FACES 

 

Message from the President

 

We have started out the new year (after the Annual Meeting in July) with a flurry of activity that we plan on continuing throughout the year.  Some organizational changes to FACES have been made with the hope that our objective of “educating and inspiring the residents to preserve the environment and natural resources of our estuaries and saltponds of Falmouth” can move forward effectively and efficiently.  The new Officers and Directors are listed at the end of this article.

 

The Annual Meeting, for those who could not attend, featured Dr. Bob Duncanson, Director Health and Environment for the Town of Chatham.  Bob walked us through what Chatham has been experiencing since they were the first town to receive the Estuaries Report from the State.  We expect to receive our first three reports on Bournes, Green and Great Ponds later this fall.  Based on Chatham’s experience, Falmouth is going to have to make some challenging decisions in order to improve the water quality in the three ponds.   We anticipate that FACES will be working closely with the Town as remediation action is developed.  In addition, we presented our third annual FACES Environmental Award to Carl E. Breivogel for his tireless devotion to safeguarding all of Falmouth’s herring runs and his foresight in helping to preserve Falmouth’s precious open space.

 

On October 7^th we held our Second Annual Leadership Conference for Association and Organizational Leaders.  We have an article in this newsletter which will give a summary of the meeting which dealt with the nutrient management issues facing the Town.  Suffice it to say, we received a lot of attention from the attendees and the press with a strong editorial endorsement from the Falmouth Enterprise (see related article).  We videotaped the conference and it has been broadcast on FCTV Channel 13 several times.  We have also made several copies and if you would like to borrow one, please contact Lana Brodziak at (508) 563-5937 and she will make arrangements to get one to you. 

 

I attended a couple of the Coonamessett River Restoration Working Group meetings and watched the briefings to the Selectmen by the Working Group as we had Board members on both sides of this controversial issue.  Selectman Virginia Valiela, Group Chair, struggled with developing a compromise position which satisfies those who want the river restored to its natural status and those that want to preserve cranberry growing on the river. FACES supports the efforts of the Working Group and hopes that the compromises reached will reduce the influence of nutrients on the Coonamessett River and ultimately Great Pond.

 

I look forward to working with our new Officers, Directors and members as we move forward with the Town’s nutrient management issues.

 

F. Bradley Stumcke Jr., President

 

New Officers and Directors:

President & Chairman: Brad Stumcke

VP Associations East: Dave Palmer

VP Associations North: Ralph Herbst

VP Associations West: Jack Barnes (acting)

VP Government: Judy Stetson

Treasurer/Finance Director: Peter Gallerani

VP Membership: Bruce Dobberteen

VP Communications: Lana Brodziak

Secretary: Maureen Conte

 

Directors: Joe Apicella, Wendi Buessler, Dan Carroll, Tom Durkin, Alan Fleer, Maggie Geist, Caroline Goldstein, Mary Little, James Lloyd, Hila Lyman, Priscilla Moor, Win Munro, Chris Neill, Mike Netto, Lynn Parks, Mark Rasmussen, John Ross, Julia Taylor, Gabby Tomasky and Peter Waasdorp.

Director Joe Apicella honored by Waquoit Bay National Estuary Research Reserve

Joe Apicella was recently recognized by WBNERR as one of two 2004 Volunteers of the Year.  Joe volunteers with WBNERR’s Research Department, is involved with water quality testing as a Baywatcher and surveying coastline change as a Coastwatcher.        Well done Joe!!

 

 

Second Annual Leadership Conference

The Second Annual Leadership Conference was held at the Woods Hole Research Center on Thursday October 7, 2004.  The purpose of the Conference was to have Town Officials bring the various FACES Associations and Organizations leaders up to date on the Town’s efforts to tackle the daunting task of preserving our coastal ponds from nutrient overloading and then have the leaders bring this message back to their respective groups.

 

Brad Stumcke opened the meeting by stating “we as residents and voters in Falmouth need to know the issues and then express our views to our representatives (town meeting members) so they can make best decision possible”.  Brad then Introduced Ahmed Mustafa, Chairman, Selectmen who assured the audience that the Selectmen are serious about solving the nutrient overloading of our ponds and “when our backs are up against the wall, we will solve the problem in Falmouth”.

 

Bob Writenhour, Town Administrator, stated, “water quality is the number one priority in the Town of Falmouth”.  He briefed all on the genesis of the new Nutrient Management Committee, which now brings together various Town departments and other entities to form a Town wide vision of what needs to be done.  Bob has charged the group to develop a unified strategy to attack the water quality issues on a watershed basis.  He further stated that “the Town is at a critical crossroads in deciding what the future of this Town will be. This generation needs to act”.  He emphasized that we need a consensus to proceed and it has to be well coordinated with the State and the Estuaries Project.

 

Dr. Ken Foreman, Chairman of the Planning Board gave a presentation “Putting Nitrogen Pollution in Prospective” with a global scale overview of nitrogen pollution and how it translates into Falmouth’s problems.  Next Amy Lowell, Falmouth Wastewater Superintendent reviewed the status of the present wastewater coverage and facilities noting that the Town has only 3% of the town properties hooked up to the present plant.  She reviewed the recent progress the Town has made in both the upgrading of the current plant but also the planning process to include other areas of Falmouth for future sewering.  Lastly she reminded the audience that we are expecting the Estuaries report on Bournes, Green and Great Ponds this fall and the State will assign targets for nitrogen concentration for each pond by limiting the Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) to each pond.  During the question phase, Amy was asked about the potential use of the Augusta property and Golf Course purchases.  She responded that “we are looking at them for possible sites for treated water discharge and the golf course as a potential treatment plant site”.  When asked how far east she was looking at she stated ″all the way from Little Pond to Mashpee.  I am working with Mashpee wastewater planners who are looking at our common watersheds”.

 

Jack Barnes, Chairman, Falmouth Ashumet Plume Citizens Committee (FAPCC) reviewed the significant milestones of FAPPC and spoke about the idea of a town-wide nutrient management integrated system.   The new and novel approach to nutrient management was developed to overcome some of the pitfalls with earlier planning, specifically New Silver Beach and would not piecemeal the financial approach to paying the multi-million dollar bills.  Specifically it would start out with mapping the Town so that a town wide plan could be put together.  It would help answer the question, do we need to sewer all parts of Town?  It would help focus on Planning and Health Board issues and it would take a hard and searching look at funding alternatives.  The system envisioned by Jack would ”declare immediately the Town would take responsibility to maintain, upgrade and /or replace every private septic system and waste treatment system in Town and secondly declare that, in principle, every school property is available for use as a leaching field”.  Everyone in Town then would share the cost of nutrient management and a Town utility would have to be formed to manage the program.

 

The final speaker was Maggie Geist, Executive Director, Association to Preserve Cape Cod, who presented the highlights of the Tools Report entitled Enhancing Wastewater Management on Cape Cod: Planning, Administration and Legal Tools. The report was funded by the Cape Cod Commission and is being received as a very comprehensive review of the Cape’s wastewater issues along with many observations, interim tools and recommendations for action.  Maggie pointed out that “most towns on the Cape have shared watersheds so looking at nutrient management from a watershed basis will require close coordination with neighboring towns”.  The issue of who pays is discussed as well as how to handle 40B projects which are not subject to locally imposed wastewater regulations.  She urged residents to go to the Commission website www.capecodcommission.org and download the Tools Report three page Executive Summary who has a long list of recommended solutions.

 

Brad wrapped up the Conference by “challenging everyone here tonight to take an interest and offer suggestions.  FACES is standing by to help in this endeavor”.  He further stated “that it isn’t going to be an easy task, as we know from the New Silver Beach experience.  Let’s not be divisive but inclusive in our deliberations.  We all have a stake in this”.

 

The attentive audience representing 24 Associations and other interested residents paid close attention and asked several questions regarding the timing and cost of nutrient overloading remediation actions.  Notably there were no questions raised on the need to get on with the job!

 

Strong Interest In Water Protection

Re-print of Falmouth Enterprise editorial 10/15/04

 

That a meeting on nutrient overloading and coastal pond protection brought out nearly 50 people on a weekday evening says a great deal about the level of the issue in Falmouth.

Usually, when 50 people show up for a meeting, or even if 25 people attend, the issue is one that affects those people directly and immediately.  The gradual deterioration of the town’s coastal ponds and the long-term solutions to save the ponds are immediate, hot-button issues.  Yet numerous town officials and representatives of civic associations all took the time to attend last week’s meeting sponsored by FACES, Falmouth Associations Concerned with Estuaries and Saltponds, for an update on the town’s efforts to tackle nutrient overloading.  It shows that town leaders, both in town hall and outside town hall, get it.  They know that saving our water quality is one of the most important and daunting problems that must be addressed.

FACES deserves credit for taking on the mission of protecting the coastal ponds.  The coalition of neighborhood and civic organizations joined forces early on with the Ashumet Plume Citizens Committee, which was responsible for studying the problem of nitrogen overload in Great, Green and Bournes ponds and developing recommendations to limit the excess nitrogen.  The Committee did its work, and now FACES has gone further to become a leader in raising community-wide awareness of both the problem and the complex solutions.

Reprinted with permission of the Falmouth Enterprise.

 

 

 

Falmouth Ashumet Plume Citizens Committee: Activity Update

Falmouth Friendly Lawn Fall Program: To thank the 79 Falmouth organizations that participated in the FFL Care Certification program, we distributed more than 100 Honor Roll posters to display the names of the organizations and the limited amounts of nitrogen fertilizer they are using in 2004. The Honor Roll also ran as a large ad in the Falmouth Enterprise. Churches with FFL Care Certificates also are displaying the 2005 edition of the FFL Care Brochure that also is available at Town Hall.

 

FFL Care recommends fertilizing in the fall, and our six local garden supply stores are displaying a consumer information flyer that explains how to read the label on fertilizer bags to help buyers save money and reduce nitrogen leaching by purchasing limited amounts of the right type of fertilizer --- slow release --- and using the right spreader settings.  The reverse side of the flyer lists the nine essential points of FFL Care for folks to take home.  Many thanks to Joan Muller of Waquoit Bay National Estuary Research Reserve for designing the flyer. 

 

FAPCC’s Future: As FAPCC begins its 7th year, Dave Palmer and I have been holding interviews with each Selectmen and the new Chair of the Finance Committee.  We are asking their support for a permanent home in Town Government for the FFL Campaign; a pilot test of woodchip technology to de-nitrify surface fresh water discharging into Green Pond; and to consider a potential role for a FAPCC-like citizens committee to help the town develop a comprehensive and integrated plan to stop nitrogen pollution of our bays and ponds and comply with forthcoming DEP loading limits.  There remains some $2.5 million in USAF funding that could help leverage progress on all three subjects.

Jack E. Barnes

 

Websites:

There are two websites that contain information concerning the ongoing efforts to improve the water quality of our estuaries and saltponds. FACES’ site is:

 

http://www.geocities.com/faces02541

 

and the Falmouth Ashumet Plume Citizen’s Committee website is:

 

 http://www.geocities.com/ashumet2001. 

How Can I Help?

Your cooperation, your interest and your support are important to us.  Your involvement will not only give us the financial support but the incentive to promote the changes we know that must be made.

 

Last year we established the Preserve Falmouth Bays and Pond (PFB&P) fund.  The stated goal of the Fund is: “To inform Falmouth citizens about nutrient pollution and potential actions to restore a healthy environment in our bays and ponds”. Donations to the Fund are tax-deductible to donors who do not have to be FACES members.  As funding needs arise, the Fund will create more flexibility to raise funds from the public for specific projects as well as for general support of Fund goals.  Contributions from FACES members will be most welcome, of course, and dues envelopes will allow extra contributions to be marked for the Fund. Selecting significant projects for PFB&P funding will be an important task in the months and years ahead.  An example could be to increase the number of prizes awarded at Science Fairs for projects addressing coastal water quality issues.  Another example might be a “Your Watershed Address” program to increase awareness about who lives in the neighborhood that actually contributes to nutrient loading of each pond.

 

If you have paid your dues and would like to give a tax-free donation, you may send it to:          FACES

            PO Box 156

            Falmouth, MA 02541

 

In addition, FACES has t-shirts with the PFB&P logo and they come in many sizes and colors.  Buy some for yourself, your kids and the grandkids. 

 

FACES thanks you for your support.  You are really helping everyone create a cleaner, healthier environment.

 

 

 

 

GROUP MEMBERSHIP LIST November 2004

Acapesket Improvement Association Inc.

Ashley Meadows Homeowners Assoc.

Ashumet Valley Property Owners

Association for the Preservation of Cape Cod

Belvidere Plains Association

Bournes Pond Village Homeowners Association

Chapoquoit Association

Chapoquoit Yacht Club

Citizens for Preservation of Waquoit Bay

Cliffs Association

Coalition for Buzzards Bay

Coonamessett Pond Association

Craggy Ridge Homeowners Association

Cumloden Associates

Davisville Civic Association

Falmouth Garden Club

Falmouth Heights Maravista Association

Falmouth Newcomers Club

Falmouth Yacht Club

Falmouthport Condominium Trust

Falmouthport Yacht Club

Fisherman’s Cove Homeowners Association

Friends of Oyster Pond

Great Harbors Residents Association

Holley Sands Homeowners Association

Lantern Acres Association

League of Women Voters

Little Island Beach Preservation Trust

Mares Pond Association Inc.

Megansett Yacht Club

Menauhant Landowners Association

Menauhant Yacht Club

Metoxit Point Association

Natures Circle

New Silver Beach Association

North Falmouth Village Association

Old Silver Beach Estates Homeowners

Oyster Pond Environmental Trust, Inc.

Perch Pond Association

Pine Bay Association

Pinecrest Beach Improvement Assoc.

Quamquisset Beach Club

Quissett Association Inc.

Quissett Harbor House Land Trust Inc.

Saconesset Hills Association

Salt Pond Areas Bird Sanctuaries

Sandpoint Shores Association

Seacoast Shores Association Inc.

Shorewood Beach Association, Inc.

Sippewissett Association

Sippewissett Place Homeowners Assoc.

Summerset Hills Association

Teaticket Civic Association

The 300 Committee

Waquoit Bay Association

Water By Estates

West Falmouth Boat Club Inc.

West Falmouth Civic Association

Wild Harbor Estates Homeowners Council Trust

Woods Hole Community Association

Woods Hole Research Center

 

 

FACES  Newsletter

Spring 2004

 

VOL 9

 

 

Falmouth Associations Concerned with Estuaries and Saltponds

______________________________

 

Message from the Chairman

Pat Flynn

 

This past winter FACES received a significant grant from the Sholley Foundation to continue our public education on the deteriorating health of our coastal ponds.  I would like to publicly acknowledge Peter and Nancy Sholley and their family for their generosity.  You will read further in this newsletter the projects that we are pursuing with the grant.

 

As many of you know, FACES was a strong supporter of the Town Meeting approval of the land purchase which included the Falmouth Country Club and more importantly the associated open space.  With the deteriorating water quality in Bournes and Green ponds and the golf course being in both those watersheds, the acquisition presented an unique opportunity for all.  In addition, it was the consensus of most that a waste treatment plant is desperately needed for the densely populated peninsulas of East Falmouth and the associated open space is a suitable site for such a plant.  The added bonus is that the effluent (gray water) from the plant could be used by the golf course for watering purposes.

 

I would like to urge anyone who shares the interests of FACES and has the time to consider joining our Board of Directors.  We have some vacancies and need new members.  The present Board is a diverse group from across the Town of Falmouth and the board meetings enjoy lively discussions of the ground water quality issues confronting our Town.  Please contact me, a board member you know or the Nominating Committee at (508) 540-2392 or [email protected].

 

Annual Meeting

 

The FACES Annual Meeting will be held on Wednesday, July 21, 2004 at the Sea Education Association headquarters at 171 Woods Hole Road, Falmouth.  We will have light refreshments on the porch from 6:30 to 7:00 pm and the meeting will start at 7:00 pm.  As usual, we will be awarding the annual Falmouth Environmental Leadership Award to a most worthy Town resident.

 

 David R. Palmer

 

In our Fall 2003 Newsletter, we were remiss in not mentioning that our former President, David Palmer, was awarded the prestigious The Coalition for Buzzards Bay “Guardian Award” for his leadership of FACES and raising the awareness of the nitrogen pollution that is effecting our coastal ponds. Well done David!

