coastal

Gloucester Awarded $97,500 State Grant for Pump Stations Floodproofing Redesign Retrofit

~ Chris Sicuranza

Baker-Polito Administration Awards $2.2 Million for Coastal Communities to Prepare for Climate Change 

BOSTON – The Baker-Polito Administration today announced more than $2.2 million in funding to support local efforts to increase community preparedness and resilience to coastal storm and climate change impacts, including storm surges, flooding, erosion, and rising sea levels. These grants, provided by the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs’ Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM), are being awarded to Dennis, Duxbury Beach Reservation, Inc., Eastham, Essex, Falmouth, Gloucester, Kingston, Marshfield, Mattapoisett, New Bedford, Northeastern University, Salem, Scituate, Wareham, Weymouth and Winthrop. Fifty-one resilience projects have been completed under the Baker-Polito Administration with an investment of over $6.8 million for these projects.

“Protecting and preparing Massachusetts’ extensive residential and commercial developments, port facilities, habitats and natural resources from changing climate conditions along our coast is a priority for our administration,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “We are committed to addressing these challenges and pleased to provide more than $2 million to coastal communities to adapt and prepare for future storms.”

“Massachusetts is home to 78 coastal communities with unique economic assets that drive sustainable growth,” said Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito, who also serves as Chair of the Seaport Economic Council. “Today’s grants will help more than a dozen communities from Cape Cod to the North Shore and the South Coast better protect the assets that help drive their local communities.”

The funding continues the commitment of the Baker-Polito Administration to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, safeguard residents, municipalities, and businesses from the impacts of climate change, and build a more resilient Commonwealth. Earlier this year, the Administration awarded over $1 million in grant funding and designation status has been awarded to 71 towns and cities across the Commonwealth to provide communities with technical support, climate change data and planning tools to identify hazards and develop strategies to improve resilience.

“The Commonwealth’s coastal communities are leading by example to proactively integrate climate change projections in planning, infrastructure improvements and the stabilization of natural coastal buffers like salt marsh and barrier beaches,” said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Matthew Beaton. “Through these grants, we are helping to enable communities to become more resilient to coastal storms and sea level rise over time.”

CZM’s Coastal Resilience Grant Program provides financial and technical support for innovative local efforts to increase awareness and understanding of climate impacts, plan for changing conditions, redesign vulnerable community facilities and infrastructure and implement nonstructural measures to increase natural storm damage protection, flood and erosion control and community resilience. Grants can be used for planning, public outreach and feasibility assessment and analysis of shoreline vulnerability, as well as for design, permitting, construction and monitoring of projects that enhance or create natural resources to provide increased shoreline stabilization and flood control.

“Gloucester joins our local, state, regional and global leaders to make our communities more resilient to the effects of climate change,” said Gloucester Mayor Sefatia Romeo Theken. “All of us will suffer the costs if we don’t act, both in our budgets and in our homes which will be lost. While these coastal resilience grants will help communities like Gloucester endure future storm events and minimize public health and environmental risks due to climate change, we cannot solve these issues alone and remain grateful for the support from the Baker-Polito administration in navigating solutions both short term and long.”

“Through the Coastal Resilience Grant Program, CZM actively works with communities and other partners to develop effective strategies to address shoreline erosion, flooding and climate change issues,” said CZM Director Bruce Carlisle. “We recognize the tremendous efforts and commitment at the local level needed to complete these projects, and we look forward to sharing project results with other coastal communities experiencing similar issues.”

Gloucester – $97,500

  • Project: Gloucester Pump Stations – Floodproofing Redesign and Retrofit
  • Description: The City of Gloucester will design and prepare bid specifications for infrastructure improvements at five of its most vulnerable pump stations. The floodproofing measures will be designed to protect the long-term function of the pump stations from anticipated sea level rise impacts.

The Massachusetts Office Coastal Zone Management is the lead policy and planning agency on coastal and ocean issues within the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs. Through planning, technical and grant assistance and public information programs, CZM seeks to balance the impacts of human activity with the protection of coastal and marine resources. The agency’s work includes helping coastal communities address the challenges of storms, sea level rise and other effects of climate change; working with state, regional and federal partners to balance current and new uses of ocean waters while protecting ocean habitats and promoting sustainable economic development; and partnering with communities and other organizations to protect and restore coastal water quality and habitats.

