BAYS NATIONAL ESTUARY PROGRAM HEALTHY ECOSYSTEM GRANTS FINAL TECHNICAL REPORT

ASSOCIATION TO PRESERVE AUGUST 11, 2016

PROJECT TITLE: Restoring Cape Cod Estuaries with a Restoration Coordination Center

PROJECT SUMMARY

In 2015, the Association to Preserve Cape Cod (APCC) developed a comprehensive Cape-wide inventory of coastal restoration projects based on input from all 15 Cape towns. Over 140 projects were identified as in need of assistance, including salt marsh, stormwater and fish run restoration projects to restore habitat and improve water quality and coastal resilience. In response to the identified need, APCC established the Restoration Coordination Center (RCC) to assist towns with implementation by providing coordination, project management, technical assistance, outreach, and other services to promote the implementation of holistic, cost-effective, and ecologically sound restoration projects. With grant funding provided by the Massachusetts Bays (MassBays) National Estuary Program Healthy Ecosystem Grant as well as matching funds from the Cape Cod Foundation, Eddy Foundation and APCC member donations, APCC was able to: update this inventory and conduct a formal prioritization of restoration projects across the Cape; identify three priority projects within the MassBays region for further development; and write project plans and submit funding requests for these projects. The RCC is also supported by partnerships with the Cape Cod Conservation District, the Cape Cod Commission, the Massachusetts Division of Ecological Restoration (DER), the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries, and the MassBays Program Cape Cod Regional Coordinator. The guiding principles of the RCC, which mirror the CCMP principles, are collaboration; ecosystem based management; resiliency; and long term sustainability. The outcomes of this project help support MassBays in the fulfillment of its goals by providing a new transferable resource management tool, supporting work to enhance embayment conditions, and providing outreach and training for municipalities to support local decision-making.

DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT

Development of a prioritized list of restoration projects In 2016 and 2017 the Restoration Coordination Center (RCC) met with towns across the Cape, to complete development of a prioritized list of restoration projects for Cape Cod. The goal of these meetings was to make towns and communities more aware of the newly established Restoration Coordination Center, the assistance the RCC was offering to provide, and to update the cape- wide inventory of projects prior to undertaking a formal prioritization of this list. APCC shared information about the RCC goals and purpose and discussed with town staff project status, priorities and needs helping to fill in remaining information gaps within the inventory (Deliverable 2a – Meeting agenda). The initial inventory of 140+ projects identified by meetings with towns or from existing sources including the Cape Codi and Atlases of Tidally Restricted Salt Marshesii and the Final Watershed Plan and Areawide Environmental Impact Statement for the Cape Cod Water Resources Restoration Project (CCWRRP)iii was revised; completed projects were removed and new priorities added bringing the current list to over 170 projects across the Cape. The RCC also created a GIS map of all projects for use when meetings with towns, this map including project name, location and a basic project description was also made available on APCC’s webpage. The scope of the inventory was also expanded beyond salt marsh, stormwater remediation and fish run projects to include pond, wetland, stream, cranberry bog and coastal resilience projects. Following each meeting APCC provided towns with a revised copy of their current project list and when relevant a list of upcoming grant opportunities applicable to their projects. For meeting agenda and summary of meetings completed with support of the MassBays Program Grant and matching funds see Deliverable 2a.

Building upon existing prioritization criteria used for the Cape Cod Water Resource Restoration Program,iv APCC developed a draft set of criteria aimed at ranking projects according to ecological value and feasibility of implementation. These draft criteria were reviewed and revised based upon input from RCC partners (Cape Cod Conservation District, Cape Cod Commission, MA Division of Ecological Restoration and MassBays Program Regional Coordinator). The final set of 11 criteria included 9 criteria that rate projects according to ecological value and 2 criteria that rate feasibility based on existing project support (Deliverable 2b – Final Prioritization Criteria). Several prioritization criteria required additional information beyond what was provided from meetings with the towns. The inventory was updated to fill in these information gaps including delineation of watershed, size of project area, 303d list TMDL category, and FEMA hazard category based on the project location. The information gathered in the inventory along with the inventory project map and publically available GIS map layers were then used to score all 170+ projects. Projects were then ranked based upon total score (ecological value score plus feasibility score) for all 15 towns including the 11 towns bordering the . The top 30 projects across the Cape as well as the top three projects per town were identified and within this list projects that fall within the MassBays region were noted for this grant (Deliverable 2d – Priority Project List).