 

Shortly after accepting the award, David and his wife, Stasia, set sail in their new boat for the warmer waters of the Bahamas to enjoy the winter.  We are happy to report that they had a fabulous experience but are looking forward to returning to Waquoit Bay and home again.  LATE FLASH They are due back on Friday, May 18,2004.

Brad Stumcke

 

 

Environmental Awareness

 

Last winter FACES was very fortunate to be awarded a grant from The Sholley Foundation to “further the awareness of the environmental issues facing the Town of Falmouth”. 

 

Lana Brodziak has been developing a computer slide presentation, using PowerPoint software. Using the latest in the state-of-the-art equipment, the presentation will focus on educating the audiences about the numerous problems facing our community with nitrogen overloading in our watersheds.  The presentation will also focus on actions individuals can take to reduce their own nitrogen impacts on the watersheds.  The slides are currently being refined and we anticipate unveiling the civic group presentation at our Annual meeting.  Additional presentation materials are being developed that will be used at various events such as the Barnstable County Fair, the WBNERR Block Party, etc. 

 

Secondly, we are working with a graphic designer to put last summer’s 20 Falmouth Friendly Lawn articles into a booklet for distribution to libraries, schools, civic associations and other interested parties.  The articles, authored mostly by Tim Traver, an environmental author, appeared throughout last summer in the Falmouth Enterprise.  Again, we are targeting the annual meeting for completion.

Brad Stumcke

 

 

Science Fair Awards

 

Last winter FACES sponsored $250.00 awards for the best environmental projects for the Falmouth High School and Falmouth Academy Science Fairs.  The awards were given to the best projects dealing with water quality issues with our coastal ponds.

 

The Falmouth High School winners, Anna Peterson and Ashley Yoerger, had a project, which investigated the effects of tetrachloroethylene (PCE) on marsh flora in a simulated environment analogous to Red Brook Harbor.  Like some research projects whose results are unexpected, they did not find any effects upon their various subjects, which were exposed to the tetrachloroethylene.  However their project was of such caliber that it also won the Salt Pond Area Bird Sanctuaries first place award and they went on to the regionals but did not advance to the State finals.

 

The Falmouth Academy award was won by Alex Hayes whose project Eutrophication Hunting in Duxbury attempted to find nitrate and phosphate in six ponds.  He chose three ponds near golf courses and three away from golf courses.  The results showed that the nutrient levels in the ponds near the golf courses were higher than the ponds away from the golf courses.  Fortunately these ponds were not in Falmouth but in Duxbury!!

 

As the subject of the deteriorating health of our coastal ponds become more known we hope that the students will continue to do research on this subject.

Brad Stumcke

 

FAPCC Efforts

 

For the past several months, the Falmouth Ashumet Plume Citizens Committee (FAPPC) has focused on two projects: wood chips as a de-nitrification media, and the Falmouth Friendly Lawn Certification program.  Certification is a major new campaign of the FFL program; Hila Lyman writes below about other activities taking place as part of the overall FFL program.

 

Last July, FAPCC presented an evaluation of treatment wetland designs to the Town Administration.  The evaluation process began with informal contacts with more than a dozen experts in the field, followed by feasibility proposals presented at a workshop by three consultants, follow-up discussions with those consultants to clarify design and cost assumptions, and an appraisal of the underlying science by a panel of Woods Hole experts.  Based on that effort, FAPCC recommended a pilot test of wood chip media to de-nitrify surface discharges from Mill Pond into Green Pond to demonstrate whether that media could remove as much nitrogen coming from the upper watersheds of East Falmouth ponds as sewering the entire area.  If so, the cost savings to home owners and taxpayers would be enormous, and the benefit to water quality would be immediate.

 

Last November, FAPCC identified a project at the University of Rhode Island to test the use of wood chips as a sub-surface filter to intercept groundwater upwelling into to coastal ponds.   To benefit from potential synergies, FAPCC developed specifications for a Green Pond test that reflected the URI test plan and wrote the technical specifications for the Town of Falmouth to issue a Request for Proposal.  In January, FAPCC asked the Town Administration to release an RFP in order to begin a Falmouth test in time to coincide with the URI project.  The Administration decided to postpone any test because proceeding with a pilot test now would be inconsistent with the schedule of the Town's current wastewater planning process.

 

On the other hand, great progress has been made in FFL Certification thanks to hard work by a special task group, mainly of FACES directors.  Volunteers apply for FFL Certification by undertaking to limit their use of fertilizer nitrogen to FFL Care standards.  The standards are based on what typical established lawns need to stay healthy and vary with the amount of lawn traffic.  In general, home lawns are classified as Light Duty, campus-type lawns as Medium Duty, and golf fairways or sport fields as Heavy Duty.  The fertilizer nitrogen rates are: 0 to 1 lb N/1000 sq ft/year for Light; 1 to 2 lbs N for Medium and 2 to 3 lbs N for Heavy Duty. 

 

FFL Certificates are awarded by the Falmouth Selectmen.  Thus far, 59 organizations have qualified, including: 5 of Falmouth’s 6 golf courses; virtually all Town-owned turf; all campuses of our scientific and healthcare institutions; a dozen other local institutions and yacht clubs; more than half a dozen churches; and several banks, restaurants and other businesses.  Another round of awards will take place in June when we hope many other churches, inns and home owner associations will be recognized.

 

The great majority of Certificates are for Light Duty: 0 to 1 lb of nitrogen per 1000 sq ft/year.  Surveys in the East Falmouth watersheds indicate about half the home owners use 0 to 1 lb N.  The other half, however, use higher rates – often even exceeding the rates for golf course fairways that are pounded by thousands of cart trips a year.  Many of such “heavy users” hire lawns services.

 

To reach out to lawns service providers, we held a special workshop in February for lawn care professionals and are working with a few volunteers to develop a FFL Certification program that professionals can offer to their retail customers.  The following professionals working with us have received FFL Certificates: FL Briggs Landscaping; Rapoza Landscape & Lawn Care; Davey Tree & Lawn Experts; Bartlett Tree Experts; Mahoney’s Garden Center and Seaside Gardens.  Homeowners interested in applying can pick up application forms and bumper stickers at Town Hall [look in the vestibule brochure rack].  For questions about FFL Certification: email [email protected].

Jack Barnes

 

Falmouth Friendly Lawn

 

This year FACES has been supporting the Falmouth Friendly Lawn campaign in two directions. The first is continuing to educate the general public on how to maintain a FFL.  We are doing this by sending out revised postcards (spring postcard already sent) to remind people of what they should or should not do at a particular time of the season. Last fall our Fertilizer Committee, working with the Falmouth Garden Club, the League of Women Voters and WBNERR, developed an Ecological Landscaping on Cape Cod brochure to encourage people to "Garden Away Your Lawn". We have placed a few copies at the local nurseries, and will be developing a plan to further distribute them during the coming months.  Lastly, we have developed a brief one-page primer on how to read the fertilizer label which is on the back of ALL fertilizer bags.
             We're proud of the success of the FFL Campaign and the support FACES has given the Campaign. Our message is important to not only Falmouth, but to other towns on the Cape and on the mainland. We are becoming known as leaders in this educational effort, and have been asked to share our message with other towns. In May we attended the Orleans Pond Coalition evening and handed out information on how to maintain a FFL, how to read a fertilizer label, and how to convert portions of your lawn to naturalized plantings. Since then, I've given talks to The Wareham Garden Club Educational Public Meeting, the Garden Club of Buzzard's Bay, The Mattapoissett Land Trust, and the Coalition for Buzzard's Bay. We also had an Educational Exhibit at the Garden Club Federation of MA spring meeting and Americorps Earth Celebration 2004 at the Fairgrounds. It's a good feeling to know that people are beginning to realize how important the nitrogen overloading problem of our coastal ponds is and to be able to share our knowledge with them.

Hila Lyman

 

Regional Wastewater Planning

 

Barnstable County has established a “Blue Ribbon” committee to weigh the value of creating a regional entity to address the problem of the lack of adequate wastewater infrastructure on Cape Cod.  The County formed this committee in response to a proposal from APCC¹s Business Roundtable that a regional entity makes hydrogeologic, economic and political sense. The Roundtable is not advocating for large central treatment plants, but rather for a concentrated regional focus on the issue.

The committee, comprised of representatives from towns that are actively involved in wastewater planning, from the county and from the Roundtable has been meeting every two weeks to discuss this problem.  Amy Lowell represents Falmouth on the committee.  Falmouth resident Maggie Geist, is an alternate representative for the APCC Business Roundtable. Maggie Geist

                        

 FACES Facts

 

1. Title V septic systems do NOT remove the nitrogen from the effluent.
2. Septic systems and cesspools contribute approximately 50% of the nitrogen to our coastal ponds.
3. Lawn fertilizers contribute approximately 15-20% of the nitrogen to our ground water and coastal ponds.
4. The remaining nitrogen loading comes from atmospheric deposition, including run-off from roofs and paved surfaces.
5. From pondwatchers data, nitrogen pollution is increasing in our coastal ponds.
6. Saltwater bodies with nitrogen concentrations exceeding 0.5 parts per million (ppm) are classified as significantly impaired.
7. The 0.5 ppm impairment line in Green Pond in East Falmouth has spread from the upper third in 1987 southward to the bridge in 2000. Pond algae attest to that.
8. Other coastal ponds in East and West/North Falmouth exhibit similar deterioration.
9. Our coastal ponds are an extraordinary economic resource that benefits the entire Town; nearly 40% of Town’s residential tax valuation and annual revenue is water dependent -- water-side or water-view.
10. If water-dependent tax valuations shrink because of polluted ponds, everyone else will have to pick up the shortfall in tax revenue!!

 

The Coonamessett River

 

The creation of natural wetlands along the banks of the Coonamessett should be a central part of any Coonamessett River restoration plan, according to the February 26 presentation made by the Coonamessett River Park Coalition to the Falmouth Coonamessett River Working Group, the Town committee charged with developing a plan for the publicly-owned bogs.

The Coalition’s plan calls for the restoration of natural wetlands to create natural buffers along the river that would function as zones of nitrogen removal and as wildlife habitat. Three hundred foot wide buffers, recommended in the Coalition’s plan, offer the maximum benefit for fish and wildlife habitat and nutrient removal. FACES is a supporting member of the Coonamessett River Park Coalition.

Currently, the Coonamessett has no bordering natural wetlands. A shift from cranberries to a natural wetland plant community adjacent to the river would eliminate the nitrogen fertilizer now applied to the bogs. It would also help filter nitrogen from the 8-10 million gallons of groundwater that enter the river daily between Sandwich Road and Great Pond.

In the Coalition’s plan, cranberry agriculture would be preserved as organic or community-harvest bogs with greatly reduced fertilizer and pesticide use where the bogs do not directly border the Coonamessett River, such as near Flax Pond.

Restoration would also improve the river channel itself through the installation of simple flow deflectors to create pools and riffles and by allowing natural overhanging vegetation to provide cover and lower temperatures.

The Town Bog Working Group also heard a proposal by the Handy Cranberry Trust to construct 15-foot wide earthen berms along the river to separate the bogs from the river. The Park Coalition opposes this plan because it would further separate the river from its floodplain and do little to improve habitat in the river corridor. Berm construction would be expensive and would require filling from two to four acres of wetlands. This would be the largest wetland fill project in Falmouth’s history and would require a large number of local, state and federal permits.

Berms would not enhance nitrogen removal along the river and would not be compatible with the recommendation of the Ashumet Plume Citizens Committee to construct a wetland in the bogs to increase nitrogen removal.

The Coonamessett River is Falmouth’s most important herring run. Former Town shellfish and herring warden Paul Montague, and recipient of FACES first Environmental Leadership Award, told the Town Working Group that the run could be five to eight times larger if river management was more tuned to the needs of migrating herring.

To determine the strength of the current herring run and provide a baseline from which future restoration could be judged, the Coonamessett River Park Coalition organized a volunteer herring count. More than 40 volunteers are participating in the count. Every day since April 1 volunteers record the number of fish moving upstream through a water control structure between the Lower and Middle Bogs. Counters make two five-minute counts during a one-hour period for which they volunteer. The count will run through the end of June.

 

More biological information on the river will be collected thanks to grants from the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), which in April contracted the consulting firm of Horsley Witten Group to conduct a basic study of the hydrology of the river. Horsley Witten hydrologist Neal Price explained that the study will define the boundaries of the Coonamessett River watershed and develop a water budget for the river, including quantifying the groundwater contribution to the area below Sandwich Road.

The DEP also contracted biologist Charles Katuska to conduct a biological inventory of the river and its associated bogs and uplands. Katuska said he will compile information on birds, mammals, plants, fish and aquatic animals of the Coonamessett. He will also identify reference stretches of river that could serve as examples of what wetlands along the Coonamessett could be restored to.

Coonamessett Working Group meetings are the second and fourth Thursdays of every month in the Civil Defense room of the Town Hall. The Group is expected to make a recommendation to the Board of Selectmen in the fall. Additional information can be found at the Working Group’s web site http://www.town.falmouth.ma.us/depart.php?depkey=coonamesse

Chris Neill and Wendi Buesseler

 

            

Websites

 

There are two websites that contain information concerning the ongoing efforts to improve the water quality of our estuaries and saltponds. FACES’ site is www.geocities.com/faces02541 and the FAPCC website is www.geocities.com/ashumet2001.  The latter website has the background info on all ongoing efforts and programs. 

Brad Stumcke

 

                       Dues for 2004-2005

Enclosed with this Newsletter is the FACES membership notice envelope for the coming year.  We hope you will continue your vital support of our mission to clean up our bays and estuaries.  The Falmouth Friendly Lawn campaign has been highly successful thanks to your support.

Peter Gallerani

 

How Can I Help?

 

Your cooperation, your interest and your support are important to us.  Your involvement will not only give us the financial support but the incentive to promote the changes we know that must be made.

 

Last year we established the Preserve Falmouth Bays and Pond (PFB&P) fund.  The stated goal of the Fund is: “To inform Falmouth citizens about nutrient pollution and potential actions to restore a healthy environment in our bays and ponds”. Donations to the Fund are tax-deductible to donors who do not have to be FACES members.  As funding needs arise, the Fund will create more flexibility to raise funds from the public for specific projects as well as for general support of Fund goals.  Contributions from FACES members will be most welcome, of course, and dues envelopes will allow extra contributions to be marked for the Fund. Selecting significant projects for PFB&P funding will be an important task in the months and years ahead.  An example could be to increase the number of prizes awarded at Science Fairs for projects addressing coastal water quality issues.  Another example might be a “Your Watershed Address” program to increase awareness about who lives in the neighborhood that actually contributes to nutrient loading of each pond.

 

If you have paid your dues and would like to give a tax-free donation, you may send it to:          FACES

            PO Box 156

            Falmouth, MA 02541

 

In addition, FACES has t-shirts with the PFB&P logo and they come in many sizes and colors.  Come to Annual meeting and buy some  for yourself, your kids and the grandkids.

 

FACES thanks you for your support.  You are really helping everyone create a cleaner, healthier environment.

 

 

 

GROUP MEMBERSHIP (May 2004)

 

Acapesket Improvement Association Inc.

 

Ashley Meadows Homeowners Assoc.

 

Ashumet Valley Property Owners

 

Association for the Preservation of

Cape Cod

 

Belvidere Plains Association

 

Bournes Pond Village Homeowners Association

 

Chapoquoit Association

 

Chapoquoit Yacht Club

 

Citizens for Preservation of Waquoit Bay

 

Cliffs Association

 

Coalition for Buzzards Bay

 

Coonamessett Pond Association

 

Craggy Ridge Homeowners Association

 

Cumloden Associates

 

Davisville Civic Association

 

Falmouth Garden Club

 

Falmouth Heights Maravista Association

 

Falmouth Newcomers Club

 

Falmouth Yacht Club

 

Falmouthport Condominium Trust

 

Falmouthport Yacht Club

 

Fisherman’s Cove Homeowners Association

 

Friends of Oyster Pond

 

Great Harbors Residents Association

 

Holley Sands Homeowners Association

 

Lantern Acres Association

 

League of Women Voters

 

Little Island Beach Preservation Trust

 

Mares Pond Association Inc.