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PIPING PLOVERS NESTING AT GOOD HARBOR BEACH

~ Chris Sicuranza

PIPING PLOVERS NESTING AT GOOD HARBOR BEACH

The City of Gloucester and Mayor Sefatia Romeo Theken will be working closely during the 2017 beach season at Good Harbor Beach with the Essex County Greenbelt Association and the MA Division of Fisheries and Wildlife to manage Piping Plovers if they return again to nest on the beach.
 
“For generations, Gloucester’s citizens have existed in a delicate balance with our coastal ecosystem, from the open ocean, to the rocky shorelines and of course to our beaches,” Mayor Romeo Theken said. “We are committed to making every effort possible to protect nesting Piping Plovers at our beaches but we will do so while maintaining public access to these amazing areas. Please help me and the City by cooperating with any short-term restrictions imposed at our beaches in 2017.”
 
In 2016, Piping Plovers, a small shorebird, were observed nesting for the first time at GHB, and the City acted quickly and responsibly along with Greenbelt and MADFW to protect the birds and their nesting areas. The City is preparing more proactively now for the 2017 beach season.

BACKGROUND:

Piping Plovers are a small shorebird that was placed on the US Endangered Species List in 1986 as a threatened species. Piping Plovers nest directly on the sand at beaches throughout MA, typically on the upper beach just below the outer dune edge. Statewide the Piping Plover population has been increasing over the past 20 years and the population reached about 650 pairs in MA in 2016.
 
In Gloucester in 2016, 4 pairs of Piping Plovers nested at Coffins Beach and fledged 10 young. A single pair of Piping Plovers nested at GHB, hatching 3 chicks but none survived to fledge. The Piping Plovers at GHB nested later than normal in the season which may have contributed to the lack of chick survival. Better early season protections could help eliminate this problem in 2017.
The US Endangered Species Act requires public and private landowners to take necessary measures to protect listed species like Piping Plovers. MA also has guidelines and laws for beach nesting bird management. The city is making every effort to be compliant with all regulatory guidelines.
 
Piping Plovers typically arrive from their southern wintering areas to our local beaches in late March or early April. Males and females quickly form breeding pairs that begin the process of courtship and nest site select throughout April and May. During April and May, it is important to limit disturbance to the birds and their habitats. Chicks can hatch from nests in late May and are immediately mobile and move out of the nest in search of food. As chicks grow older and larger, they will roam from the dunes to the water’s edge in search of food. Chicks are very vulnerable to human disturbance and are susceptible to predators like gulls and foxes.

PLAN OF ACTION FOR 2017:

Gloucester officials have directed City staff to collaborate with Greenbelt and MADFW to development management strategies to protect Piping Plovers found nesting on any Gloucester beaches.
 
  • Beach Scraping – Limiting beach cleaning activities like beach scraping with a tractor and mechanical rake is very important once Piping Plovers arrive at GHB. This could start in April and last though June in certain areas at GHB.
  • Fencing – It is also important to strategically select areas for temporary closure with single strand fencing and signs. These fenced areas allow a refuge for Piping Plovers to begin their nesting season normally in May, before the busy beach season. fences could be installed in April and be in place through June in certain areas at GHB.
  • Monitoring – Regular monitors from Greenbelt, MADFW and theCity will visit GHB in March/April to determine if PipingPlovers are present and to ensure that any nesting Piping Plovers are well protected. Monitoring will continue as long as Piping Plovers are present at the site.
  • Public Access – GHB will remain open to the public during the beach season. Only selected small areas may be closed to the public to protect Piping Plovers. Mayor Theken encourages all beachgoers to respect the closed areas and to consider Piping Plovers as an important part of Gloucester’s rich and healthy coastal ecosystem.
  • Dogs – Unleashed dogs can pose a very real threat to Piping Plover adults and chicks. Dogs owners are responsible for controlling their dogs and may be legally responsible for any adverse impacts to Piping Plovers and their habitats.

For more information, please contact Greenbelt Essex County Trust at dwr@ecga.org or (978) 768-7241 x14

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