The prioritized inventory of restoration projects was used for this grant to identify top priority projects within the MassBays region for further development, but will continue to be used as a management tool for RCC and the region. The inventory provides a resource for identifying additional projects for development, collaboration and funding proposals in the future. Likewise, the projects developed for implementation under this grant will provide models which can be transferred to similar restoration efforts in other embayments. Thus, the combined outputs of the inventory, new and stronger partnerships, a restoration resource clearinghouse, public outreach materials, and project plans will provide the foundation of information and structure by which the Restoration Coordination Center proceeds with planning and implementation going forward. The added resources and capacity developed by this project will support APCC’s ability to transfer this innovative restoration partnership model to other projects and areas.

Identification of two projects within Cape Cod Bay for further development The prioritized inventory of restoration projects was used specifically for this grant to identify a minimum of two priority projects from the 11 Cape Cod MassBays towns to be developed for implementation. Based on the final prioritization of projects across the region (Deliverable 3a) the RCC identified top priority projects on Cape Cod Bay for development. APCC identified over 30 high priority projects based on ecological value and feasibility of restoration. An informal gaps analysis was completed to identify projects with specific needs that the RCC could help fulfill. Then from this short list, the RCC initiated follow up meetings and conversations with town staff to discuss the projects in further detail to determine how APCC might collaborate with them to complete the projects, build town capacity, and support their goals.

APCC contacted more than a half dozen of these top priority projects to offer assistance and review the status of the project. Many of the large-scale projects were determined to be not ready to proceed at present, or not currently in need of assistance from the RCC as other partners including the Massachusetts Division of Ecological Restoration (DER) have already fulfilled the town or community needs. While several high priority projects were determined either to be not ready to move forward or not currently in need of assistance. These projects do offer great opportunity for future collaboration and have been included in our list of recommendations for future work to be completed. Following review of the highest ranked Cape Cod Bay projects, APCC examined the second tier of priority projects across Cape Cod Bay towns and through conversation with town staff identified and confirmed commitment/interest from the town or other partners for assistance with the following three projects: Crosby Lane stormwater remediation and salt marsh restoration in Brewster, Little Pamet River salt marsh assessment in Truro, and Sesuit Creek salt marsh restoration pilot planting in Dennis. Description of these projects, plans developed, and grant proposals submitted is below.

Identify and draft grant proposals for a minimum of two priority projects on Cape Cod Bay In the summer of 2016, APCC compiled a comprehensive list of available grant opportunities for restoration projects and posted this list online. The purpose of this list is to provide a resource for APCC our partners, town and communities to help identify funding opportunities for priority projects. This list was last updated in February of 2017 and is expected to be reviewed and updated on an annual basis. Funding opportunities were reviewed in more detail as Requests for Proposals were released to identify possible fit for projects on the list. Grant opportunities reviewed and compared to the restoration project inventory include: • NOAA FY16 Coastal Resilience Grant • NOAA FY17 Coastal Resilience and Habitat Restoration Grants • Massachusetts Environmental Trust (MET) FY18 Grant • North America Wetland Conservation Act (NAWCA) Grants • Cape Cod Foundation Grants • Eddy Foundation Grant • Friendship Fund • EPA Healthy Communities Grant • MA Coastal Pollutant Remediation Grant • MA 319 Grant • MA 604b Grant

The following is a description of each of the three priority projects identified along with final project plans and grant proposals developed:

1) Crosby Lane Stormwater Remediation and Salt Marsh Restoration, Brewster: The project site is located in the western end of the Inner Cape Cod Bay Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC) where Crosby Lane crosses a restricted tidal creek which flows into Namskaket Creek estuary located to the east. The project site also includes a 60-space public parking lot located landward of the coastal dune which provides public access to Crosby Landing Beach, the Town’s most popular beach. Crosby Lane and the parking lot are owned by the Town. The goals of this project are to protect and improve water quality and habitat in this portion of the Inner Cape Cod Bay ACEC through the following activities: 1) Treat stormwater runoff from Crosby Lane and Crosby Landing Beach parking lot through installation of green stormwater infrastructure (bioretention basin, sediment forebay and vegetated swales); and 2) Restore tidal flow and restore salt marsh by replacing the undersized 12” culvert under Crosby Lane with a 5’x5’ culvert. The larger tidal culvert will also accommodate changing precipitation and groundwater elevations as climate change and sea level rise occur, thus enhancing coastal resilience.

