improving the state of the bay

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LAKEVILLE

What Lakeville Can Do:

For inland watershed towns like Lakeville, the most important thing they can do for the Assawompsett Ponds and the Bay downstream is to protect forests, wetlands and stream buffers.

1. Expand Protection for Wetlands and Stream Buffers

• Adopt the Community Preservation Act (CPA) to secure new state funds for open space acquisitions on the Assawompsett Ponds. Middleborough, Rochester, Lakeville and Gosnold are now the only Bay watershed towns that have not adopted the CPA.

• Establish ‘No-Build Setbacks’ around freshwater wetlands for all new construction. Falmouth, Bourne, Carver and Rochester all require construction setbacks from wetlands to protect these natural pollution filters.

2. Reconsider local wastewater treatment options for Long Pond area as opposed to initial plans to transfer sewage from this area to the City of New Bedford Wastewater Treatment Plant. Under that plan, Lakeville would introduce 150,000 gallons per day of new sewage to Buzzards Bay.