Herring River Restoration Project Phase 1 Review Moves to Full Cape Cod Commission on June 11th
At a virtual meeting on June 3rd, a Subcommittee of the Cape Cod Commission voted to recommend to the full Commission a decision to approve the Phase 1 Herring River Restoration Project subject to permit conditions. The Subcommittee action followed public hearing sessions on March 9th and April 30th when the Subcommittee heard strong support for the Project from local and regional stakeholders. The next step will take place on June 11th beginning at 3:00 pm when the full Cape Cod Commission will continue the public hearing on the Project and consider the Subcommittee's recommendation. The meeting notice and Zoom access information is available on the
Cape Cod Commission calendar page.
Study of oyster settlement in the
Herring River Estuary
Katie Murphy at Field Point Oyster Farm
The restoration of the Herring River is expected to increase the bounty of Wellfleet oysters. Friends of Herring River Board members, Dr. Barbara Brennessel and Dr. John Portnoy, received a $2,000 grant from Wellfleet Shellfish Promotion and Tasting, Inc. (SPAT) to conduct a three year study of the settlement of oyster spat, i.e. newly settled oyster larvae or "baby" oysters, in the Herring River Estuary before the restoration begins. These scientists propose to monitor the settlement of oyster spat in four locations within the Herring River Estuary and compare these results to reference locations within Wellfleet Harbor. The goal is to compare oyster settlement to conditions after partial and full restoration.
Board members Brennessel, Portnoy and Alice Iacuessa, who taught an Open University of Wellfleet Course during Fall 2019, donated their stipends for the course toward this project.Our thanks to Wellfleet SPAT for their generous grant.
A Poem For Celebrate Herring River Month
Let Tide be Tide
Sometimes you want to go home, even when home is only a story in your cells. Then, obstacles- nothing you can't surmount, if nature weren't surmounted herself by human wisdom.
Sometimes you are innocent, but the wrong species wrong time wrong color, and on death row each life, a world lost. But you kept faith with truth and sometimes the tide
is allowed to be tide, the ritual cleansing of sand and soul proceeds and beyond remorse or apology you, fish or human, can go home again.
Chuck Madansky, Brewster
Celebrate World Oceans Day June 8th
Herring River restoration will be a substantial contribution to the aspirations of World Oceans Day to preserve 30% of the oceans as protected areas. Coastal marshes are production hot-spots within ocean ecosystems and, when restored and/or protected, contribute significantly to the regulation of global climate for the preservation of both nature and human society. For more information visit the World Oceans Day website.