 

Megansett Yacht Club

 

Menauhant Landowners Association

 

Menauhant Yacht Club

 

Metoxit Point Association

 

Natures Circle

 

New Silver Beach Association

 

North Falmouth Village Association

 

Old Silver Beach Estates Homeowners

 

Oyster Pond Environmental Trust, Inc.

 

Perch Pond Association

 

Pine Bay Association

 

Pinecrest Beach Improvement Assoc.

 

Quamquisset Beach Club

 

Quissett Association Inc.

 

Quissett Harbor House Land Trust Inc.

 

Saconesset Hills Association

 

Salt Pond Areas Bird Sanctuaries

 

Sandpoint Shores Association

 

Seacoast Shores Association Inc.

 

Shorewood Beach Association, Inc.

 

Sippewissett Association

 

Sippewissett Place Homeowners Assoc.

 

Summerset Hills Association

 

Teaticket Civic Association

 

The 300 Committee

 

Waquoit Bay Association

 

Water By Estates

 

West Falmouth Boat Club Inc.

 

West Falmouth Civic Association

 

Wild Harbor Estates Homeowners Council Trust

 

Woods Hole Community Association

 

Woods Hole Research Center

 

FACES  Newsletter

Fall 2003

 

VOL 8

 

Falmouth Associations Concerned with Estuaries and Saltponds

 ________________________________________________________________

Message from the Chairman

Pat Flynn

 

I am honored to have been asked by the Board of Directors of FACES to be part of their restructuring plans last spring.  The Board decided to institute the position of CEO to be able to reach out to more and more individuals and organizations in Town while allowing the internal operations to be carried out by the President and the staff.  I will enumerate the organization at the end of this article.

At our Annual Meeting on July 22, 2003, the new organization was approved by the membership.  Outgoing President David Palmer gave his overall perspective of Faces and how it has grown in the last six years under his leadership.  He thanked everyone for their support and urged the “new” FACES to continue to grow and become a stronger voice for improved water conditions in our estuaries and saltponds.

When David turned the gavel over to me, I knew that FACES was a multi-talented
and dedicated organization.  However, I was astounded at the commitment and
progress it has made over the years.  There are a number of important and significant initiatives, developed by consensus, which are critical to moving us forward.  A necessary component to that success is reaching out and engaging partners to the process. That is one of my goals which I know you share.  To those of you who read this and are not members, please join.
We need you.

For those of you who know David and Stasia, they are presently in Jekyll Island, Georgia, sailing the Intercoastal Canal Waterway towards the Caribbean for the winter.  They are having quite an exciting trip. 

As promised here is the new FACES alignment:

Officers:          

Chairman and CEO: Mary (Pat) Flynn

President and COO: F. Bradley Stumcke, Jr.   

Vice President: Ralph Herbst

Treasurer: Peter Gallerani

Secretary: Mary Little  

 

Directors:

Joe Apicella, Jack Barnes, Lana Brodziak, Wendi Buesseler, Maureen Conte, Bruce Dobberteen, Alan Fleer, Maggie Geist, George Hampson, Jim Lloyd, Hila Lyman, Nancy McDonald, Chris Neill, David Palmer, Mark Rasmussen, John Ross, Bernie Stecher, Judy Stetson                  

Falmouth Environmental Leadership Award

 

At the annual meeting, Margaret Hough Russell, Editor and Publisher of the Falmouth Enterprise received the Second Annual Falmouth Environmental Leadership Award.  Margaret and her Enterprise team were chosen because of their great support of FACES’ goal to educate the public.  Ms. Russell thanked FACES for the award and for what the organization does for the town.  She believes that the Enterprise is a reflection of what goes on in Falmouth and she is impressed by the activism of many organizations, including FACES.  She was presented with a plaque and a jacket.  Brad Stumcke

 

Falmouth Ashumet Plume Citizens Committee (FAPCC)

 

Over the past several months, three significant actions have taken place.  In July, FAPCC provided the Town Administrator an evaluation of the potential to use an innovative design concept, treatment wetlands, as the main mechanism for removing nitrogen being generated in watershed sections north of the Route 28 culverts in East Falmouth.  

 

Also in July, Selectmen approved a new outreach program for the Falmouth Friendly Lawn program; launch of the new program, called Seal of Approval, was announced in September.  Also in September, the Town Manger’s Nutrient Management Working Group, on which FAPCC’s Chairman serves, had its first meeting with State managers of the Estuaries Project for Falmouth coastal ponds.

 

The innovative treatment wetlands design intercepts stream water flowing into the coastal ponds, pumps it through a substrate consisting mainly of carbon-rich wood by-products, and returns the nearly-nitrogen-free effluent water to the stream.  Based on limited sampling of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) present in the stream water, and DIN removal results from using the substrate to treat storm water and septic effluent, it appears that a capital investment of less than $5 million would be required to remove as much DIN discharging in Great, Green and Bournes Ponds from upper watershed sources as would a $50+ million central waste treatment system.  FAPCC is now working with the Town to contract for testing to validate the water chemistry and substrate performance assumptions.

 

Seal of Approval is a voluntary program to encourage firms and individuals to conserve their use of fertilizer nitrogen.  Surveys indicate that half of Falmouth homeowners use 0 to 1 lb of nitrogen per 1000 sq ft of lawn per year, which is what the Falmouth Friendly Lawn program recommends.  The amount of run-off and leaching from such limited amounts of nitrogen has very little impact on nitrogen pollution of our coastal ponds.  The other half of Falmouth homeowners, however, uses 2 to 4+ lbs N/1000 sq ft/yr which equals or exceeds the rate used on local golf courses to maintain turf subject to very heavy duty use by tens of thousands of cart trips per year. 

 

The amount of fertilizer needed to maintain healthy turf is heavily dependent on the type of use each lawn is exposed to.  Most home and business lawns see only light duty use and thus don’t need more fertilizer than FFL recommends --- remembering that rainfall and recycled clippings are an important natural source of nitrogen.  The first phase of SOA is to provide real-life demonstrations of healthy lawns maintained by matching fertilizer rate to the type of use.  Golf courses, town properties, local scientific and other institutions, banks, churches and inns are being asked to apply for SOA Certificates by identifying their type of use and agreeing to match their fertilizer use in 2004 to that type of use.  To give public recognition to such volunteers, Selectmen will award Certificates that carry the right to display the program logo and FFL label.  The first certificates are scheduled to be awarded at the Selectmen’s meeting on December 1,2003.

 

The Estuaries Project is a DEP-sponsored program that essentially expands upon the analysis and computer modeling carried out in 1998-2000 studies for FAPCC to identify the sources and magnitude of nitrogen loading to coastal ponds, select a “sentinel point” for targeting the maximum nitrogen loading to be allowed, and helping to estimate the impact of alternative approaches to nitrogen remediation.  A “sentinel point” is identified as a point in each pond at which a maximum nitrogen concentration level – for example about 0.37 parts per million in the case of West Falmouth Harbor – has to be met.  Downstream water must be purer than that, while upstream water can’t be so much worse that the sentinel point goal cannot be achieved.   The field work and analysis is being carried out by the School for Marine Science and Technology at UMASS and Applied Coastal Engineering that were contractors for earlier FAPCC studies.  The new reports for Great, Green and Bournes Ponds are expected to be released to the Town before year’s end.     John (Jack) Barnes

 

Falmouth Friendly Lawn

 

After reviewing many studies, the FFL Committee is now recommending that lawn fertilizer, when used at all, should be applied in the fall at a rate of no more than 1 lb of nitrogen per 1000 sq ft of lawn.

 

We felt that last year’s brochure needed to be revised to reflect that change as well as other comments we had received from the general public. We made the necessary changes and the revised brochure was mailed out to all homeowners in Falmouth. Because the brochure went out mid-summer, it was agreed that we would not mail out any post cards this year. We did, however, design a Spring postcard and revise the Summer and Fall postcards. We plan on  using these as our mailings for next year.

 

Shannon Goheen, our project coordinator, has designed a “How to Read a Fertilizer” handout which can also be made into a poster. Next spring these will go to businesses selling fertilizer.

 

As follow-up to the “How Much Grass do You Really Need?” question in the FFL brochure, a separate committee consisting of representatives of the FFL Committee, the Falmouth Garden Club, the LWV of Falmouth, and Waquoit Bay Estuarine Research Reserve developed a brochure on Ecological Landscaping. It is at the printers now, and will be available by Dec. We showed it to the town’s Conservation Committee, and they endorsed it. We will be showing it to other Town officials as soon as it’s printed. We are hoping to do a Garden Tour next summer which will highlight homes with ecologically landscaped areas to promote the concept. We anticipate that, if people see how attractive it can be, they will be willing to try it themselves. Hila Lyman

 

Green Beaches on Cape Cod by

George R. Hampson

 

 My job as a Marine Biologist allows me to  visit places where the general public usually doesn't have the urge or time to visit. Working for Woods Hole Group in Falmouth and School of Marine Science and Technology of UMass Dartmouth (SMAST), I sample marine sediments to help estimate the health of embayments. The numbers and kinds of marine creatures found in these sediments provide a "picture" and history of marine water quality.

 

July1st of this year, I spent the day on the water doing an eelgrass survey at the entrance of Hyannis Harbor. A prime example of a Cape Cod's cleanest environment by any standard. Cool Nantucket Sound water mixing with waters of the mouth of Hyannis Harbor. However, the water quality at the head of this same estuary, at Lewis Bay told a different story! The public launch ramp at Lewis Bay had several discarded fish frames scattered and rotting on the low intertidal. The once soft white sands of time past, were now masked by an extensive green algal scum covering the whole intertidal zone. What does this picture have in common with the green beaches found in Waquoit Bay and other parts of Falmouth?  
 
Eutrophication. A strange word, difficult to spell and most folks don't know what it means and others simply don't care. Basically it means "over fertilization" of an aquatic system. Time is on the side of this unchecked degrading process which has impacted water quality in New England and embayments all over the world.  Each natural parcel of land near to the sea on Cape Cod that is cleared of vegetation and has a structure placed upon it, will contribute in some small way towards eutrophication. The exception would be an embayment or river that is well flushed. Sewage leachates flowing landward to the sea from title V septage and street drainage are the major contributors. This has been well documented by Brian Howes, UMA Dartmouth-School of Marine Science and Ivan Valiela, Boston University Marine Program of MBL, and several other studies.
   
What happened in Lewis Bay and Waquoit Bay are prime examples of what's occurring within all our Falmouth Ponds with a restricted water body with minimal tide allowing little circulation and flushing. Nutrient rich "bouillabaisse mixtures" are slow to be diluted and get flushed out of the system. The nutrient rich water causes marine algae to explode in excessive growth cycles. Discarding filleted fish frames carcasses only make matters worse by increasing nutrient levels. Over time, increased eutrophication leads to closures of shellfish beds. Swimming closures follow. These are either mandated because of excess coliform counts, or people are not willing to swim in waters with obnoxious odors and poor water quality created from the rotting aquatic plants. What kind of recreation is left here?  Kayaking, canoeing, motor cruising or sailing perhaps. First two are impossible. Try pushing a paddle through mat algae. Motoring through the algae can easily clog the intakes of most power craft. Sailing perhaps would work! These restrictions of our water use in June through July are real. Get used to it! Next year it will only get worse. We have all this beautiful water on Cape Cod and eutrophication is beginning to take over and choke us. To do nothing eventually means that our recreation activities will gradually be curtailed within our Falmouth Ponds during the summer. All that attracted us to these areas will slowly be compromised. 
Good news is that most of the embayments on the Cape are now being monitored through the Massachusetts Estuaries Program run by DEP and UMA Dartmouth. Falmouth Pondwatchers also have been monitoring our ponds for over a decade. This datawill provide a historic prospective of dissolved oxygen, water clarity and poor water quality.

As individual, what we can do to help "change the tide". After we have "soiled our nest", where do we get help to purge the waters? Installing "on site" sewage treatment packages would help. These systems are being tested and adopted for individual houses and whole communities.  Problem is, costs for installation and maintenance can be prohibitive and the Towns are strapped for competing funds. 

 

I have witnessed other gross examples of discarded fish at Green Pond and bluefish fillets at Little Pond during my sampling for SMASS.  These activities are not from the "best practices manual" on how to reduce nutrient loading within a relatively closed system, nor an acceptable beautification award activity from the Cape Cod Chamber. The irresponsible abusers in these cases were a supposedly "environmentally sensitive" game fishermen. The culprits expect the frames to get eaten during the night by crabs and bait fish.  Doesn't occur, the frames sit and rot over several days. floating belly up on every beach in the neighborhood. All of this kind of nutrient loading adds to the problem. It’s the same as over fertilizing lawns to the water's edge; it’s nobody's problem really. All of this "blindness” reinforces my conviction that the public just "doesn't get it" and they don’t realize where we are headed. 

 

Can things get any worse? Are all of these eutrophic events restricted to the smaller estuaries? Can this algae explosion ever spread to an open estuary such as the open shores of Buzzards Bay? 

Near September's end during one of those splendid clear and warm days, I was snorkeling surveying shellfish at Nye's Neck, North Falmouth. Open to the sea, this site of Buzzards Bay is considered a "poster child "of water quality based on the a decade of water quality data from Coalition for Buzzards Bay. Water was still fairly warm for the end of September, around 70°. As I entered the water with my mask and snorkel, instantly I found out that my chance of seeing the bottom was nil. The whole area was covered with an extensive blanket of "Cladophora", the same invasive algal mat that plagued Waquoit in July. This algal mat over 18" in thickness resembling lime green "cotton candy", now covered the once lush eelgrass plants. Almost "extra terrestrial" in appearance extending out to 150' offshore in 10' of water depth. An observation made in my back yard, which I have never seen before in 50 years of diving experience within any location in the open shoreline of Buzzards Bay. As I relayed my information to our shellfish Constable, Paul Montague, he told me that the same kind of algae had blanketed the eelgrass and shellfish beds in West Falmouth Harbor. We exchanged stories and were almost speechless contemplating our thoughts as to where all these changes in water quality were taking us? Have we now seen our inshore problems of eutrophication now moving into open waters of Buzzards Bay? 

Time and next year events will only tell. To be continued…..

Organizational leader/representatives Meeting

 

The first Annual Meeting of organization leaders/representatives belonging to FACES, or interested in our goals, was held on June 26, 2003.  Thirty-five attendees enjoyed a light dinner while listening to five guest speakers talk about FACES’ mission, the Town’s perspective, leadership qualities potential solutions for our nutrient loading problems, and the Falmouth Friendly Lawn program.

 

Afterwards, the guests split up into five groups, appointed a spokesperson and brainstormed for 30 minutes on how FACES could better serve the community and their organizations.  Some excellent ideas were brought forth, including the following, as well as several other suggestions:

Requiring that 40B projects have mandatory group denitrification systems

Investigate other ways to reach the public, particularly summer residents

Coordinate our efforts with other similar organizations

Use Falmouth TV and brochures at beaches to help educate the public

Add technical information to our web site

Educate lawn services and landscapers about our concerns

Promote a town-wide bylaw (Mashpee has such a model) for fertilizer use on lawns situated directly on ponds and estuaries.

Change water rates to reduce water use abuses

 

The FACES Board will now consider which of these ideas to pursue during the next year.  We look forward to next year’s meeting to update the participants and to get new feedback from them.  We thank all those who participated and hope all organizations will be represented next year.

Ralph Herbst, Chairman, Organization’s Committee

 

Water Facts

 

Nearly all surface water features (streams, rivers, lakes, reservoirs, wetlands and estuaries) directly interact with groundwater.

 

Nationwide, groundwater is used as a source of drinking water by more than 140 million people.

 

On Cape Cod, groundwater is located an average of 8 to 10 feet above mean sea level.

 

More than 12 million gallons of contaminated groundwater from the Mass. Military Reservation are being treated on a daily basis. Lana Brodziak

 

Websites

 

There are two websites that contain information concerning the ongoing efforts to improve the water quality of our estuaries and saltponds. FACES’ site is www.geocities.com/faces02541 and the FAPCC is www.geocities.com/ashumet2001.  The latter website has the background info on all ongoing efforts and programs.  Brad Stumcke

Membership

 

As a recipeint of this newsletter, I'm sure you agree with our mission to clean up our bays and estuaries, but our effectiveness is reflected in our membership numbers.

