Summer heat too much to take? It's not too late to jump in and join us for the 12th Annual Swim Buzzards Bay, this Saturday, July 23. You'll beat the heat and help The Coalition for Buzzards Bay demonstrate that clean, healthy water is a vital part of our community. The 1.2 mile open-water swim is ideal for individuals of all ages and fitness levels. Participants start at New Bedford's south end, swim across outer New Bedford Harbor, and cross the finish line at Fort Phoenix State Beach in Fairhaven to the sounds of cheering crowds, plenty of food and drink, and even massage therapists to help ease aching muscles! All of the money raised for this event goes directly toward The Coalition for Buzzards Bay's education, conservation, research, and advocacy programs.

Ready to get your feet wet? There's still time to sign-up, but hurry - registration closes at 6:00 PM this Friday, July 22. For more information, click on the link below or contact John Vasconcellos at 508-999-6363, ext. 202 vasconcellos@savebuzzardsbay.org

Illustration by Daniel Vasconcellos

Join us on the shores of Buzzards Bay for an evening filled with food, music, and fun. The Coalition for Buzzards Bay's annual Celebrate Buzzards Bay event is this Saturday, July 23 from 6:00 to 10:00 PM at New Bedford's historic Fort Taber. Feast on the best food the South Coast has to offer as you enjoy the sounds of the Atlantic Clarion - New England's favorite steel band.

Tickets are $40 each and include a buffet-style dinner with mouth-watering dishes from:

• Morton's Fork Catering
• Harriet's
• New England Clam Jams
• M&C Restaurant
• Sally Cakes

Don't miss live and silent auctions featuring unique Bay-themed treasures including a weekend getaway to Cuttyhunk and a boat tour of Sippican Harbor. You'll even have the chance to bid on the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be the inspiration for next year's Celebrate Buzzards Bay poster illustration! Purchase tickets online or at the door. Contact John Vasconcellos at 508-999-6363, ext. 202 vasconcellos@savebuzzardsbay.org for more information. All proceeds will support the ongoing work of The Coalition for Buzzards Bay.

Illustration by Daniel Vasconcellos

In April, 2003, Buzzards Bay was devastated by the impacts of the Bouchard-120 oil spill that released 98,000 gallons of thick, heavy No. 6 fuel oil into the Bay, fouling 93 miles of its shoreline. In the aftermath of the spill, The Coalition for Buzzards Bay worked to draft and enact new oil spill prevention laws in Massachusetts, with the goal of dramatically reducing the risk of future spills and enhancing oil spill response. The signing of the Massachusetts Oil Spill Prevention Act in August, 2004 made this goal a reality and brought the Commonwealth to the forefront of oil spill prevention and response on the U.S. East Coast.

In January, 2005, however, the U.S. government filed a federal lawsuit challenging many of the core vessel safety provisions of the Massachusetts Oil Spill Act. In the lawsuit, the U.S. alleges that Massachusetts has implemented laws in areas reserved to the authority of the federal government, particularly the Coast Guard. With this lawsuit, the U.S. government is not only seeking to eliminate oil spill prevention measures ensured by the Massachusetts Oil Spill Prevention Act, but is also effectively putting other comparable state vessel safely regulations at risk. There is much at stake.

To bolster the defense of the Massachusetts Oil Spill Prevention Act, The Coalition for Buzzards Bay recently filed an unopposed motion to intervene. In April, 2005 a federal judge ruled that The Coalition for Buzzards Bay could join state efforts to defend the Massachusetts Oil Spill Prevention Act. Given the national significance of this case, other parties, including other coastal states, and environmental and fisheries groups, are expected to participate as parties or "friends of the court."

The Coalition for Buzzards Bay held a press conference on May 26 in Rochester to publicly announce the protection of the 164-acre Rounseville Homestead. The forested property, which lies along the Mattapoisett River, filters drinking water for the towns of Fairhaven, Marion, Mattapoisett, and Rochester. About 27,000 people drink the water that flows through the property. With the land now preserved forever via a conservation restriction, aquifer protection in the Mattapoisett River Valley is estimated to increase by a remarkable 64 percent.

Rights to the land were obtained through a generous bargain sale from the heirs of Lincoln Rounseville-Ann Poland, his sister, and his niece, Judith Dupont. Private fund raising for the project was managed by The Coalition for Buzzards Bay and the Rochester Land Trust. The Coalition also played a key role in bringing together an array of conservation partners, including the Wildlands Trust of Southeastern Massachusetts and the Town of Rochester Conservation Commission, to complete the acquisition of the conservation restriction in April, 2005. The Rounseville Homestead is part of landmark, multi-agency deal that protects 274 acres of Mattapoisett River Valley lands.

Photo above: Mark Rasmussen, Executive Director of The Coalition for Buzzards Bay, explains the details of the land acquisition.

The Coalition for Buzzards Bay has opened the doors of its new Bay laboratory, just in time for the start of our 14th Baywatchers season. Located on the basement level of our New Bedford headquarters, the lab features much-needed workshop and storage space that will support our ongoing volunteer-based water quality monitoring program and allow us to expand our analysis of watershed and habitat health.