APCC submitted a proposal to the Eddy Foundation in 2016 to provide matching funds for the MassBays Healthy Estuary Grant scope of work specific to the town of Brewster. With these funds APCC met with town staff to update the Brewster project inventory and prioritize this list of projects. The top priority projects were reviewed with town staff and the Crosby Lane project identified for pursuit of additional funding and support. The RCC drafted a pre- restoration monitoring plan to comply with the Order of Conditions, identified top grant opportunities to consider for funding completion of this project, contacted grant administrators for the 604b, 319 and CPR grant programs to discuss Crosby Lane and other priority projects, and with support from the MassBays Regional Coordinator for Cape Cod drafted and assisted the town with submission of a 319 grant to fund final design, construction and post-restoration monitoring for the Crosby Lane stormwater remediation and salt marsh restoration project. Completion of this work was done with the support of the MassBays Healthy Estuary grant, the Eddy Foundation grant, and the MassBays Regional Coordinator. Post-restoration monitoring is proposed to be completed by the RCC with funding from the 319 grant program. Notice of grant awards still pending, but expected sometime July or 2017.

2) Little Pamet River Salt Marsh Assessment, Truro: A long culvert under Corn Hill Road with a one-way clapper valve restricts flow from Pamet Harbor to the Little Pamet River salt marsh. Fresh river water is allowed to flow downstream into Pamet Harbor but incoming tidal salt water is blocked by the valve. The culvert is functional but the current health status of the marsh is unknown. Nearby residents have been calling the town reporting a decline in marsh health (degraded habitat quality, narrowing of the river channel, spread of invasive species, loss in birds and wildlife, etc). Individuals have anecdotally noted that the marsh “looks sick.” The goal is to complete an initial GIS and field assessment of Little Pamet River marsh and culvert to characterize current conditions and recent changes as well as determine potential actions to improve the health of the system.

APCC drafted an assessment plan for work to be completed in 2017 and submitted a proposal to the Friendship Fund including a request for $1,043 to support this work. Mass Bays funds supported drafting of this plan and grant proposal. Notice of awards from the Friendship Fund is expected in August of 2017. Existing funds from the Cape Cod Foundation, APCC member donations, and the APCC intern fund will provide the remaining funds necessary to complete initial planning and assessment.

3) Sesuit Creek Salt Marsh Restoration Pilot Planting, Dennis: In 2008, the undersized culvert at Bridge Street was replaced with two 10-foot by 12-foot box culverts. The goal was to restore salt marsh habitat including native halophytic vegetation through restoration of natural tidal hydrology and salinities. The immediate result of this project was restoration of a more natural tidal hydrology and water chemistry to the upstream marsh. Monitoring of vegetative cover was conducted before and after restoration to determine response of the system to the restored tidal flow. The University of New Hampshire (UNH) provided pre- restoration monitoring in 2007 and 2008 and APCC provided post-restoration monitoring through 2011. Review of this monitoring data has indicated a positive but slow recovery of vegetative cover; however, large areas remain devoid of cover. UNH and APCC, under contract to DER, conducted further post-restoration monitoring over the 2016 and 2017 field seasons to determine potential causes of the slow recovery and provide recommendations as to how to improve the restoration outcome and advance revegetation of bare areas. The output of this study includes recommendations for a pilot planting study to test alternative planting techniques to determine whether a larger scale planting of bare patches is warranted to improve the recovery rate of the marsh.

As part of the existing contract for post-restoration monitoring at Sesuit Creek, DER requested APCC develop a draft planting plan based on the 2016-2017 research findings. This plan will be used to leverage future DER funding to complete a pilot planting of S. alterniflora in low elevation bare patches in the restored marsh to determine if large scale planting might improve the rate of recovery. The planting plan was completed with funds from the existing DER contract as well as the remaining funds from the Mass Bays Program Healthy Estuary grant.