We need to enroll as many members as possible to show our town officials that we have a broad base of support. If you have not yet sent in your dues please use the form in this newsletter. If you have sent in your dues please give this newsletter to a friend or relative and ask him /her to join you in making Falmouth a better place to live. We can't do it without you! Bernie Stetcher

 

 

 

 

How Can I Help?

 

Your cooperation, your interest and your support are important to us.  Your involvement will not only give us the financial support but the incentive to promote the changes we know that must be made.

 

If you received an envelope with this newsletter, our records indicate that you have not paid your dues for 2003.  If you have paid your dues and would like to give a tax-free donation, you may send it to:          FACES

            PO Box 156

            Falmouth, MA 02541

 

FACES thanks you for your support.  You are really helping everyone create a cleaner, healthier environment.

 

GROUP MEMBERSHIP (Nov 2003)

 

Acapesket Improvement Association Inc.

 

Ashley Meadows Homeowners Assoc.

 

Ashumet Valley Property Owners

 

Association for the Preservation of

Cape Cod

 

Belvidere Plains Association

 

Bournes Pond Village Homeowners Association

 

Chapoquoit Association

 

Chapoquoit Yacht Club

 

Citizens for Preservation of Waquoit Bay

 

Cliffs Association

 

Coalition for Buzzards Bay

 

Coonamessett Pond Association

 

Craggy Ridge Homeowners Association

 

Cumloden Associates

 

Davisville Civic Association

 

Falmouth Garden Club

 

Falmouth Heights Maravista Association

 

Falmouth Newcomers Club

 

Falmouth Yacht Club

 

Falmouthport Condominium Trust

Falmouthport Yacht Club

 

Fisherman’s Cove Homeowners Association

 

Friends of Oyster Pond

 

Great Harbors Residents Association

 

Holley Sands Homeowners Association

 

Lantern Acres Association

 

League of Women Voters

 

Little Island Beach Preservation Trust

 

Mares Pond Association Inc.

 

Megansett Yacht Club

 

Menauhant Landowners Association

 

Menauhant Yacht Club

 

Metoxit Point Association

 

Natures Circle

 

New Silver Beach Association

 

North Falmouth Village Association

 

Old Silver Beach Estates Homeowners

 

Oyster Pond Environmental Trust, Inc.

 

Perch Pond Association

 

Pine Bay Association

 

Pinecrest Beach Improvement Assoc.

 

Quamquisset Beach Club

 

Quissett Association Inc.

 

Quissett Harbor House Land Trust Inc.

 

Saconesset Hills Association

 

Salt Pond Areas Bird Sanctuaries

 

Sandpoint Shores Association

 

Seacoast Shores Association Inc.

 

Shorewood Beach Association, Inc.

 

Sippewissett Association

 

Sippewissett Place Homeowners Assoc.

 

Summerset Hills Association

 

Teaticket Civic Association

 

The 300 Committee

 

Waquoit Bay Association

 

Water By Estates

 

West Falmouth Boat Club Inc.

 

West Falmouth Civic Association

 

Wild Harbor Estates Homeowners Council Trust

 

Woods Hole Community Association

 

Woods Hole Research Center

 

 

 

FACES  Newsletter

Spring 2003

Vol. 7                                         

 

Falmouth Associations Concerned with Estuaries and Saltponds

______________________________

 

Message from the President

David Palmer

 

I am pleased to report that FACES’ growth continued in 2002, registering over a twenty-five percent increase in association and organization members to 53, and enjoying accelerating growth in individual memberships as well. Hand in hand, that growth was accompanied by increasing participation of FACES in community affairs related to nitrogen destruction of our bays and ponds. The problems are known; the solutions are known; what needs to rise to the occasion is the political will to implement the solutions. Falmouth residents need to be activists in solving these problems before they are out of control. The alternative is a severe threat to our property values and quality of life.

.

As Vice President Brad Stumcke mentions below in his summary of our new and continuing initiatives targeting nitrogen pollution, we have found initial success in collaborating with like-minded groups like the Falmouth Ashumet Plume Citizens Committee, and the Coonamessett River Park Coalition, and look forward to continuing our work with them. In addition other initiatives will be part of our 2003-4 efforts. We are fortunate enough to have the executive directors of the Coalition for Buzzards Bay and the Association for the Preservation of Cape Cod on our Board of Directors; and we also plan to work on joint efforts with them in the coming year.

 

To learn more about these initiatives and others, leaders of all FACES’ associations and organizations (or their representatives) and potential member groups will be invited to the First Annual FACES Leadership Conference on June 26^th.  A presentation and discussion program will take place focused on association/organization needs. Mary Pat Flynn, Carey Murphy, Jack Barnes (Chairman of the Falmouth Ashumet Plume Citizens Committee), and I will speak briefly. There will follow an interactive discussion among the association and organization leaders and/or representatives.  (See the article on page 6 for conference details).

 

Please read the Falmouth Friendly Lawn Campaign article below, and you will see why we are so proud of Hila Lyman and her team for creating a rapidly swelling momentum focused on slashing the use of chemical lawn fertilizer. Included this year will be guidelines for managing the activities of your often-misinformed lawn service providers.

 

You can follow the program by reading the regular Friday series of ENTERPRISE articles. Please help by adopting the recommended practices, which Hila’s team advocates. Most particularly, moving to one treatment per year with slow release fertilizer and that in the fall; and supporting the Preserve Falmouth Bays & Ponds Fund if you can – will help greatly; see Jack Barnes’ remarks further on in this letter. Managed properly, it is possible that systematic lawn feeding can actually save you money.

 

As we stride confidently over the threshold to new challenges, your board has concluded it is time to restructure FACES’ organization to reflect our concentration on sixteen challenging initiatives over the next five years.

 

Furthermore, with the accelerating growth mentioned above and the need for leadership experienced both with community affairs and association/organization guidance, it has become important to add new leadership strength and structure with skills and experience appropriate to these new challenges. A detailed discussion of these changes will take place at this year’s Annual Meeting on Tuesday, July 22d at 7:00PM at Falmouth’s Main Library. 

 

As always, we are very appreciative of your ongoing support. Please continue to tell other association/organization leaders and members about FACES, encourage them to join, and raise your own hand to volunteer your skills and experience to help us all move forward. And, most importantly, please help us to better understand how to communicate with your own individual members – a topic we’ll discuss at the Leadership Conference.

 

See you on July 22, 2003 at 7:00PM at the Falmouth Library for our annual meeting.  We will have more details on our website www.geocities.com/faces02541.

 

David R. Palmer

President

 

 

 

Initiatives for 2003

 

This past winter while things were relatively quiet in Falmouth, except for the snowstorms, the directors developed initiatives for the coming year.  President David Palmer charged each of us to put on our thinking caps.  Using the team approach we broke up into groups with the result that several initiatives with a team leader were identified.

 

First, we wanted to continue the strong support of the Falmouth Friendly Lawn Campaign led ably by Hila Lyman.  We are in year two now and trying to respond to the comments of the 2002 fall survey.  As FACES grows we wanted to continue our outreach to the various residents, civic associations and organizations in town to rally around improving the quality of the coastal waters and hopefully join FACES.  Since education is one of the keystones of Faces, we need as many spokespeople as we can recruit.

 

The Ashumet Plume Citizens Committee has two other goals, one being the pilot testing of a constructed wetlands and the other is the formation of nutrient management districts.  We want to support these goals and Jack Barnes is leading this effort.  Another initiative is the support of the Coonamessett River Park effort and we have all read how Wendi Buessler and her team have been successful in the recent Town Meeting.

 

Allan Fleer has urged us to support the efforts to complete the coastal pond overlay district efforts thus giving enabling authority to the Town to regulate nutrients entering surface waters.  Since our coastal waters are impacted by storm drain runoff, we want to support the Town’s program efforts and thanks to Peter Gallerani he is monitoring this effort.  Lastly, we wanted to recognize a student for his/her efforts to conduct a science project related to the nutrient overloading of our coastal ponds (see separate article).  Next year we want to include Falmouth Academy in our recognition.

 

Mary Little (508-548-3883) leads our volunteer efforts so contact her and tell her that you or a member of your association or organization would like to help as a volunteer. If you’d like to enroll with an individual membership ($10.00 per person or $15.00 for a family) call Bernie Stecher (508-540-7896). If you are an officer of an association or organization, please call Ralph Herbst (508-564-5562) and tell him you’d like to know more about what the $25.00 membership fee does for you.

Brad Stumcke

 

 

Falmouth Ashumet Plume Citizens Committee (FAPCC) Update

 

 

Recent months have seen progress in four important areas.  The Cape Cod Commission contracted with an environmental consultant to examine alternative way to organize nutrient management districts. The contract is for about $45,000 and provides for case study examples to be developed for Falmouth and three other towns, for release this summer. 

 

Falmouth has hired Amy Lowell to be Wastewater Superintendent.  For the first time, Town government will have a management person dedicated to this critical function.  We have met with Amy and look forward to a close and beneficial relationship.

One of Amy’s first assignments was to evaluate proposals for a facility study to treat wastewater from sewers to be built around West Falmouth Harbor, Falmouth Heights and in Maravista.  The contract, for about $200,000, was let to Stearns & Wheler of Hyannis who earlier studied the existing wastewater treatment plant upgrade. 

 

Spring Town Meeting approved --- eventually --- the purchase of a 24-acre industrial parcel in Teaticket as a potential site for a plant to treat wastewater from portions of East Falmouth.  If plans work out, the plant will be housed in a fully-enclosed building and discharge into an underground leaching system, leaving most of the surface area for open space and passive recreation.  The Land Bank and US Air Force (AFCEE) will fund the $3 million purchase cost.

 

Pending release of the Cape Cod Commission study of nutrient management organization, FAPCC’s next goal is to obtain approval from Falmouth Selectmen for a modest contract to prepare specifications for a test program to evaluate a constructed wetland system to remove inorganic nitrogen from surface waters flowing into the East Falmouth coastal ponds. 

Jack Barnes, FAPCC Chairman

 

Falmouth Friendly Lawn Campaign

 

Spring has finally arrived and the 2003 Falmouth Friendly Lawn (FFL) Campaign kicked off at the April 28^th Board of Selectmen’s meeting. Dot Sherrerd led the presentation and gave Preserve Falmouth’s Bays and Ponds tee shirts to the Board of Selectmen and the town administrator and his assistant. Shannon Goheen, our new project coordinator, spoke about working with the local businesses, and Jack Barnes introduced the Preserve Falmouth’s Bays and Ponds Fund.

 

The fertilizer committee has completed the revision of the FFL Brochure. We have changed our message to urge people who do fertilize to only apply 1 lb. of Nitrogen/1000 sq. ft of lawn, and to only apply it in the FALL. This is all of the extra Nitrogen that is needed and the fall is the best time to apply it. The revised brochure will be mailed out to all homeowners as soon as it is printed. This will be followed by summer and fall postcards highlighting appropriate lawn care tasks.

 

We are now looking into ways of reaching other areas of the community such as golf courses, town properties, churches and businesses. We are also looking at 2 different focus groups. One will work with local landscapers to encourage them to maintain their clients lawns in a Falmouth Friendly way and to replace some of the lawn area with ecological landscaping using native / low-maintenance plantings. The second focus group will work with people who have lawn services to help us provide additional information on how to talk to your lawn service. If any of you would like to help with any of these outreach projects, please contact me at 548-0841.

 

Lastly, an Ecological Landscaping subcommittee consisting of members of the Fertilizer Committee, the Falmouth Garden Club, the League of Women Voters, and WBNERR has been established. It is developing a sister brochure to the FFL brochure to tell people why and how to convert some of their lawn from grass to naturalized landscaping using native / low maintenance trees, shrubs, grasses and flowers. These are all plants that require little water and fertilizer once they are established. The subcommittee is also developing a list of appropriate plants to use and a corresponding list of invasive plants that you should not use and need to remove if you have them. Once these are completed, we will decide to use these materials to promote this important alternative to grass.

Hila Lyman

 

Announcing the Preserve Falmouth Bays & Ponds Fund (PFB&P Fund)

 

Last fall the Board of Directors approved establishment of the PFB&P Fund and authorized Peter Gallerani to set up a Fund bank account and mailing address for donations.

 

The stated goal of the Fund is: “To inform Falmouth citizens about nutrient pollution and potential actions to restore a healthy environment in our bays and ponds”.  An annual report of receipts and expenditures will be released to the public.  The Board will approve expenditures; FAPCC will comment on any individual expenditure of more than $500.

 

Donations to the Fund are tax-deductible to donors who do not have to be FACES members.  As funding needs increase, the Fund should create more flexibility to raise funds from the public for specific projects as well as for general support of Fund goals.  Contributions from FACES members will be most welcome, of course, and dues envelopes will allow extra contributions to be market for the Fund.

 

Selecting significant projects for PFB&P funding will be an important task in the months and years ahead.  An example could be to increase the number of prizes awarded at Science Fairs for projects addressing coastal water quality.  Another example might be a “Your Watershed Address” program to increase awareness about who lives in the neighborhood that actually contributes to nutrient loading of each pond.

 

Yet another example might be articles like those appearing in the Falmouth Enterprise under the PFB&P logo.  The articles now receive modest funding from FAPCC that are intended to be just seed money.  Or, the results of Falmouth Pondwatchers and other citizen-based monitoring programs could be supported in some fashion.

 

So, give us your project suggestions and your contributions; help grow the PFB&P Fund into a source of creative ideas and effective actions.

Jack Barnes

 

Coonamessett River Park Coalition

 

By a vote of 147 to 54, Spring Town Meeting voted overwhelmingly to support the articles presented by the Coonamessett River Park Coalition.  One article, directed the Selectmen and Conservation Commission to retire the Town-owned cranberry bogs along the Coonamessett and to restore that land to natural wetlands to create a greenway park.  The second article directed the town to farm the remaining acres of bogs in the Coonamessett Valley with organic methods. 

 

The Coalition is thrilled with the results at Town Meeting, but now the hard work begins.  First, we must insure that the intent of Town Meeting is maintained.  Some have called for phasing out cranberry growing over a ten to twenty year time period rather than at the end of this year as called for in the articles.  Next, a restoration and management plan for the lands must be developed with input from the public.  It is important for the public to take a prominent role in shaping the future of this land. 

 

There are many questions and decisions to be made on this town-owned land. Passage of these articles is just the first, but most important, step in restoring the Coonamessett River!  Thanks to all for their help and support!

Wendi Buessler

 

League of Women Voters Support

 

Every ten years or so, The League of Women Voters of Falmouth updates “Falmouth in Focus”, a booklet that describes the Town and Town government.  We are now preparing the fourth edition. We have decided that the cover of our new edition will feature an illustration of the xerscaping at Town Hall.  This municipal xerscaping is very attractive in itself, of course.  It also makes a very clear statement of the Town’s priorities.

A community of native plants gives a far better “sense of place” than does the generic green lawn-plus annuals landscaping used for most public buildings.  Xerscaping also requires far less maintenance, and close to zero watering or feeding.  By installing xerscaping in front of Town Hall, we delight and educate all comers about plants that make the Cape so special.  We also remind them that we should all change our landscaping ways if we are to keep the Cape special.

Judith G. Stetson

 

 

 

 

 

 

Falmouth High Science Fair Award

 

This year FACES decided to give a $250.00 award to the best environmental project dealing with the problems of nitrogen overloading of our coastal estuaries and saltponds The winner of the award was Kristina Harvey, a senior, for her environmental project Great Pond, Rich or Pore.  Her project dealt with the nitrogen problem with both Perch Pond and Great Pond.  She well deserves this award as most of her fieldwork was done during a time when the ponds were ice covered.

Brad Stumcke 

 

First Annual FACES Leadership Conference

 

The Faces Committee for “Organizations Membership” is holding an evening meeting for all current and potential membership organizations on Thursday, June 26, 2003 at 6 pm at the Faxon Center (lower level conference room) of the Falmouth Hospital.  A light supper is planned, free to attendees.

The agenda includes several speakers on FACES’ mission, nutrient-loading problems in Falmouth and political hurdles.  All organizations receiving this newsletter (member or not) are invited to attend (one member per organization please).  RSVP to Ralph Herbst at (508) 564-5562.

