Saving Buzzards Bay Lands Campaign Completed
More than $30 Million Raised to Save 3,000 Acres
 In 2001, the Coalition and the watershed's local land trusts embarked on the most ambitious effort ever to save critical lands from development.
We launched the $11.8 million Saving Buzzards Bay Lands Campaign aimed at protecting at least 2,000 acres and establishing a revolving fund to fuel land protection efforts long into the future.
The Campaign was completed late last year and the end results far exceeded anyone's hopes or expectations.
Instead of our $11.8 million initial goal, we raised more than $30 million. Instead of 2,000 acres, we saved more than 3,000 acres-from Tiverton, Rhode Island at the far western edge of the watershed, to the deep woods of Wareham in the east. Most exciting, and not captured by the numbers alone, is the fact that the Campaign allowed us to protect truly remarkable lands that would have been lost to development were it not for our collective efforts.
Read more about the treasured places that will be protected forever in the Saving Buzzards Bay Lands Campaign Final Report. Our thanks to our local land trust partners, members, friends, local officials, and agencies who joined with us and stepped up to the challenge at this pivotal time in our region's history.
Contact the Coalition at 508-999-6363; cbb@savebuzzardsbay.org for a copy of the report.
Photo: Copyright Tim Sylvia
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Bay Guardians Honored at Annual Meeting
 The Coalition held its 19th Annual Meeting on March 22 at Tabor Academy in Marion. The meeting included the election of three new Board members - Sam Gray and Sandra Wheeler of Wareham and Brian Shortsleeve of Bourne - as well as the re-election of John Bullard, Seth Garfield, Rusty Kellogg, and John Ross for three-year terms and Tom Gidwitz for a one year term.
Buzzards Bay Guardian Awards, the
highest honor granted by The Coalition for Buzzards Bay, were presented to five citizens who have demonstrated outstanding service in the clean-up,
restoration or protection of the Bay... Read more here
 Download The Coalition for Buzzards Bay 2006 Annual Report [1 MB]
Photo: Coalition President John Ross (left) and Executive Director Mark
Rasmussen (right) present a framed print of New Bedford Harbor to John
K. Bullard (center). Bullard served as President of the Coalition Board
of Directors from 2002 to 2006 during a period of remarkable
organizational growth.
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 Narragansett Bay Topic of First Lecture in Nitrogen Pollution Series
Narragansett Baykeeper John Torgan to Discuss
Nutrient & Stormwater Pollution Challenges
John Torgan, Narragansett Baykeeper
at Save The Bay in Rhode Island, will present the first lecture in the Coalition's series, The Global Nitrogen Pollution Crisis, on
Thursday, April 12 from 7:00 to 9:00 pm at Patron's Hall, Dartmouth
Grange, 1133 Fisher Road, Dartmouth. Admission is free to Coalition members. Charge per lecture for non-members
is $5. Senior or student non-member charge per lecture is $3.
Torgan's lecture will focus on Narragansett Bay-with specific emphasis on the plan to save Greenwich Bay, site
of the region's largest fish kill in 2003. He will discuss nutrient and stormwater pollution in Narragansett Bay and will address
his work on regionally-focused ecosystem based management as well as
collaborative projects undertaken with the Coalition... Read more here
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Cleanup at Acushnet Sawmill to Kick Off Adopt A Shoreline Season
 The Coalition's Adopt A Shoreline program will kick off its third season next month the with a clean up of the newly acquired Acushnet Saw Mill site on the banks of the Acushnet River. This 21-acre parcel was recently purchased by the Coalition through the support of the New Bedford Harbor Trustees Council (see story above).
"Having just received the title to this wonderful piece of property, we are anxious to begin the process of transforming it into a nature preserve accessible to the public," says Ben Bryant, Coalition Marine Policy Specialist and Adopt A Shoreline Program Manager. "Our shoreline cleanup of the area will be a great first step."
The cleanup is scheduled for April 21, from 9:00 to 11:30 am. A tour of the site will be provided. Volunteers are encouraged to wear long pants, long sleeve shirts, and sturdy shoes. Gloves and clean up supplies will be provided. In May, the Coalition will resume monthly cleanups at Marsh Island on the eastern shore of New Bedford Harbor.
The Adopt A Shoreline program aims to connect citizens, organizations, and businesses to their waterfront by organizing monthly shoreline cleanups from April through October. In the first two years of the program, the Coalition coordinated cleanups have removed nearly 40,000 pounds of marine debris at 17 shoreline sites.
Volunteers are needed! To sign up and for directions to the Acushnet Saw Mill, contact Donna Cobert at 508-999-6363, ext. 209.
Also, please call if you are interested in helping one of our Adopt A Shoreline partners at a site closer to your home or adopting your own location.
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Jump in and Join Us!
Swim Registration Open
This July 14th, take the plunge and be a part of our 14th Annual Swim Buzzards Bay, a 1.2-mile open water swim through the warm, clean waters of Buzzards Bay-from Davy's Locker in New Bedford to Fort Phoenix in Fairhaven.
Why Swim?
Make the statement that clean water and a healthy environment are important to you. Help us Save Buzzards Bay!
Who Swims?
Hundreds of swimmers from ages 12 to 83 have proven that the Swim is for every age, ability, shape, size, and fitness level. The event draws serious competitors, first-timers, families, teams, and everyone in between.
Fees & Deadlines
- Registration Fee: $10
- Fundraising Requirement: Swimmers must raise a minimum of $150 in donations.
- Registration closes at 6 PM on July 12, 2007
Ready to get your feet wet? Register today!
For more information, contact the Coalition at 508-999-6363; cbb@savebuzzardsbay.org or download forms below.
Download swimmer
registration [480 KB] and donation [140 KB] forms.
Seven-time Swim Buzzards Bay swimmer, Gail Isaksen of Fairhaven, is the inspiration for this year's Swim illustration which captures her (and her dog Oscar) doing one of their favorite things-rowing a Buzzards Bay Rowing Club replica whaleboat. Illustration, Daniel Vasconcellos.
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Coalition Seeks Communications Associate
We are seeking a 30-hour a week Communications Associate who will be responsible for the successful promotion of all of The Coalition for Buzzards Bay initiatives and programs, as well as grants management. Click here for a full job description. |
CBB in the News
Much of the Coalition's work puts us at the
forefront of the region's top environmental issues.
Here are a few recent stories that mention our efforts.
- Has Anything Been Done to Protect Buzzards Bay? (SoCo Magazine, Apr. 2007)
Available free at many locations throughout the Buzzards Bay watershed
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