Additional project support Beyond these top three projects APCC was also able to complete the following activities with support from the MassBays Healthy Estuary Grant (Note: Italicized activities indicate projects outside the MassBays region. While these activities were not completed directly with MassBays funding completion of these activities was made possible by completion of the prioritized restoration inventory and other scope of work funded by the MassBays program): • Provided letters of support for projects submitting proposals to DER for designation of priority project status by their agency. Projects included the Upper (Mashpee), Pamet River (Truro), and Red Lily Pond (Barnstable). • Coordination and planning for monthly or quarterly Cape Cod restoration coordination meetings with RCC partners including the Massachusetts Division of Ecological Restoration, the Cape Cod Conservation District, the Cape Cod Commission, the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries, the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe, the Cape Cod Cooperative Extension, and the Buzzards Bay Coalition. • Provision of grants list to potential project partners including: Nina Coleman for the Sandy Neck project in Barnstable on Cape Cod Bay identifying four potential grants that could be a good fit for the Sandy Neck wetland and coastal resilience restoration project; Gary Anderson for the Farley and Gardner Bog wetland and stream restoration project in Falmouth; and the Red Lily Pond Association in Barnstable for restoration of the fish run and Lake Elizabeth/Red Lily Pond water quality restoration project. • Presentation to the Barnstable Coastal Resources Committee on September 22nd, 2016 to provide an overview of RCC goals and purpose and provide copies of the grants list and RCC factsheet for sharing with town staff. • Provided letters of support to John Riehl of the Mayo Creek Restoration Committee/Friends of the Herring River for the Mayo Creek Tidal Restoration and the Upper Herring River Fish Run Restoration Letter of Inquiry and final proposal to the Massachusetts Environmental Trust grant program. • Drafting and submission of a proposal for NOAA FY17 Coastal Habitat Restoration grant on behalf of the town of Barnstable and partners for restoration of the Upper Marston Mills River fish ladder. Total project cost: $79,059. Grant Request: $59,013. Match: $20,046. Grant award notification pending. • Drafting and submission of proposal to the Massachusetts Coastal Pollution Remediation grant program on behalf of the town of Barnstable for management of stormwater in the Three Bays watershed. Total project cost: $755,626. Grant Request: $364,398. Match: $391,228. Grant award notification pending.

Outreach With support from the MassBays Healthy Estuary grant and matching funds APCC has developed a clearinghouse of information about restoration and the RCC with many of these resources made available on our website at www.apcc.org/rcc. This includes description of the RCC, its goals, partners and history as well as education and outreach materials. The complete list of projects in the inventory with brief descriptions of each is available through our online map and more detailed description of projects we are actively working on is available at www.apcc.org/rcc/rccprojects. With support of this grant we have also developed a suite of educational materials including a general factsheet about the RCC and restoration (http://apcc.org/rcc/apcc-restoration-coordination-center-fact-sheet.pdf), a salt marsh preservation and restoration factsheet (http://apcc.org/rcc/salt-marsh-restoration-factsheet.pdf), a fish run restoration factsheet (http://apcc.org/rcc/fish-run-restoration-factsheet.pdf), and a stormwater management factsheet (http://apcc.org/rcc/apcc-stormwater-factsheet.pdf). These materials are used regularly at lectures, workshops, and public meetings. Also available online is the comprehensive list of restoration funding opportunities sorted by project type (http://apcc.org/rcc/rccfunding.html). The RCC also created a stormwater demonstration installation that has been used at Brewster Conservation Day and other public events as well as a general RCC power point presentation to share information about our program with members of the public and community groups.

PROJECT GOALS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS With this grant the RCC was successful in achieving the following project goals: (1) development of a complete prioritized list of Cape Cod restoration projects that will continue to be updated regularly; (2) identification of a minimum of two projects within the MassBays region to develop for planning and grant proposals; and (3) submission of grant/funding requests for these priority projects.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FUTURE WORK The RCC plans to continue to maintain and regularly update the cape-wide inventory and map of restoration projects and has been meeting with our partners on a quarterly basis in 2017 to share information. The prioritized inventory and grants list is being used to continue to match priority projects with funding opportunities.

Current plans for future work include: Meetings to revisit and update the current inventory and map. While the RCC is regularly making updates as new information becomes available it was determined that to maintain a comprehensive inventory formal meetings town by town is still needed at minimum every other year. APCC plans to work with the Cape Cod Conservation District to meet with all towns again in winter of 2017-2018.

Revision of Grants List The RCC has committed to review and update this list with assistance from interns at minimum once per year to ensure the information including funding amounts, grant priorities, and deadlines remain accurate and up to date.