Ralph Herbst

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How You Can Help

Your cooperation, your interest and your support are important to us.  Your involve-ment will not only give us the financial support but the incentive to promote the changes we know that must be made.

Help us by filling out and returning the form below.  Do it TODAY.

     MAIL TO:

     FACES

     PO Box 156

     Falmouth, MA 02541

 

Of course I would like to help clean up Falmouth’s estuaries and saltponds.  Please include us in your list to receive periodic newsletters.  I support the work FACES is doing with my contribution to defray costs of postage, printing, and publicity.

 

Enclosed is my check, made payable to FACES

Individual Membership   $10.00 ______

Family Membership        $15.00 ______

Assoc./Organization Business $25.00______

Additional support is welcome_______

 

Name_______________________________

Address_____________________________

____________________________________
____________________________________ Address (winter) ______________________
____________________________________
____________________________________

Phone_______________________________

FACES thanks you for your help.  You are really helping yourself create a cleaner, healthier environment.

 

 

 

 

 

 

GROUP MEMBERSHIP (May 2003)

 

Acapesket Improvement Association Inc.

 

Ashley Meadows Homeowners Assoc.

 

Ashumet Valley Property Owners

 

Association for the Preservation of

Cape Cod

 

Belvidere Plains Association

 

Bournes Pond Village Homeowners Association

 

Chapoquoit Association

 

Chapoquoit Yacht Club

 

Citizens for the Preservation of Waquoit Bay

 

Cliffs Association

 

Coalition For Buzzards Bay

 

Coonamessett Pond Association

 

Craggy Ridge Homeowners Association

 

Cumloden Associates

 

Davisville Civic Association

 

Falmouth Garden Club

 

Falmouth Heights Maravista Association

 

Falmouthport Condominium Trust

 

Fisherman’s Cove Homeowners Association

 

Friends of Oyster Pond

 

Great Harbors Residents Association

 

Green Pond Tackle Inc.

 

Holley Sands Homeowners Association

 

Lantern Acres Association

 

League of Women Voters

 

Little Island Beach Preservation Trust

 

Menauhant Landowners Association

 

Menauhant Yacht Club

 

Metoxit Point Association

 

Natures Circle

 

Old Stone Dock Improvement Association

 

Oyster Pond Environmental Trust, Inc.

 

Perch Pond Association

 

Pinecrest Beach Improvement Assoc.

 

Quamquisset Beach Club

 

Quissett Association Inc.

 

Quissett Harbor House Land Trust Inc.

 

Saconesset Hills Association

 

Salt Pond Areas Bird Sanctuaries

 

Sandpoint Shores Association

 

Seacoast Shores Association Inc.

 

SEA Education Association

 

Shorewood Beach Association, Inc.

 

Sippewissett Association

 

Sippewissett Place Homeowners Assoc.

 

Summerset Hills Association

 

Teaticket Civic Association

 

The 300 Committee

 

Waquoit Bay Association

 

West Falmouth Boat Club Inc.

 

West Falmouth Civic Association

 

Wild Harbor Estates Homeowners Council Trust

 

Woods Hole Research Center

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FACES  Newsletter

 

 

Fall 2002

Vol. 6

 

Message from the President David Palmer

 

Now that we have had a very successful summer with our support of the Falmouth Friendly Lawn campaign, we have taken an in depth look at where we want to grow and have developed our initiatives for 2003.  Details are in the newsletter.

 

In addition, in this newsletter there are several articles about our 2002 activities, but obviously, the Fertilizer committee under Hila Lyman’s leadership has been the linchpin of our efforts.  Hila, with the support of the Falmouth Ashumet Plume Citizens Committee (FAPCC) and O’Sullivan Communications, has conducted an intense media campaign to educate Falmouth residents in proper lawn care practices.  There have been brochures, newsletters and postcards mailed to all Falmouth homeowners throughout the last several months, emphasizing the principles of the Falmouth Friendly Lawn Campaign.

 

At our Annual meeting in July, we awarded our first annual Falmouth Environmental Leadership Award to Paul Montague, Falmouth Shellfish Warden for his tireless efforts.  In addition our keynote speaker, Andrew Gottlieb, gave us a concise briefing on the State’s latest efforts to improve our coastal ponds.  Further details are in this newsletter.

 

In June, we co-sponsored with FAPCC, a workshop on treatment wetlands to be located near Bournes Brook, Backus and/or Coonamessett River.  The wetland would remove nitrogen from the stream before discharging into the coastal ponds.  Three proposals from respected environmental companies were presented and the final recommended approach is being discussed with the Town officials as we go to press.  Mark Rasmussen, Executive Director of the Coalition for Buzzards Bay, and a recently elected director of FACES, has some interesting comments about clean water included herein. 

 

With the expansion of our efforts we are looking to identify people who would like to volunteer to help in various ways. If this would be of interest to you, please contact Mary Little, Chairman of the Volunteer Team 508-548-3883.

 

And, if your association is not yet a member of FACES, please call Ralph Herbst 508-564-5562.

 

Thanks for your interest and support. Together, we can help Falmouth citizens protect their property values and quality of life by preserving the quality of the water in our estuaries and saltponds.

 

CLEAN WATER

Mark Rasmusssen recently said: " A look back at the successes and failures of the Clean Water Act confirms what we knew all along: the future of clean water is local. Most of the solution continues to reside here at home - at the weekly meetings of our town boards and commissions and on the floor of Town Meeting - not in Washington or Boston. It is here we have the power and opportunity to get control of the sprawl development that is damaging our communities and degrading our waters with polluted runoff."

 

So, along with Mark, we invite you all to undertake your own clean water act this month and head down to Town Hall some evening. Chances are, the future of a nearby wetland, that unnamed stream down the street, your drinking water, a wooded stretch of shoreline, or your favorite shellfish bed is up for a vote. And the federal government won't be there.

 

David R. Palmer

President

508-548-4858

 

 

Annual Meeting

 

The annual meeting was held on Tuesday, July 16, 2002 at the Falmouth Public Library.  At the meeting, Paul Montague, Falmouth Shellfish Warden, was presented the first annual Falmouth Environmental Leadership Award for his tireless efforts in restoring the shellfish and herring populations in the Town’s waters.  In addition, he was recognized for his efforts to improve the water quality of some of the embayments by vigorously pushing for road drainage improvements.  In accepting the award, a blue windbreaker, with the breast pocket inscription “FACES, Falmouth Environmental Leadership Award”, he thanked all those who have supported him in his efforts, especially Trafton Hinckley and Carl Brievogal.

The keynote speaker, Andrew Gottlieb, Assistant Commissioner for Planning and

Policy, Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, outlined the State’s Estuaries program and its objectives.

 

He pointed out that the Federal Government had passed the Clean Waters Act several years ago, but states had been ignoring sections dealing with non-point sources.  Some states have been cited by the Government, but Massachusetts is talking positive steps with this project to abide by the Act.  Specifically, the Act requires that Total Maximum Daily Loading (TMDL) of nutrient information be developed for each estuary and the information will be key to allowing further development and remediation actions, if required. 

 

The State in conjunction with UMass School of Marine Science and Technology (SMAST), has identified 89 estuaries in southeastern Massachusetts that have to be studied in the six year project, with the first 20 already prioritized.  Of the 20, seven are in Falmouth, including West Falmouth Harbor, Bournes, Green, Great, Perch, Little, and Oyster Ponds.  There was keen interest on the part of the audience in the timing and impact on the residents, as Andrew explained that Falmouth was on the cutting edge with all the work that the Ashumet Plume Citizens Committee had done with Bournes, Green and Great Ponds. 

 

The goal is to finish the information gathering for the first 20 estuaries by the end of this calendar year and proceed to evaluating several water conditions, which will result in efforts to bring about improvements in water quality.

 

 

Initiatives for 2003

 

At a recent Board of Directors meeting, the Board developed several initiatives which FACES should focus on during 2003.  We first looked at the purpose of FACES and agreed that we needed to improve it by stating that FACES’ purpose was “To educate and inspire the residents to preserve the environment and natural resources of the estuaries and salt ponds of Falmouth, Massachusetts, and to combat and prevent pollution of these estuaries and salt ponds through consultation with environmental sciences and engineers, study of existing conditions, publicizing problem areas via meetings, member newsletters and newspaper releases, alerting local and state officials to the need for corrective measures and mobilizing community support”.  The underlined portion will be proposed as an official change at next annual meeting.

 

The initiatives for 2003 are:

■ Continue support of the Falmouth Friendly Lawn Program.

■ Continue to educate the public on the impact of pollution on local estuaries and ponds, including community outreach programs.

■ Continue to recruit new organizations and members and communicate with them.

■ Build volunteer teams

■ Pilot test of treatment wetlands

■ Formation of Nutrient Management Areas

■ Support the Coonamessett River Park effort

■ Support the Town’s water conservation efforts, if enacted

 

 

Ashumet Plume Citizens Committee Update

 

The following is an update on the actions that the Falmouth Ashumet Plume Citizens Committee (FAPCC) is taking in addition to the Falmouth Friendly Lawn Campaign:

 

Treatment Wetlands:

There are two aspects to this project: [1] surface water nitrogen removal; and [2] shoreline vertical filters to denitrify groundwater.  Both elements grew out of the June 24 workshop (see below).

The goal of surface water treatment is to intercept freshwater streams immediately before they discharge to salt ponds; those streams carry much of the nitrogen load generated in watershed areas north of Route 28.  In contrast, the goal of shoreline vertical filters is to intercept groundwater immediately before it discharges into the coastal ponds from the peninsulas south of Route 28.

 

If successful, surface water treatment will eliminate the need to sewer upper watershed areas and also reduce substantially the need for onsite denitrification there. Technology for surface water treatment is relatively mature, and FAPCC is preparing a status report to Falmouth Selectmen that will recommend a design approach and test program to verify the design.

 

Technology for vertical filters is immature, and FAPCC is working to identify and appraise the factors essential to establishing feasibility of the concept.  The attraction of the concept is its potential to substitute for sewers to service homes located on the coastal pond peninsulas.

 

Nutrient Management Areas:

Such areas, defined by watershed or a set of neighboring watersheds, would form the basis to design, construct, operate and fund a structure to provide comprehensive management of wastewater and other sources of chemical nutrients [e.g. fertilizer].  All land area in Falmouth makes up the watershed of a Falmouth stream, pond or bay, and homes located in each watershed make up individual “neighborhoods” of contribution to those water bodies. 

 

Falmouth Boards of Selectmen, Planning, Health and Appeals, together with the Town Administration have scheduled a workshop on December 12, starting at 7 PM, to discuss the purpose, goals and benefits of nutrient management areas.  Channel 13 will provide live coverage.  FACES members should make sure to watch at home if they can’t get to Town Hall.

 

 

Pond Watcher Support

 

Every summer, Falmouth volunteers sample the quality of water in West Falmouth Harbor and Oyster, Little, Perch, Great, Green and Bournes Ponds.  Dr. Brian Howes of the SMAST, organizes the sampling and evaluates the results.  FACES helped to fund a report on the 1997 monitoring season.  To make available to the public later results, we have contacted Dr. Howes with an offer to publish those results on FACES’ web site.

 

 

Science Fair Award

 

The FACES Board of Directors has approved a $250.00 science award for the Falmouth High School Science Fair to be held in March 2003.  The award will be given to the student who is judged to have the best project dealing with “an environmental project dealing with the nitrogen overloading of our coastal ponds”.

 

Outreach Program

 

The Board of Directors has decided that FACES should build on the successes of the Falmouth Friendly Lawn program and is initiating an Outreach Program.  Since lawn fertilizers was only one of three areas of concern with regards to nitrogen overloading in the pond and estuaries, it was decided to continue the education of the Falmouth residents on fertilizer use, but also educate residents on Treatment Wetlands and Nutrient Management Districts.  These latter two issues were part of the recommendations of the FAPCC study which was concluded in 2000.

 

To accomplish this outreach objective, we are asking everyone to identify groups or organizations that we could talk to in hope of furthering the education process.  We have seen what impact an intense media campaign has on the habits of many residents when it comes to fertilizer use.  If you are aware of a group/organization that can influence public opinion, please let us know.  As a for instance we talked with the Board of Directors of the Falmouth Chamber of Commerce on November 19,to start what we hope will become regular briefings.

 

Please give us your ideas in the following format:

 

Group/Organization

Contact(s)

Address/Phone /e-mail

Group’s purpose/objectives

How could we work with them and for which of the three initiatives would it apply?

 

Contact Brad Stumcke (508) 548 7553, [email protected] or Jim Lloyd at (508) 457 7750, [email protected].

 

 

 

 

 

Falmouth Friendly Lawn Update

 

This has been an exciting year for the Fertilizer Committee. I was appointed a member of the FAPPC, with the responsibility of chairing their Fertilizer Sub-Committee. Given the expertise of the members of the FACES’ Fertilizer Committee, they joined me in launching the Falmouth Friendly Lawn program.  The Town of Falmouth, with FAPPC’s recommendation, hired the public relations firm of O’Sullivan Communications to develop a campaign to disseminate our Falmouth Friendly Lawn program as a means of reducing the lawn fertilizer nitrogen that is leaching into our bays and ponds.

 

An initial survey was developed to determine both people’s awareness of the problem and their current lawn care practices. This was mailed out in March to the residents of Bournes, Green and Great Ponds’ watersheds. At the same time a logo to “Preserve Falmouth’s Bays and Ponds” was created and now is used on all our literature.

 

In April, we had the Campaign Kickoff prior to a Board of Selectmen’s meeting. Shortly thereafter, a brochure was written and mailed to all Falmouth residents.  The brochure outlined recommended practices on lawn care, with a month-by-month schedule.

Early on, the local nurseries were contacted and asked to promote organic fertilizers—we provided banners that said “Falmouth Friendly Lawn Products Sold Here”, and copies of the brochure. This part of the campaign was very successful, as evidenced by the fact that Mahoney’s reports that they sold more organic lawn care products than chemical. We also had a series of articles and ads in the local papers. The Enterprise is extremely supportive of the entire campaign.

 

As another means of reaching the general public, we were on a number of radio programs talking about the campaign.

Reminders in the form of a summer and then a fall postcard highlighting appropriate lawn care at each season were sent out to all Falmouth homeowners. We also had displays at the Falmouth Street Fair, Barnstable County Fair, Falmouth Road Race, and the Harvest Fair. Lastly, a follow-up survey was mailed out this fall to the same areas as the first one, in order to measure the impact of our campaign.  The results will be announced shortly and will be posted on the FACES’ website www.geocities.com/faces02541 when they are available.

 

The reactions of the majority of people we have talked to have been very supportive. They feel there is a serious problem, and that we are giving them a way to help fight it. Our challenge will be to keep the momentum going next year. We will continue to get our message out to as many people in as many ways as possible, and hope that even more homes will have a truly Falmouth Friendly Lawn and/or landscape.

 

We know that this is an ongoing campaign, and therefore, we need to keep our message in front of the public.  If your organization/group would like one of us to come talk, please contact me at (508) 548-0841 or Brad Stumcke at (508) 548-7553.

 

Hila Lyman

Fertilizer Committee Chairman.   

 

 

Treatment Wetlands Workshop

 

On June 24, the Selectmen Meeting Room at Town Hall was the scene of a workshop to learn about alternative approaches to designing treatment wetlands to remove nitrogen generated in the upper watersheds of Great, Green and Bournes Ponds.  Much of that nitrogen enters the Coonamessett, Backus and Bournes Rivers that then discharge it into the coastal ponds. 

 

The workshop was “standing room, only”, with members of Falmouth Boards of Selectmen, Planning and Health, our Town Administration, the Cape Cod Commission and Mass DEP, plus several Woods Hole scientists.  The sponsoring Ashumet Plume Citizens Committee was well represented, too; Maggie Geist of The Association to Preserve Cape Cod was the facilitator.  Town Administrator Bob Whritenour welcomed the teams of wetland designers to Falmouth.

 

A conventional surface water wetland design was recommended by a team that included Robert L Knight, co-author of the textbook on wetlands treatment.  That design would replace most of the cranberry bogs along the rivers with treatment cells planted with cattails or similar plants.

