Vol. 6: June 2025

Photo credit: Spencer Kennard, capecodphotos.com

Dear Friend,

Please join the Friends of Pleasant Bay, our partners, neighbors, and supporters as we celebrate our 40th Anniversary and hold our Annual Meeting on Thursday, August 7 at the Wequassett Resort in Harwich.

Over these four decades, FoPB has worked to protect, preserve, and promote the environmental, cultural, and recreational values of Pleasant Bay and its watershed through conservation, access, research, and education (CARE).

And we could never have done it without you!

So, please join us for a wonderful evening, enjoy passed hors d'oeuvres and cool drinks, and bring a friend or two who would like to learn about our progress, programs, and plans to help preserve and protect Pleasant Bay.

For more information and to RSVP, click here.

Sincerely,

Allison

Allison Coleman

Board President

The Region

Cape Cod and Islands Water Protection Fund Management Board awards $105 million

Funding supports critical infrastructure improvements to protect Cape Cod’s water quality.

Cape Cod Commission, April 30, 2025

More than $105 million is flowing to wastewater projects across Cape Cod, marking a major investment in protecting the region’s environment and water resources. The Cape Cod and Islands Water Protection Fund (CCIWPF) Management Board voted on April 29, 2025, to award $105,497,500 in subsidies to fourteen projects across ten Cape Cod towns.

"Investing in wastewater infrastructure is essential to protecting Cape Cod’s environment and economy," said Kristy Senatori, Cape Cod Commission Executive Director. "Subsidies provided by the Cape Cod and Islands Water Protection Fund help our communities advance long-needed projects that will have a lasting impact on the region." Read more.

What are Cape Codders’ top planning priorities?

The Cape Cod Commission is in the process of updating its 2018 Regional Policy Plan, which provides regional planning objectives to guide development and protect the Cape’s unique natural, built, and community resources.

To inform this update, the Commission partnered with the UMass Donahue Institute to conduct a survey of Cape Cod residents to better understand public perspectives on the region’s most pressing planning challenges.

The survey results are now available, offering insight into residents' top planning priorities. Explore the findings here.

Proposals, Comments. & Symposia

CZM seeks public comment on Draft ResilientCoasts Plan

The Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM) has released the ResilientCoasts Draft Plan for public review and comment. This plan provides a comprehensive statewide framework for coastal resilience in Massachusetts over the next 50 years, outlining guidance and strategies that address near- and long-term vulnerability to coastal hazards like sea level rise, storm surge, and erosion. Read more.

CERF Conference

registration opens

Registration is open for the 28th Biennial Coastal & Estuarine Research Federation (CERF) Conference on 9–13 November 2025, in Richmond, Virginia.

CZM issues Request for Responses for coastal habitat and water quality grants

The Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM) is seeking proposals for the Coastal Habitat and Water Quality Grants. Municipalities within the Massachusetts coastal watershed are eligible to apply, along with Federally Recognized Tribes, certified 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations, regional planning agencies, and stormwater collaboratives in partnership with eligible municipalities.

Eligible project activities include:

assessment and remediation of stormwater pollution
comprehensive habitat restoration planning
municipal capacity-building to implement green stormwater infrastructure
advanced planning to support land acquisition
engineering and/or data collection to support municipally owned crossing infrastructure
improvements for coastal habitat restoration.

Save the Date!

Brewster Conservation Day 2025

Saturday, July 12 | 9:30 am - 1:30 pm

Sea Camps Bay Property

3057 Main. St. (Rt. 6A), Brewster

Save the Date and plan to join Friends of Pleasant Bay at Cape Cod's biggest and best-loved conservation fair. It will be held at the Sea Camps Bay Property, with plenty of outdoor space for outdoor exhibits and enough indoor space so the show can go on in case of rain. More info coming soon!

From the Moving a Boulder Department

An important OCT land protection project in the Pleasant Bay watershed

Orleans Conservation Trust (OCT) is working to protect the last buildable lot in the Quanset Pond watershed in South Orleans - 1 Boulder Lane. The lot sits just across Lake Drive from OCT’s Twinings Pond Conservation Area, and its protection will expand a habitat stronghold, including securing a wildlife corridor between Twinings and Shoal Ponds.

Buoyed by support from neighbors, OCT is stepping in to prevent development of another home and septic system that would contribute to Pleasant Bay's nutrient problems. With more than two-thirds of the needed $940,000 raised, OCT has only until June 30 to complete the project. Read more and learn how you can support this project here.

A front row seat on science

Red Tide Alert Lifted for Pleasant Bay

On May 2, 2025, Chatham officials issued an emergency red tide alert, closing shellfishing in Pleasant Bay and nearby areas like Jackknife Beach, Potter’s Landing, North Beach, Crow’s Pond, Bassing Harbor, and Ryders Cove. This was in response to a harmful algal bloom (HAB) capable of releasing potent neurotoxins that can affect marine life and human health.

Fortunately, recent water quality tests showed a decline in these toxic algae, allowing the ban to be lifted last month. However, red tides remain a recurring challenge for our coastal waters, driven by complex environmental factors.

In the article that follows, we’ll break down what red tide is, why it forms, and how it impacts our local ecosystems.

________________________

To read the Cape Cod Chronicle article on the red tide alert, click here.

Turning the Tide on Red Tide:

Causes & Consequences

If you’ve ever noticed the waters of Pleasant Bay looking a bit off-color or caught a whiff of something fishier than usual, you might have stumbled upon a red tide. Despite the dramatic name, these events aren’t actually “tides” at all, but blooms of microscopic algae.

While red tide is more commonly associated with warmer waters like the Gulf of Mexico, it can still make an appearance in our local waters. These blooms, often driven by warm temperatures, nutrient-rich runoff, and calm seas, can turn the water reddish-brown and release toxins that are harmful to marine life, irritating to humans, and potentially dangerous to shellfish eaters. So, why does it happen, and what can it mean for our beautiful bay? Let’s break it down. Read more.

A note to our readers: We hope you are enjoying FoPB's monthly e-newsletter, and welcome your ideas for future editions. Please feel free to email Current editor Fran Schofield with your Pleasant Bay news, events, or topics of interest by clicking here.