures, a trait that may further benefit this species as our planet continues to warm. An additional ecological gain of this trait is that it provides shelter for birds and small mammals. Often the needles of pitch pine offer a crucial windbreak to the creatures that overwinter in our landscape.

Pinus rigida has been present on Cape Cod for thousands of years, as evidenced by pollen cores taken at the National Seashore. Pitch pine is well-adapted to our nutrient-poor soils and the thick bark protects it against fire. Beneath the bark are dormant buds that are ready to sprout after a fire or damage to the crown.

Pitch pines offer tremendous benefits to birds as excellent habitat for roosting, nesting, mating and foraging. Many birds and small mammals will work to open pinecones or forage for dropped seed. Eastern towhees, pine warblers, downy woodpeckers, black-capped chickadees and blue jays are just a few of the species that rely on pitch pine seed for a part of their diets.

The importance of pitch pine to insects also cannot be understated. Often when we see plants without flowers, we assume the plant provides no benefits to insects. This could not be further from the truth, as pitch pine acts as a host plant and an important habitat to an incredible number of insects. Pitch pine-scrub oak plant communities are known to be the most important habitat for around 41 percent of the state-listed rare and/or endangered Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths) species in Massachusetts. And that doesn’t even begin to cover the benefits to beetles and planthoppers, which are also supported by pitch pines.

It may not have showy flowers, ornamental bark, or unique, colorful fruit, but pitch pine is a central pillar of Cape Cod's woodlands, one that supports a diversity of birds, mammals and insects. The benefits of this species are so vast that scientists are still discovering new ecological relationships that pitch pines facilitate. So, don’t count this tree out, and know that by adding one to, or preserving existing pitch pines in, your landscape is a tremendous step to supporting all layers of our ecological community.

Attention Runners:

Run this year’s Falmouth Road Race for APCC!

APCC is thrilled to be a part of the "Numbers for Nonprofits" program for the 2025 Asics Falmouth Road Race. We are currently accepting applications for our 2025 team. Team members will receive a guaranteed race entry, fundraising tips and tools, a fundraising web page, and support throughout the process.

If you're interested in amplifying APCC's work in a fun and unique way, please apply here. Questions? Please reach out to runforapcc@gmail.com.

APPLY HERE

River Herring Monitoring Volunteers Needed

A reminder that volunteers are urgently needed for the 2025 river herring count at multiple runs across Cape Cod. Locations include Brewster, Barnstable, Dennis, Falmouth, Mashpee, Orleans, Sandwich, and Yarmouth. These counts provide critical data to help protect keystone fish species and assess habitat restoration needs.

Volunteers must be able to travel to their assigned site, navigate uneven terrain, and visually identify fish. Each count takes just 10 minutes and occurs several times a week from April 1 to June 15. This is a great opportunity to support local conservation efforts with a minimal time commitment!

Herring Count Locations:

Red Lily Pond – Barnstable

Stony Brook – Brewster

Bound Brook – Dennis

Trunk River – Falmouth

Mashpee River – Mashpee

Quashnet River – Mashpee

Santuit River – Mashpee

Pilgrim Lake – Orleans

Mill Creek – Sandwich

Long Pond – Yarmouth

Baxter Grist Mill – Yarmouth

Those interested can sign up now through APCC’s River Herring Volunteer Signup and attend a training sessions in March. More details are available on the Herring Hub website.

This is a community effort, and we need as many volunteers as possible.

Join us in protecting Cape Cod’s herring!

Sign Up

If you are a farmer or someone who wants to grow native plants to sell, or just want to be updated on the program's development, please submit an interest form that appears on our webpage.

APCC Seeks Seasonal Interns

Restoration Internship - June through September

Summer Cyanobacteria Internship - mid-May through August

Full Season Cyanobacteria Internship - mid-May through mid-November

Cape Cod Natural History Conference, Saturday, March 8, 2025

APCC has been accepted to present and have a poster at the annual Cape Cod Natural History Conference, hosted by Mass Audubon. It's another great lineup and the event is an important networking opportunity! Registration required. Don't miss it.

Cape Cod Ponds Network

Above: Long Pond, South Yarmouth. Photo by Lee Ann O'Connor.

SAVE THE DATE ~

Next meeting of the Cape Cod Ponds Network via Zoom on

Wednesday, February 26 at 4:30 p.m.

If you've signed up for the Ponds Network, you'll receive an email with the Zoom link. If you'd like to receive Ponds Network emails, sign up here.

A Cape-wide Conservation Event Calendar

The Compact of Cape Cod Conservation Trusts (“the Compact”) and its nonprofit members launched a new regional calendar of events. The Conservation Calendar includes programs across Cape Cod hosted by these groups. The goal of the calendar is to encourage visitors and residents to take part in nature and environmental events. You can always find the link to the calendar on APCC's website under News & Events.

A Cape Cod Native Plant-selector

~ to help you choose the perfect native plants for your garden.

Email kandres@apcc.org and we'll send you a CapeCodNativePlants.org decal.

Field Pussytoes

Antennaria neglecta

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 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, Sea Howl Bookshop, Soares Flower Garden Nursery, and Eight Cousins Bookshop.

If you are a retailer and would like to sell this publication at your store, please contact us.

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

APCC Merch

Available for online purchase and shipping in the U.S. is free:

APCC caps

$25

+++++++++++++++++

Garden for Life T's

$30

Click here

for more information and to order.

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

You can purchase the 9-inch aluminum Pollinator Pathway Cape Cod sign at Hyannis Country Garden, Crocker Nurseries, Brewster Book Store, Orleans Conservation Trust, and Cape Abilities Farm.

If you are a retailer, and you would like to sell the signs, you can order online here, or email pollinators@apcc.org.