 

Another team, made up of an engineering firm from Newton and a professor from Waterloo University, proposed a remotely located treatment facility that uses a patented filter design to remove nitrogen.  River flows would be intercepted near the Route 28 culverts, pumped to the facility and discharged back into the rivers after treatment.   That design would use much less acreage than the conventional system and could offer a more controlled treatment process.

 

A more radical approach, using rock filters to be located right in the rivers, was described by the third team.  Unfortunately, it is not clear how nitrogen actually would be removed as the rivers flow through the filters, which would require more than 20,000 tons of rocks in the riverbeds.

Two teams also suggested study of de-nitrifying walls or vertical filters to be entrenched near the shoreline of the coastal ponds as a substitute for installing sewers on the pond peninsulas.

 

 

Coonamessett River Park Coalition

 

The Town owns nearly three quarters of the lands along the three-mile length of the Coonamessett River as it runs from Coonamessett Pond in Hatchville down to Great Pond at Route 28 in East Falmouth.  Currently, the majority of the Town’s 125 acres of ponds, cranberry bogs, and associated uplands, are leased for cranberry cultivation.  This lease will expire December 31, 2003.  Now is the time for residents of Falmouth to begin discussing what the future should be for these lands.

 

The Coonamessett River Park Coalition was formed to preserve, protect, restore and celebrate the Coonamessett River and the town-owned land along the river, improve water quality, fish and wildlife habitat and public access.  The Coalition is comprised of FACES, the League of Women Voters of Falmouth, the Sierra Club of Cape Cod, Nature’s Circle, Falmouth Fishermen Association, Coonamessett Pond Association, Orenda Wildlife Trust, and GreenCAPE plus over 125 individual members.

 

The Coalition will have an article at the upcoming Spring Town Meeting.  In addition we have speakers who would like to explain our vision of the future for the Coonamessett River.  We envision the Town-owned property along the Coonamessett River as the backbone of a riverine park, encompassing a mosaic of naturalized wetlands, uplands, and small-scale pesticide-free cranberry growing.  This land could be a vibrant, vital greenway in the heart of Falmouth -- a showcase of Falmouth's historic, cultural, and biological bounty.

 

To contact us please call Donna Jewett at 508-563-5612.

 

 

Thank You

 

The Board of Directors of FACES wishes to thank all the individuals, families and associations that have contributed financially to the support of our organization.  We are especially grateful to those whose generosity provided additional monies to assist us in our efforts.   The funds received allow FACES to implement various approaches toward reversing the nitrogen pollution in Falmouth's estuaries and salt ponds.

 

 

How You Can Help

 

Getting new members to join FACES is urgent and vital to our efforts. We urge every member to just sign up one friend or neighbor and we can double our membership!!   

Your cooperation, your interest and your support are important to us.  Your involve-ment will not only give us the financial support but the incentive to promote the changes we know that must be made.

Help us by filling out and returning the form below.  Do it TODAY.

     MAIL TO:

     FACES

     PO Box 156

     Falmouth, MA 02541

Of course I would like to help clean up Falmouth’s estuaries and saltponds.  Please include us in your list to receive periodic newsletters.  I support the work FACES is doing with my contribution to defray costs of postage, printing, and publicity.

Enclosed is my check, made payable to FACES

Individual Membership   $10.00 ______

Family Membership        $15.00 ______

Assoc./Organization Business $25.00______

Additional support is welcome_______

 

 

Name_______________________________

Address_____________________________

____________________________________
____________________________________

Address (winter) ______________________
____________________________________
____________________________________

Phone_______________________________

 

FACES thanks you for your help.  You are really helping yourself create a cleaner, healthier environment.

 

 

 

ASSOCIATION MEMBERS

 

 

Acapesket Improvement Association Inc.

 

Ashumet Valley Property Owners

 

Association for the Preservation of

Cape Cod

 

Belvidere Plains Association

 

Bournes Pond Village Homeowners Association

 

Chapoquoit Association

 

Chapoquoit Yacht Club

 

Citizens for the Preservation of Waquoit Bay

 

Cliffs Association

 

Coalition For Buzzards Bay

 

Coonamessett Pond Association

 

Craggy Ridge Homeowners Association

 

Davisville Civic Association

 

Falmouth Garden Club

 

Falmouth Heights Maravista Association

 

Falmouthport Condominium Trust

 

Fisherman’s Cove Homeowners Association

 

Friends of Oyster Pond

 

Great Harbors Residents Association

 

Green Pond Tackle Inc.

 

Holley Sands Homeowners Association

 

Lantern Acres Association

 

League of Women Voters

 

Little Island Beach Preservation Trust

 

Menauhant Landowners Association

 

Menauhant Yacht Club

 

Natures Circle

 

Old Stone Dock Improvement Association

 

Oyster Pond Environmental Trust, Inc.

Perch Pond Association

 

Saconesset Hills Association

 

Salt Pond Areas Bird Sanctuaries

 

Sandpoint Shores Association

 

SEA Education Association

 

Shorewood Beach Association, Inc.

 

Sippewissett Association

 

Sippewissett Place Homeowners Association

 

Teaticket Civic Association

 

The 300 Committee

 

Waquoit Bay Association

 

West Falmouth Boat Club Inc.

 

West Falmouth Civic Association

 

Woods Hole Research Center

 

 

FACES  Newsletter

Falmouth Associations Concerned with Estuaries and Saltponds

 

Spring 2002

Vol. 5

 

Message from President David Palmer

Our efforts since last Fall's newsletter have been focused on accomplishing our 2002 objectives of:

            Launching a Falmouth Friendly Lawns campaign aimed at convincing citizens to reduce the use of chemical fertilizer by at least 50%

• Continuing efforts to educate town officials, town meeting members and citizens about other actions needed to reverse the nitrogen pollution that is destroying our ponds and bays, and threatening our property values and quality of life
• Supporting and enhancing efforts of the Ashumet Plume Citizens Committee to reverse nitrogen pollution in Great, Green and Bournes ponds.

Specific actions taken have been:

• The Estuaries Project:  (Southeastern Massachusetts Embayment Restoration)

In December, we attended the state's kickoff of a far-reaching program to evaluate the acceptable nitrogen levels of all bays and ponds south of Plymouth and prepare recommended actions to bring those levels within limits. Much of the basic data and scientific techniques of this program were derived from earlier work conducted by the

 

Ashumet Plume Citizens Committee, reflecting the use of water quality evaluation tools by Doctor Brian Howes of CMAST in the study of Great, Green and Bournes ponds. Those and three other Falmouth embayments are among the 20 sites selected by the State DEP for the first year of the program. There are 87 embayments in total. Falmouth Pondwatchers data has also been critical to this program. The program itself is further evidence of recognition of the destructive effect of nitrogen pollution.

• On March 21, along with the Waquoit Bay National Research Reserve, we co-sponsored a well-attended all day workshop for Cape and Islands’ town officials and others about Wastewater Management Districts, as an effective ways for towns to organize integrated, comprehensive community efforts to reverse nitrogen pollution by directly correcting ineffective septic systems. Follow-up continues.
• On April 22, we co-launched with the Ashumet Plume Citizens Committee, a town-wide Falmouth Friendly Lawns fertilizer reduction educational campaign. The Cape Cod Times editorialized about this campaign: "The Falmouth campaign should be adopted by the county. Every Cape town needs to follow Falmouth's lead."
• In late June, we will support a workshop to be conducted by the Ashumet Plume Citizens Committee on the efficacy of constructed wetlands (Natural marsh-like filter beds) to reduce the nitrogen content of watershed flows before they reach the bays and ponds.
• To further our knowledge of environmental issues besetting the bays and ponds, our Board member Judy Stetson, attended a symposium on global warming.
• We have spoken to a number of organizations, and have plans to do more of this.
• As you know, a most effective way to reduce nitrogen pollution is to take open land off the market. We have agreed to have the 300 Committee contact organizational leaders and offer information about their efforts and those of the Land Bank in this area. We trust the information will be useful to you.
• Finally, we have enjoyed and deeply appreciate the enthusiastic support of the Selectmen, Town Administrator and other staff members. Heather Harper has been a mainstay of strength for the past several years.

This newsletter contains additional details about each of these initiatives, and other matters we believe will be of interest to you.

 

Your support is immensely important to the success of this effort. We thank you for it.

 

NOTE: WE ESPECIALLY NEED HELP IN ADDING NEW ORGANIZATIONAL MEMBERS (PLEASE CALL RALPH HERBST 508-564-5562 WITH ANY YOU KNOW OF NOT LISTED AT THE BACK OF THIS LETTER), AND INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS (INTERESTED PARTIES SHOULD CALL BERNIE STECHER 508-540-7896).

 

David R. Palmer, President

 

 

Seacoast Shores Association Takes Action

 

Seacoast Shores Association, Inc., with the cooperation of The Citizens for the Protection of Waquoit Bay, has produced and is distributing a bulletin regarding what the people of Seacoast can do to help stop the nitrogen loading of the “Waters Around Us”. The bulletin was produced under the direction of, Sharon Mekelatos, chairperson of the "Waters Around Us" committee, along with her committee, Karen Cochrane, Lorie Marble and Jack Way. The Association is attempting to hand deliver as many bulletins as possible over a couple of weekends, with a goal of getting it in the hands of 75%-80% of Seacoast residents. The bulletin’s main emphasis is on the use and non-use of fertilizers.  There was a 33% response to an extensive survey of 880 Seacoast Shores households, conducted jointly last year with WBNERR, regarding the value of the waters surrounding the peninsula.  As a result of the response, The “Waters Around Us” Committee was formed by many interested citizens, and it seems that this group will stay active in the future.

 

 

Friendly Lawn Campaign Underway - Time To Act Now

On April 22, the Falmouth Selectmen and the Fertilizer Committee of the Ashumet Plume Citizens Committee kicked-off the campaign to educate residents about the environmental dangers of chemical fertilizer use. The Enterprise and the Cape Cod Times covered this event with excellent articles, plus a front page picture in the Enterprise. Working with the P.R. consulting firm, O'Sullivan Communications, the Fertilizer Committee has prepared a brochure which has recently been mailed to every household in Falmouth. The brochure outlines lawn practices which will reduce the use of fertilizer and thereby the effects of nitrogen pollution.
FACES board members serving on the Fertilizer Committee are Hila Lyman, Chm.
and Wendi Buessler, Bruce Dobberteen, Maggie Geist, Nancy McDonald, David
Palmer, Dot Sherrerd and Brad Stumcke.
Talk to your friends and neighbors and encourage everyone to use slow release or organic fertilizers. As a member of FACES, you and the organizations you represent should be advocates for this program. The lawn services and the garden centers are cooperating and are willing to assist in this campaign.
BE A LIFESAVER AND HELP FALMOUTH PRESERVE ITS BAYS AND PONDS.

 

Nitrogen-Filtering Wetlands: A Viable Option for Falmouth Ponds?

 

June 24^th Workshop Addresses Feasibility

 

Between 15% and 30% of the nitrogen entering Great, Green and Bournes Ponds in East Falmouth originates in segments of their watersheds that stretch north of Route 28, in some areas well north of Route 151.  Limited sampling indicates that substantial portions of that load can be intercepted in fresh water flowing down to the coastal ponds around the area of Route 28.  Wetland filters constructed there potentially could remove substantial portions of the intercepted nitrogen, thereby avoiding or minimizing expensive investments in onsite or other wastewater treatment facilities that would be required to remove the same nitrogen load at or nearer the upper watershed sources of the nitrogen load.

 

Wetland filters use biological processes to clean pollutants from the water by slowing down the velocity of stream flows and allowing emergent plants and/or natural sediments and gravel beds to convert dissolved nitrogen into harmless gas.  Many applications use surface water designs but newer technology favors submerged beds that are much less dependent on wetland plants. The venues used for wetland filters also can serve as natural habitat or provide space for nature trails and sites for bird watching or simply to enjoy the view of nearby streams and ponds.

 

The Town has hired several environmental consultants to examine whether or not it is feasible to use such constructed wetland filters in Falmouth to remove substantial amounts of nitrogen from fresh water feeding the three coastal ponds. Their reports will be discussed at a workshop on June 24^th in Falmouth [details to be announced in early June].  In addition to the consultants, interested local scientists, Selectmen and Town managers, and representatives of the permitting authorities are expected to attend.  The public is welcome to come as well. 

 

The consulting firms have considerable experience in designing and/or operating filtering wetlands.  Copies of their reports will be available at the workshop and will be placed online at the Ashumet Plume Citizens Committee website

 

Jack Barnes, Chairman, Ashumet Plume Citizens Committee

 

 

Visit Our Website

 

In order to keep abreast of the latest developments pertaining to the Fertilizer Program and other FACES issues, visit our website, www.geocities.com/faces02541.  Since there are other efforts ongoing to improve the quality of our ponds and estuaries, it is recommended that you visit www.geocities.com/ashumet2001.  This site has a comprehensive chronology of the activities of the Ashumet Plume Citizens Committee. You can easily get to both sites by logging on to the Town's website www.town.falmouth.ma.us and clicking on The Links on the homepage.  

 

 

Coonamessett Watershed Preserve

 

FACES has joined the Coalition for the Watershed Preserve together with the League of Women Voters of Falmouth, the Sierra Club of Cape Cod, Nature’s Circle, Falmouth Fishermen Association, Coonamessett Pond Association, Orenda Wildlife Trust and GreenCAPE.  The Coalition advocates the restoration of the Coonamessett River Watershed to improve water quality, fish habitat, wildlife habitat and public access. 

 

The Town owns nearly three quarters of the lands along the three-mile length of the Coonamessett River.  Currently, the majority of the Town’s 125 acres of ponds, cranberry bogs, and associated uplands, is leased for cranberry cultivation.  This lease will expire December 31, 2003.  Now is the time for the Town to decide whether to continue using this public land primarily for growing cranberries or whether this land, purchased with conservation funds, might better benefit Falmouth by becoming the "jewel in the crown" of our conservation lands.

 

This does not mean we advocate ending cranberry cultivation altogether.  It does mean expanding our vision of what these conservation parcels could and should provide--a greenway in the heart of Falmouth linking Coonamessett Pond to Great Pond.  The Town-owned property along the Coonamessett River is envisioned as the backbone of a riverine park, encompassing a mosaic of naturalized wetlands, uplands, and small-scale cranberry growing.  If cranberry growing is to continue, the scope, scale, and methods must necessarily change to protect and improve the watershed system.  Additionally, of interest to FACES members, is the knowledge that an area that is now a source of nitrogen--fertilizer from cranberry bogs--could instead become a “sink” for nitrogen since a restored natural wetland system would uptake and filter nitrates.

 

The possibilities and opportunities are extensive.  In terms of improved public access, we envision the development of a “park” with enhanced opportunities for passive recreation, such as sport fishing, bird watching, walking, ice skating and possibly kayaking.  A learning center for residents, school kids, and visitors would house displays on wetland ecology, the history of the Coonamessett River, and the story of cranberry growing in the region.

 

In order to acquaint the public about the Coonamessett River, the Coalition is sponsoring a series of talks and walks.  Look for notices of upcoming events in the Enterprise and posted fliers.

 

Wendi Buesseler

 

Revised Treasurer and Financial Director Duties

The Treasurer and Financial Director shall be the chief financial officer and the chief accounting officer of FACES. He/she shall be in charge of its financial affairs, books of accounts, accounting records and procedures, funds, securities, and valuable papers; and he/she shall keep full and accurate records thereof. In addition, he/she will advise on the disposition of funds, and seek additional funds through grants, dues, policies, and other means. He/she shall also maintain and update the master Membership Listing of Associations and Individual/Family Members. He/she shall have other such duties and powers as designated by the directors or the president.  This is a new position, presently being held by Peter Gallerani.

 

 

Annual Meeting

 

The FACES Annual Meeting has been scheduled for July 16, 2002, 7:00 PM, at the Main Falmouth Library.  Main speaker will be Andrew Gottlieb, Assistant Commissioner for Policy and Planning for the Dept. of Environmental Protection. Andy is the force behind the Estuaries Project. 

 

Dues Notice

 

The current year’s dues expire June 30^th.  In lieu of another letter, this is your call for sending in your dues for 2002-2003.  If  you have friends or neighbors who are not presently members, encourage them to join to help in the battle to preserve our ponds, estuaries and property values.