Future Project Assistance The following are high priority projects identified through this project that APCC will continue to pursue in the future: • Grays Beach Coastal Resilience project, Yarmouth (contact Karl Von Hone, DNR Director) – APCC contacted this project lead to discuss potential collaboration and grant proposals for dune restoration/coastal resilience project. It has been identified as a potential project to pursue in the future for a NAWCA or MET grant. • Sandy Neck Coastal Resilience Project, Barnstable: APCC spoke with Nina Coleman, Sandy Neck Park Manager on multiple occasion including February 9, 2017 to discuss the status of their project as APCC identified it as top priority project and good fit for the NOAA Coastal Resilience Grant. The project team was not ready to proceed with further development or grant writing at that time but APCC will continue to follow up to offer assistance in the future. • Upper Herring River Fish Restoration, Wellfleet: APCC met with Don Palladino, Friends of the Herring River (FOHR) in late February 2017. APCC identified this as a top priority project on Cape Cod Bay where APCC might be able to assist. At the time, it was determined the FOHR were not in need of assistance with the upper herring river fish passage restoration. However, subsequent to this discussion FOHR has requested help with developing an outreach and education plan to better address concerns and negative response about the broader Herring River restoration project. APCC plans to meet with them in the future to discuss this and other potential collaborations. • Tidal Restoration Projects, Truro: On February 2, 2017 APCC met with Pat Pajaron, Truro Conservation Agent and Division of Ecological Restoration (DER) project coordinators to discuss the status of the Upper Pamet and Eagle Neck Creek tidal restoration projects. Both projects have been identified as DER priority projects and are already receiving assistance from DER. However, APCC had identified the Upper Pamet River Project and Ballston Beach restoration as a high priority project and a good fit for the NOAA Coastal Resilience Grant. After discussion, it was determined that the DER projects were not ready for further development for grants at present. However, we also discussed the potential for assessment at Little Pamet River and it was decided that APCC with the town would pursue some initial assessment and monitoring to determine feasibility for restoration in conjunction with the larger projects. Thus, this became one of three projects we drafted plans and funding proposals for under this grant program. • Lower Road Betty’s Curve Stormwater Remediation, Brewster: Based on discussion of this priority project with the town is was determined that a conceptual design was available and funding was needed to complete a final design plan for implementation. APCC has discussed the project with Chris Miller, DNR Director, and Patrick Ellis, DPW Director, and reviewed possible grants that could support this project. However, the town was most interested in pursuing the Crosby Lane project at present. Thus, APCC completed a project plan and grant proposal for that project. However, this project remains a priority for the town and APCC to be addressed in the future and would be a good fit for the 319-grant program. APCC could potentially assist with a subsequent grant proposal and/or public outreach during development of a final project design. • Herring Brook/Great Pond Fish Run and Stormwater Restoration, Eastham: This project, identified as a top priority on Cape Cod Bay, includes replacement of the culvert under Great Pond Road and channel improvement to facilitate stream flow and improve fish passage in Herring Brook to Long Pond and Depot Pond. From discussion with the MA Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) in May of 2017 APCC learned that DMF has designed the scope for the Depot Pond project and has applied twice for funds with no success. Most recently DMF met with the Town and Mosquito Control to discuss moving a project forward with a simple DMF/DPW/DNR hands-on job in the fall of 2017. The project is composed of two parts a downstream component in the tidal zone and the Depot Pond channel component. The downstream component has minimal costs and should go forward this fall, however, funding may be needed to compete work at the Depot Pond channel. DMF has requested survey work to be completed, but this could be a contract that needs funding. • Scargo Lake culvert of Upper Sesuit Creek, Dennis: This project, identified as a top priority on Cape Cod Bay, includes replacement of multiple undersized culverts along upper Sesuit Creek to improve flow and facilitate fish passage to Scargo Lake. From discussion with DMF in May of 2017 it was determined that the project needs a feasibility study to be completed examining fish passage and streamflow issues affecting the run. DMF is active on the project and has been working with MassDOT on maintenance of the existing culverts. MassDOT completed emergency clearing of two blocked pipes in 2016 improving flow for now, but a long-term solution is still required. The project will need planning and substantial construction funds to be completed. DMF has suggest that while the site is familiar to some MassDOT staff, now might be good time for formal letter from the Town requesting consultation with supporting letters from DMF and APCC.

i Fenn, Margo and Stacy Justus. (2001) Cape Cod Atlas of Tidally Restricted Salt Marshes. Cape Cod Commission. Cape Cod, MA. http://www.capecodcommission.org/resources/coastalresources/TidalAtlas.pdf ii Costa, Joseph, John Rockwell and Sarah Wilkes. (2002) Atlas of Tidally Restricted Salt Marshes in the Buzzards Bay Watershed Massachusetts. Buzzards Bay Project National Estuary Program. http://buzzardsbay.org/smatlasmain.htm iii USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. (2006). Final Watershed Plan and Areawide Environmental Impact Statement for the Cape Cod Water Resources Restoration Project. Massachusetts. http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb1119447.pdf iv USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. (2006). Final Watershed Plan and Areawide Environmental Impact Statement for the Cape Cod Water Resources Restoration Project. Massachusetts. http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb1119447.pdf