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North American Wetlands Conservation Act:
Coalition-Led Effort Protects 1150 Acres of Migratory Bird Habitat

The Field Family Farm, Mattapoisett (Photo, Tim Sylvia)

More than 1150 acres of critical migratory bird habitat in the Buzzards Bay watershed are one step closer to being permanently protected from development thanks to funding provided by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA). The goal of the NAWCA Program is to protect habitat for waterfowl and migratory birds.

NAWCA recently selected four Coalition-led proposals to receive $2.4 million for land acquisition or salt marsh restoration projects in Bourne, Dartmouth, Falmouth, Mattapoisett, Plymouth, Wareham and Tiverton, Rhode Island. The Coalition, as the grantee, will administer and coordinate the grants and work with specific partners on each project by making funds available for use as requested, providing regular progress and financial updates to NAWCA, and ensuring that the process runs as smoothly as possible.

Middle Acre Farms, part of the Tiverton Great Swamp project.  (Photo, John Berg, The Nature Conservancy)

The $2.4 million represents the remainder of the Bouchard Oil Spill penalty money that was earmarked for migratory bird habitat protection in Buzzards Bay. In March 2004, after pleading guilty to criminal charges associated with the 2003 oil spill in Buzzards Bay, the Bouchard Transportation Company was forced to pay a $10 million fine, $7 million of which was directed to the NAWCA Program for the acquisition and restoration of wetlands in the Buzzards Bay watershed.

With the addition of this most recent grant, the Coalition and its local, state, and national partners have now secured $6.7 in NAWCA funds that will help protect 1150 acres of coastal lands.

In December 2004, $2.3 million was secured to protect 285 acres in Westport, Fairhaven, and Mattapoisett. The following July, the partnership secured an additional $2 million to help protect another 223 acres in the three Bay towns. This most recent grant will protect 642 total acres of land, 369 of which are wetlands.

“With such strong development pressure in southeastern Massachusetts, opportunities to protect the Buzzards Bay shoreline are becoming rarer every day,” said Mark Rasmussen, Executive Director of the Coalition. “These funds are allowing us to take a great step forward in protecting natural areas on our coast for future generations and help turn the tragedy of the April 2003 Oil Spill into long-term improvements in the health of Buzzards Bay.”

Dike Creek, Dartmouth   (Photo, Tim Sylvia)

NAWCA funds will protect:

Dike Creek - 168 acres of salt marsh and in Dartmouth. The Coalition’s lead partners are the Trustees of Reservations and Bristol County Mosquito Control.

Inner Bay Restoration and Edmunds – 158 acres of wetlands in Falmouth, Bourne, Wareham, Mattapoisett and Wareham/Plymouth. The Coalition’s lead partners are the Buzzards Bay National Estuary Program, Ducks Unlimited, and the Wareham Land Trust.

Slocums River – 86 acres of salt marsh Dartmouth. The Coalition’s lead partner is the Dartmouth Natural Resources Trust.

Tiverton Great Swamp – 230 acres of Red Maple swamp in Tiverton, Rhode Island. The Coalition’s lead partner is The Nature Conservancy.

The Field Family Farm in Mattapoisett - 65 acres of saltmarsh and coastal forest on Brant Island Cove with more than 1,500 feet of shoreline—nearly the entire eastern shore of the Cove. The Coalition's lead partner is the Mattapoisett Land Trust.

The Chapin White Farm - a former dairy farm that includes 96 acres of saltmarsh, forested uplands, and freshwater wetlands on the East Branch of the Westport River in Westport. Over 3,000 feet of frontage on the river and more than 22 acres of brackish tidal marsh provide vital habitat for hundreds of species of birds and marine organisms. The Coalition's lead partners are The Trustees of Reservations and the Westport Land Conservation Trust.

The Viveiros Farm - 127 acres of a working dairy farm encompassing hay fields, barrier beach and saltmarsh on Sconticut Neck in Fairhaven. The Coalition's lead partner is the Fairhaven-Acushnet Land Preservation Trust.

West Hill – 106 acres of wooded wetlands, freshwater marsh, upland forest, and saltmarsh across from the Field Family Farm on Brant Island Cove in Mattapoisett.

The Coalition's lead partner is the Mattapoisett Land Trust.

Douglass Farm - 17 acres of wooded swamp, saltmarsh, freshwater pond, and an upland island on Nasketucket Bay on Sconticut Neck in Fairhaven. The Coalition's lead partner is the Fairhaven-Acushnet Land Preservation Trust.