 

 

How You Can Help

Your cooperation, your interest and your support are important to us.  Your involve-ment will not only give us the financial support but the incentive to promote the changes we know that must be made.

Help us by filling out and returning the form below.  Do it TODAY.

     MAIL TO:

     FACES

     PO Box 156

     Falmouth, MA 02541

 

Of course I would like to help clean up Falmouth’s estuaries and saltponds.  Please include us in your list to receive periodic newsletters.  I support the work FACES is doing with my contribution to defray costs of postage, printing, and publicity.

 

Enclosed is my check, made payable to FACES

Individual Membership   $10.00 ______

Family Membership        $15.00 ______

Assoc./Organization Business $25.00______

Additional support is welcome_______

 

Name_______________________________

Address_____________________________

____________________________________
____________________________________

Address (winter) ______________________
____________________________________
____________________________________

Phone_______________________________
e-mail______________________________

FACES thanks you for your help.  You are really helping yourself create a cleaner, healthier environment.

 

 

 

 

ASSOCIATION MEMBERS

 

Acapesket Improvement Association

 

Association for the Preservation of

Cape Cod

 

Belvidere Plains Association

 

Black Beach Association

 

Bournes Pond Village Association

 

Chapoquoit Association

 

Chapoquoit Yacht Club

 

Coalition For Buzzards Bay

 

CPWB

 

Davisville Association

 

Falmouth Garden Club

 

Falmouth Heights Maravista Association

 

Falmouthport Condominium Trust

 

Fisherman’s Cove Homeowners Association

 

Friends of Oyster Pond

 

Great Harbors Residents Association

 

Green Pond Tackle Inc.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lantern Acres Trust

 

League of Women Voters

 

Menauhant Landowners Association

 

Menauhant Yacht Club

 

Old Stone Dock Improvement Association

 

Oyster Pond Environmental Trust, Inc.

 

Quissett Association

 

Saconesset Hills Association

 

Salt Pond Areas Bird Sanctuaries

 

SEA Education Associates

 

Shorewood Beach Association, Inc.

 

Sippewissett Association

 

Sippewissett Place Association

 

Teaticket Civic Association

 

TreeTops Condominium

 

Waquoit Bay Association

 

West Falmouth Boat Club

 

West Falmouth Civic Association

 

FACES  Newsletter

Fall 2001 Vol. 4

Falmouth Associations Concerned with Estuaries and Saltponds

______________________________

 

Message from the President

David Palmer

 

 

In recent weeks, our lives have been shaken by the horrific event of September 11^th, and our prayers and sympathies go out to any of you that have been personally affected.

 

These weeks have also been a period of sharpening FACES’ focus on helping Falmouth citizens protect their property values by reversing nitrogen pollution of our bays and ponds. Strategy development for the coming year, and organization restructuring for effectively managing the continued strong growth of FACES have been reviewed and revised. We wanted to share with you an outline of these recent developments in this newsletter.

 

Evidenced by many events, including an outstanding Association for the Preservation of Cape Cod (APCC) conference on wastewater management with speakers from successful states, awareness of the growing devastation of our waters is deepening, and commitment to effective action is building. Our plans for the coming year reflect our dedication to helping Falmouth solve its nitrogen pollution problems.

 

To that end, this newsletter focuses on:

 

·        An outline of our strategy and organization for 2001-2002

·        Our concerns and recommendations for resolving the wastewater problems in West Falmouth

Initial plans of our Fertilizer Committee for further reducing the use of chemical fertilizer that is the source of significant nitrogen pollution

·        Further initiatives of the Ashumet Plume Citizens Committee that we strongly support

·        Developing plans of the APCC Business Roundtable for addressing regional solutions to wastewater management.

 

As always, we greatly appreciate your support. Members of the more than forty member organizations of FACES now number in the thousands. Our collective effort will solve the nitrogen pollution devastation.

 

Please continue to let us know of the leaders of other associations/organizations who might join us – call Ralph Herbst 508-564-5562.  If you know individuals who want to join, please contact Bernie Stetcher 508-540-7896.

 

And please forward this newsletter or the gist of it to your members.

 

David R. Palmer

President

508-548-4858

 

 

 

 

 

Purpose of FACES:

 

To preserve the environment and natural resources of the estuaries and salt ponds of Falmouth, and to combat and prevent pollution of these estuaries and salt ponds through consultation with environmental scientists and engineers, study of existing conditions, publicizing problem areas via meetings, member newsletters and newspaper releases, alerting local and state officials to the need for corrective measures and mobilizing community support.  The following article depicts a good example of what FACES is involved with:

 

Town Meeting Will Address Wastewater Issues

 

Town meeting will be asked to approve two articles to perform waste water collection system studies for proposed sewer service districts.

Article 19 is for a West Falmouth Harbor district and Article 20 is for

a Maravista and portions of Falmouth Heights district. Sewering portions of the West Falmouth Harbor watershed, especially the sub-watershed for the Snug Harbor portion, has become an integral part of the Falmouth Wastewater Treatment Plant Facilities Plan, approved at the Fall 2000

Town Meeting and by the voters in May 2001. Sewering will provide an enhanced 90% nitrogen removal at the renovated treatment plant, as opposed to little or no removal from Title 5 systems or even 50+%

removal from individual denitrifying septic systems. The result is that flow to the plant can increase to 1 million gallons per day while the maximum nitrogen concentration in West Falmouth Harbor can be limited to

0.37 parts per million Nitrogen. This is the standard that has been determined to allow the restoration of the harbor's ecological health. The one year plant operating permit from DEP will require a plan or a scope of work for completing a sewering plan. The Certificate from the Secretary of Environmental Affairs, Bob Durand, approving the facilities plan requires sewering in portions of the West Falmouth Harbor watershed, and a condition of the

Cape Cod Commission's approval was that a sewering plan be submitted and approved before flows to the plant can exceed 0.6 million gallons per day. Additionally, Nitrogen loading calculations, watershed delineations and a preliminary lay-out of a collection system were completed in the

facilities plan so the cost will not be excessive. FACES recommends that

Article 19 be approved.

    A recommendation of the Wastewater Treatment Plant Facilities Plan was for further evaluation of the nitrogen sensitivity of the Little Pond watershed to determine the most cost effective method to sewer the

Maravista area. Maravista was considered a planning area as it had been designated for future sewering in the previous facilities plan for the original construction of the treatment plant. In the current facilities

plan a local Maravista plant was rejected due to costs. Although the scope of this article will not be completed until town meeting, Utilities Manager Ray Jack has said that Nitrogen Loading to Little and

Great Ponds " has to be" a criteria in establishing the sewer district.

FACES can strongly support this article if Nitrogen loading is a primary

criteria, in which case significant studies of Nitrogen Loading,

Watershed Delineation, Buildout Conditions and determination of an appropriate standard will be necessary at significant expense. FACES supports these timely studies to protect and restore our coastal ponds. FACES also recommends that the possibility of establishing a separate treatment plant to serve East Falmouth’s needs, including Maravista, be considered also.

 

 

-1-

 

Strategic Focus Recommendations for 2001-2002:

 

a.     Objectives:

-Further progress towards 50% reduction in chemical fertilizer usage

-Educational efforts directed at officials, town meeting members and citizens regarding Ashumet Plume

-Educational efforts of same groups about expected APCC Business Roundtable initiative to promote regional solutions to waste water management, including a longer range vision for Cape Cod

-Citizens Committee initiatives, as they are approved, e.g., filtered wetlands (sometimes known as constructed wetlands) test.

 Waste water management districts

b.     Continued tactical focus on:

- Reversing nitrogen pollution in Falmouth’s estuaries and salt ponds

- Support of and coordination with Ashumet Plume Citizens’ Committee 

-Recruitment of new organization and individual members, and development of lasting relationships with them

-Public education as above, including co-sponsorship of events and ongoing activism to mobilize Falmouth citizens

-Communication support, e.g. e-mail address lists; newsletter publication coordinated with association/organization newsletter publication

 

-2-

 

Organization:

 

Board: Manage the affairs of FACES through setting policy and strategy, and assuring the existence of effective directors and officer-directors. Continuation of one year terms with periodic consideration of going to three year terms by classes.

 

President: Chief executive officer who proposes policy matters, strategic direction, new organizational approaches, and new board members (Through a Nominating Committee that the President appoints), and executes policy and strategy with the assistance of other officers and designated committee chairpeople. Personally, seeks outreach to other pertinent organizations on Cape Cod. Interacts with Advisory Board of past board members for counsel and assistance when appropriate

 

Vice President: Acts in place of President, and executes such other tasks as the VP and President shall develop

 

Treasurer and Financial Director: New Position Description:

 

o  Receive and record all funds

 

o Advise re use of funds

 

o Develop Fundraising Strategies:

    Grants, Dues, Etc.

 

 

Administrative Director: New Position Description

 

o Suggest and implement new and revised administrative policies

 

o Establish and maintain an effective communication system for board, association/organization and individual members, and with appropriate town officials

 o With President, establish agendas for board and annual meetings.

 

o Have any decisions made at board meetings recorded and/or sum up the discussion content

 

o Have space reserved for all meetings

 o Assure compliance with governmental reporting requirements

 

o Work with Secretary to accomplish these tasks

 

Secretary: Prepares meeting minutes, arranges for meeting places and other logistics, and carries out other tasks such as are agreed upon with the Administrative Director with whom the Secretary will work closely.

 

Committees:

 

-                     Fertilizer: Develop and implement program to convince Falmouth citizens to reduce by 50% their usage of chemical fertilizer

Chair: H. Lyman

Members: D. Sherrerd, B. Dobberteen, W. Buessler, N. McDonald

-                     Ashumet Plume Citizens Committee Coordination: Develop and help execute support for new methods to reduce nitrogen pollution in Green, Great and Bournes Ponds

     Chair: J. Barnes

      Members: D. Palmer, F. B. Stumcke, Jr.

 

            Wastewater Management: In coordination with Ashumet Plume Citizens' Committee, develop and implement educational programs for Falmouth citizens. Advise Board regarding appropriate positions to take on this topic.

Chair: Maureen Conte

Members: Allan Fleer, Ralph Herbst, John Ross

 

-                     Regional Expansion and Coordination: To recruit and maintain contact with existing and additional organizations

Chair: Ralph Herbst

Members: J. Ross, D. Sherrerd, R. Butcher, B. Dobberteen

 

-                     Individual Recruitment: Recruit additional new individual members and maintain contact with existing members

      Chair: B. Stecher

      Members: J. Stetson, B. Fanger

          Publicity and Promotion: To help define and then communicate the

FACES “educational message”

      Chair: F .B. Stumcke, Jr.

 

            Town Department Monitoring: Access Falmouth League of Women

Voters representatives and information to keep informed about what pertinent town departments may be planning or discussing so that the FACES board may be informed, and prepared to take appropriate and timely positions

      Chair: Judy Stetson

      Members: W. Buessler, B. Fanger

 

            Ad Hoc Task Groups: From time to time the President and/or the Board will appoint task groups to address specific issues; e.g. dues policy being reviewed by F.B. Stumcke, Jr. for a March report; and groups assembled periodically to review and develop new ideas.

 

 

Ashumet Nitrogen Offset Project Update

 

On October 11, the committee and members of the FACES Fertilizer Committee discussed proposals to create a town-wide fertilizer management program with the principals of two marketing/public relations firms.  Both presentations showed promise and we anticipate the Town will contract with one of them before year end.  The goal is to launch an even stronger program before the lawn care season begins next spring.

 

On November 2, we expect to receive budget proposals for initial feasibility work to use wetlands to filter nitrogen coming down from homes and other sources north of Route 28.   If feasible, enhanced wetlands sited at the southern end of freshwater rivers just before they feed into the coastal ponds, could avoid having to install de-nitrifying septic systems in a great many homes in the upper watershed of the coastal ponds.  

 

Once direction is decided for those measures, committee focus will shift to the broader and graver issue of how to design and finance an effective treatment system for all the other sources of wastewater in the Bournes, Green and Great Pond watersheds.

 

Note:  In anticipation of accelerating the campaign next spring, the Ashumet Plume Committee is seeking a communications consultant to assist.

 

FACES Website

 

FACES now has it’s own website, www.geocities.com/faces02541.  We intend to update it with items of interest to not only members but all Falmouth residents.  As our Fertilizer Committee develops its plans for the coming year, we will bring you the latest info on the website.

We would like to thank Paul Andrews for the excellent aerial photo of the Vineyard Sound coastline.  If you have any suggestions or comments, please contact Brad Stumcke at [email protected]

 

 

THANK YOU

 

The Board of Directors of FACES wishes to thank all the individuals, families and associations that have contributed financially to the support of our organization.  We are especially grateful to those whose generosity provided additional monies to assist us in our efforts.   The funds received allow FACES to implement various approaches toward reversing the nitrogen pollution in Falmouth's estuaries and salt ponds.

 

 

How You Can Help

Getting new members to join FACES is urgent and vital to our efforts. We urge every member to just sign up one friend or neighbor and we can double our membership!!   

 

Your cooperation, your interest and your support are important to us.  Your involve-ment will not only give us the financial support but the incentive to promote the changes we know that must be made.

Help us by filling out and returning the form below.  Do it TODAY.

     MAIL TO:

     FACES

     PO Box 156

     Falmouth, MA 02541

Of course I would like to help clean up Falmouth’s estuaries and saltponds.  Please include us in your list to receive periodic newsletters.  I support the work FACES is doing with my contribution to defray costs of postage, printing, and publicity.

Enclosed is my check, made payable to FACES

Individual Membership   $10.00 ______

Family Membership        $15.00 ______

Assoc./Organization Business $25.00______

Additional support is welcome_______

 

 

 

 

 

Name_______________________________

Address_____________________________

____________________________________
____________________________________

Address (winter) ______________________
____________________________________
____________________________________

Phone_______________________________

E-mail address__________________________

FACES thanks you for your help.  You are really helping yourself create a cleaner, healthier environment.

 

 

FACES MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS

 

Acapesket Improvement Association

Ashumet Valley Property Owners

Association for the Preservation of Cape Cod

Belvidere Plains Association

Black Beach Association

Bournes Pond Village Association

Chapoquoit Association

Chapoquoit Yacht Club

Coalition For Buzzards Bay

Citizens For Protection of Waquoit Bay

Craggy Ridge Association

Davisville Association

Falmouth Garden Club

Falmouth Heights Maravista Association

Falmouth League of Women Voters

Falmouthport Condominium Trust

Fisherman’s Cove Homeowners Association

Friends of Oyster Pond

Great Harbors Residents Association

Green Pond Tackle Inc.

Lantern Acres Trust

Little Island Beach Preservation Trust

Menauhant Landowners Association

Menauhant Yacht Club

Metoxit Point Association

Old Stone Dock Improvement Association

Oyster Pond Environmental Trust, Inc.

Perch Pond Association

Quissett Association

Saconesset Hills Association

Salt Pond Areas Bird Sanctuaries

Sandpointe Shores Association

Seacoast Shores Association

SEA Education Associates

Shorewood Beach Association, Inc.

Sippewissett Association

Sippewissett Place Association

Teaticket Civic Association

TreeTops Condominium

The 300 Committee

Waquoit Bay Association

West Falmouth Boat Club

West Falmouth Civic Association

 

 

 

FACES  Newsletter

Falmouth Associations Concerned with Estuaries and Saltponds

Spring 2001

Vol. 3

 

Message from the President

David Palmer

 

 

Thank you for your continued support of FACES. We now have over thirty-five neighborhood associations and organizations as members.

 

AS YOU KNOW, WE ARE DEDICATED TO HELPING FALMOUTH CITIZENS PROTECT THEIR REAL ESTATE VALUES AND QUALITY OF LIFE BY REVERSING NITROGEN POLLUTION OF OUR BAYS AND HARBORS.

 

A three step program has been developed by the town's Ashumet Plume Citizens' Committee which accomplishes this goal. Your FACES board has reviewed and approved the program. Three members of your board are also members of the Ashumet Plume Citizens' Committee.

 

The town meeting and town management gave the program their initial blessing for further development at last fall's town meeting, and other presentations.

 

The starting gun of your FACES team's support actions for the above three-step program was sounded on March 15, 2001 at the West Falmouth Library. Over eighty enthusiastic people attended our program about growing Falmouth Friendly Lawns, which was co-sponsored by the League of Women Voters and the Falmouth Garden Club. (Copies of The Falmouth Enterprise’s article on the program were sent to you earlier – if you'd like additional copies call Brad Stumcke, Jr. 508-548-7553.)

 

Every indication is that many of the attendees, and others who read about the program are following the recommendations. Hila Lyman's FACES Board committee report on the program and its follow-up can be found in an article in this newsletter.

 

As more of us join this early group, we will eventually reduce the impact of lawn fertilizer on spoiling our bays and harbors – lawn fertilizer accounts for over twenty percent of nitrogen pollution.

 

The second major step - efforts to expand and intensify Falmouth's wastewater treatment - is underway. Our first initiative to accomplish this step has been to strongly support our West Falmouth neighbors in their efforts to upgrade the West Falmouth

wastewater management plant.

 

The second wastewater management initiative now underway is to review and then support other appropriate efforts and

recommendations of the Ashumet Plume Citizens Committee.

 

One key recommendation is to establish an additional - and badly needed - waste water treatment plant somewhere in East

Falmouth to help cost-effectively reverse the pollution that is killing Great, Green and Bourne's ponds. Continued destruction of

these ponds by nitrogen pollution will severely damage real estate values in the entire town. (See the report on this Committee's activities elsewhere in this letter.)

 

The third major step is to test the feasibility and effectiveness of using constructed wetlands to reduce the nitrogen flowing down through the watersheds of the three ponds mentioned above. A "constructed wetland" is made by creating a network ofchannels and islands of vegetation for a nitrogen-loaded river to flow through, located at the point where the river enters a pond. As the water flows through the constructed wetlands, some nitrogen is soaked up by the vegetation, and much of the rest is converted to nitrogen gas by the sediment at the bottoms of the channels.

 

This is a technology with encouraging results elsewhere, but relatively untested for the concentrations found in Falmouth’s streams and rivers.  One of the key questions is how much surface area it would take to remove a substantial portion of the nitrogen that flows down from upper areas of the watershed.  If the process is feasible, it could substitute for expensive nitrogen-removal systems for many homes located north of Route 28.

 

YOUR HELP AND THAT OF YOUR MEMBERS is greatly needed as we move forward with these action steps.

The places where we need your help are for:

 

o Your association or organization to stay current on your annual dues payments ($25.00) which helps us cover mailings and

publicity to keep you informed

 

o You and your members to attend the various information programs we present, so when the time for voting comes you will be

well informed (FOR EXAMPLE, OUR ANNUAL MEETING WILL TAKE PLACE AT 7:00PM ON WEDNESDAY, JULY 18 AT THE WEST FALMOUTH LIBRARY - PLEASE COME).

 

o You to tell us about any other association leaders we could contact - OTHER THAN THE ONES LISTED IN THIS

NEWSLETTER. And please encourage any of them you know to contact me.

 

o You to see to it that your members receive our information, and that they are encouraged to talk to Bernie Stecher - 508-540-7896 about taking out an individual membership ($15.00)

 

o You to let us know if you'd like a speaker for one of your meetings (Falmouth Fertilizer Programs – Bruce Dobberteen - 508-457-1875;

Nitrogen Pollution Threats to Real Estate Values: What to DO About It - Brad Stumcke, Jr - 508-548-7553)

 

We look forward to your continued support. Please call if you have any questions!!

 

DAVE PALMER, 508-548-4858

PRESIDENT

 

 

 

Making Your Lawn ‘Falmouth Friendly’ Will Help Save Our Coastal Ponds

(by Greg Peterson, reprinted from The Falmouth Enterprise, May 29, 2001)

 

By now, you have probably dusted off your lawn mower. This season, as you begin your lawn maintenance, bear in mind that there are several simple steps that you can do to help save East Falmouth’s ponds.

 

The health of Great, Green, and Bournes ponds has deteriorated steadily over the past twenty-five years, and lawn fertilizers have played a role in that decline.

 

Fertilizers work because they contain nitrogen, a nutrient that helps grass grow. The problem comes when  heavy concentrations of nitrogen intended for the grass leaches  through the lawns,  to the groundwater, and into the ponds. Excess nitrogen stimulates the growth of algae in the water, which in turn shades out native vegetation, destroys fish habitat, and occasionally drives oxygen out of the water column, suffocating the animals (fish and shellfish) living there.

 

Fertilizers account for more than 15% of the total nitrogen entering the ponds. 

This is not as big a problem as septic waste, which contributes more than 50%. However, fertilizer loading is unique because it is something that every homeowner has the power to help reduce. As for septic waste, the town is currently reviewing ways to treat wastewater to reduce its nitrogen load.

 

Obviously, the win-win situation is to maintain your lawn so that it absorbs nitrogen as efficiently as possible. This will limit the amount of fertilizer you need to use, while keeping your lawn healthy, and it will reduce the amount of nitrogen leaching out into the ponds. Many well-maintained lawns do not need any fertilizer at all. These lawns store and recycle nutrients so well that the little bit of nutrients that come in naturally from rain and the air are more than enough to keep the grass healthy. These seven steps will put you well on your way to a ‘Falmouth Friendly’ lawn:

 

1. Plant fine-leafed fescues or a fescue and perennial rye mix. Fescues are a great grass to grow on the Cape because they are low maintenance. They tolerate shade, but will grow in the sun, are drought resistant, and require less fertilizer than other grasses. Fescues require one pound of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet/year, while many other grasses, such as Kentucky Blue Grass, requires two. Planting fescues will mean you have to use less total fertilizer, which is less of a hassle for you, and also puts less strain on the ponds. Fescues are often sold in mixes with other perennial grasses; these will also do.

 

2. Maintain 6” of soil. When it comes to soil, the deeper the better. Deep soil layers hold moisture well, and encourage grasses to grow deep roots. In turn, grasses can absorb more of the nitrogen (and other nutrients) applied to the soil.

 

When you are planting a new lawn, begin on the right foot by making sure that it has at least 6” of topsoil. Existing lawns that do not have a thick soil layer should be top-dressed each year with 1-2” of a loam/compost mix every spring until you get that 6” for your grass. When you are overseeding your lawn, first apply the topdressing of loam/compost, then overseed.

 

3.  Mow at 3” and leave clippings on the lawn. Grass that is too short does not have the surface area it needs to capture sunlight and photosynthesize effectively. Letting your grass grow 3” blades will keep the photosynthetic machinery rolling, and allow the grass to develop deep roots that absorb nitrogen and other essential nutrients.

Lawn clippings are a natural and convenient form of organic fertilizer and should be left on the lawn for the grass to enjoy. A common myth is that lawn clippings contribute to the build-up of thatch. The truth is quite the opposite: grass clippings stimulate earthworm activity that breaks down thatch.

 

4. Water infrequently. The cool season grasses typically grown on the Cape do not need much water; watering excessively can actually hurt the grass by encouraging it to grow shallow roots. Watering infrequently -- only when the grass shows signs thaat it really needs it -- encourages grass to grow deep roots. Deep roots in turn make the grass hardy and able to withstand dry spells.

 

Many deep-rooted lawns do not need to be watered at all. However, if your lawn begins to turn brown during its normal growing season (spring and fall), then it is time to water. Make sure to water deeply; a good rule of thumb is 1” per week, all at one time. One big watering a week, rather than many smaller watering sessions spread throughout the week, means that you will lose less water to evaporation. It also encourages your grass to grow deep roots, since the grass must reach down deep into the soil to get to all the available moisture.

 

An easy way to make sure that your lawn gets 1” of water a week is to leave an empty tuna can out in your lawn. Tuna cans are 1” thick, so when the can is filled with water, you know your lawn has had its share for the week. If it rains in the beginning of the week, and your can is half full when it comes time to water, make sure you only add enough water to top off the can; do not add a whole other inch of water.

 

5. Have an annual soil test done to determine the pH of your soil. If you follow suggestions 1-4, you may find that your lawn is completely healthy and does not need any fertilizer. However, if your lawn does need fertilizer, the first thing to do is to check the pH of your soil. Soil pH – that is, the amount of hydrogen ions in the soil – will determine how effectively your grass can use fertilizer applied to the lawn. Grasses grow most efficiently in soils between 6.5 and 6.8 pH. You can test the pH of your soil by taking samples from 3-4 different locations in your lawn, mixing them together, and taking them to the Extension Office in Barnstable. The Master Gardeners will do the soil test there, and tell you how to correct the pH of your soil, if needed.

 

6.  When you do fertilize, fertilize in spring (April, early May) and early fall

(September). Cool seasons grasses, like the fescues commonly found on the Cape, go semi-dormant in the heat of the summer, so you do not want to fertilize then. You will only be fertilizing the weeds, and the fertilizer that escapes the weeds will end up in the ponds.

 

Also, make sure that you only use as much fertilizer as you need. Most fertilizers come in bags that cover 5,000 square feet. If you only have 4,000 square feet of lawn, do not use the whole bag. A simple way to measure the area of your lawn is to pace off the sides of your lawn, and know that one pace is about three feet. For example, if your lawn is a rectangle roughly 15 paces by 30 paces, your total lawn area is 4050 square feet. Finally, as much as you may appreciate your driveway and sidewalks, they do not need to be fertilized. This is a case where more is definitely not better.

 

7. Use organic fertilizers. Most fertilizers contain nitrogen in its simple, inorganic form, which is easy for grass to take up from the soil. This is great when the fertilizer is first applied; the grasses get inundated with food. But just as you cannot eat fifty pizzas in one sitting, the grass cannot absorb all that nitrogen at once. Most of the nitrogen leaches down into the groundwater, eventually making its way out into the ponds.

 

Organic fertilizers, in contrast, release nitrogen slowly, over many days, allowing the grasses to absorb much more of the total nitrogen in the fertilizer. Most local garden centers are now selling organic fertilizers. The fertilizers come under many names, such as methylene urea, ureaformaldehyde, sulfur coated urea, and IBDU. In general, if the fertilizer has 50-66% water insoluble nitrogen (WIN), you are all set.

 

With these suggestions, you will be armed with the tools you need to develop a ‘Falmouth Friendly’ lawn – one that not only looks good, but also helps preserve, and possibly restore, the health of our ponds.

 

 

Ashumet Plume Nitrogen Offset Website

 

The Ashumet Plume Citizens Committee has a website for the latest information and reports on its activities.  The Committee is recommending to the Town on how to spend the $8.5 million the Town is getting from the U.S. Air Force to mitigate nitrogen overloading of Bournes, Green and Great Ponds.  The website www.geocities.com/ashumet2001 contains a brief overview of the program and the latest meeting schedule and activities.  The site provides a direct link to the Committee’s report of October 2000, in which the recommendations of the Committee are spelled out in detail.  Briefly they are: 1. A fertilizer program for reducing nitrogen loading, 2. A prototype constructed wetlands program and 3. A wastewater treatment plan with three options discussed.

 

In addition, the website has all the articles concerning the program and written by Greg Peterson and published in the Falmouth Enterprise.  We are planning to put some information on the fertilizer program on the website in the near future.  You also can access the Committee website from the Town website www.town.falmouth.ma.us.

 

 

Falmouth Student Studies Wetlands

 

The annual Science Fair at the Falmouth High School is held each March.  At the urging of the FACES. Directors, Dr. Jim Johnson, head of the Science and Mathematics Departments, was asked if one of his students would be interested in a science project relating to nitrogen overloading of our ponds. It was envisioned that the student would demonstrate a mini constructed wetland and ascertain whether there could be any discernible nitrogen removal.

 

Luckily, a bright junior, Katie Smith, stepped forward and decided to tackle a project in which she had no knowledge.  Her first task was to research the Internet and documents, which were given to her by the Ashumet Plume Citizens Committee.  As she attempted to get a handle on the subject it became obvious that the demonstration idea was too broad and complex, so there was a refocus on her objectives.

 

Under the guidance of a member of the Ashumet Plume Citizens Committee and the MBL staff, Katie refocused her research on the effect of bacteria on nitrogen mitigation.  She took mud from Bournes Pond, and under controlled laboratory conditions, subjected two different strengths of nitrate solutions (one simulating effluent from a waste treatment plant and one simulating the nitrogen in one of the rivers entering the ponds) to the mud.  The results showed that bacteria does play an important role in reducing the nitrogen in the water over a period of days.

 

Katie spent many hours developing her project and then conducting the laboratory experiments.  The results of her work and how it was presented were recognized by the Falmouth judges.  She won a first place prize, including a check for $250.00 and represented Falmouth at the regionals at Bridgewater State College two weeks later.  She won second prize (including a perfect score from one of the judges) and an invitation to participate in the State finals at MIT in May.  We all wish here well.

 

 

Perch Pond Situation Update

 

The increasingly polluted condition of Perch Pond led to the formation of the Perch Pond Association in June, 1998.

 

A petition signed by 307 neighbors was presented to Selectmen on July 22, 1998 requesting dredging of a channel through the restricted entrance from Great Pond and through a 275 foot sand flat inside Perch Pond.  The sand flat severely restricts tidal flushing at low tide.  The sand flat is totally exposed, restricting water to a narrow path 6” to 8” in depth on the east side of the Pond.

 

The Selectmen allocated funds to begin the regulatory process to dredge the Pond that evening.  The dredging of a channel was also approved by all necessary regulatory boards in Falmouth including the Harbormaster, Shellfish Warden, Waterways Committee and the Conservation Commission.  In addition, dredging a channel as a means of tidal flushing with Vineyard Sound waters was recommended as the course of action in the science summary of the Nutrient and Hydrodynamic Study of Great, Green and Bournes Ponds as part of the Ashumet Plume Nitrogen Offset Program, dated February 2000.  This scientific study was prepared for the Town of Falmouth by Horsley and Witten, Inc., Applied Coastal Research and Engineering, Inc., and the Center for Marine Science and Technology, University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth.

 

After two years in the regulatory process, the outlook was promising.  Toward the end of the process, some opposition did arise.  R. Jude Wilbur, who was working on a project for the Town on the western shore of Great Pond where the dredged material was to be deposited, was opposed.  Mr. Wilbur wrote, “To dump this anoxic, smelly material at the toe of the slope at Randolph Street may in fact make sense sedimentologically, but environmentally, this would be a fiasco”.  Several other residents of Teaticket called for an environmental impact study prior to any dredging.  The National Marine Fisheries was also opposed to dredging fearing Perch Pond’s polluted condition would effect the shellfish and water quality of Great Pond.

 

The decision to dredge was finally approved by the Corps of Engineers last November, with several modifications:

     l)  channel depth was reduced to 3 feet from the planned 4 feet.

    2)  the dredging of the channel stopped at the inner sand flat

    3)  various water quality tests had to be taken and submitted to the Corps

 

The partial dredging was accomplished in late November, 2000.  The impact on increased water flow in Perch Pond was immediately discernible.  A post dredge survey is being conducted during the April-May 2001 timeframe and will be submitted to the Corps of Engineers.  At this time, none of the dire predictions of environmental or shellfish damage in Great Pond is evident.

 

The Waterways Committee will continue to pursue, with the Corps of Engineers, for completion of the dredging through the sand flat with the increase of the channel’s depth to 4 feet.  The earliest completion of the dredging would be in the Spring of 2002, barring any problems with the final approval by the Corps of Engineers.

 

The Perch Pond Association remains committed to seeing this effort through to completion.

 

 

How You Can Help

Your cooperation, your interest and your support are important to us.  Your involve-ment will not only give us the financial support but the incentive to promote the changes we know that must be made.

Help us by filling out and returning the form below.  Do it TODAY.

     MAIL TO:

     FACES

     PO Box 156

     Falmouth, MA 02541

 

Of course I would like to help clean up Falmouth’s estuaries and saltponds.  Please include us in your list to receive periodic newsletters.  I support the work FACES is doing with my contribution to defray costs of postage, printing, and publicity.

 

Enclosed is my check, made payable to FACES

Individual Membership   $10.00 ______

Family Membership        $15.00 ______

Assoc./Organization Business $25.00______

Additional support is welcome_______

 

Name_______________________________

Address_____________________________

____________________________________
____________________________________

Winter Address______________________________                       
____________________________________                                   
____________________________________                                   

Phone_______________________________

FACES thanks you for your help.  You are really helping yourself create a cleaner, healthier environment.