The snell creek project will permanently protect 28 acres of cold water stream, wetlands and forests with exceptional bird, fish and wildlife habitat values, including sea run eastern brook trout,…

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has awarded a $200,000 Project Grant to Buzzards Bay Coalition, Inc., a nonprofit organization, through the North American Wetlands Conservation Fund (CFDA 15.623). The grant will be used to permanently protect 28 acres of critical cold water stream, wetland, and forest habitat in southeastern Massachusetts, including habitat for sea-run eastern brook trout and other important wildlife. The project involves the acquisition of a conservation easement over the Snell Creek property, which contains 700 linear feet of stream channel and associated wetlands and riparian forests. This grant funding will be matched 1:1 by the Coalition, and the project builds upon an existing partnership to protect the Westport River estuary ecosystem. The grant term runs from June 9, 2023 to June 9, 2026.

The snell creek project will permanently protect 28 acres of cold water stream, wetlands and forests with exceptional bird, fish and wildlife habitat values, including sea run eastern brook trout, which are an important component of the westport river estuary ecosystem on buzzards BAY in southeastern massachusetts. The subject property contains 700 linear feet of stream channel surrounded by associated wetlands and backed by buffering riparian forests that are critical to a number of water-dependent bird species as well as one of the few remaining viable sea run eastern brook trout populations and to the maintenance of habitat quality in the estuary immediately downstream. The project land (in the town of westport, bristol county) is located upstream of the east branch of the westport river and is adjacent to a growing block of permanently protected conservation land along angeline brook and snell creek (both brook trout cold streams). The project involves the acquisition of a conservation easement by buzzards BAY coalition (referred to as a conservation restriction in massachusetts) over a 28 acre parcel through which snell creek runs, thereby providing permanent protection to the critical habitats and preventing land use conversion. If awarded, the grant funds will be matched 1:1 by funds raised by the coalition. This will be an important expansion of a partnership of peer land conservation organizations and the town of westport all working to protect the westport river estuary and its associated sea run brook trout streams and builds upon the exceptional partnership with nawca to protect the important remaining wetland habitats around buzzards BAY. This is part of a larger partnership effort to specifically protect the habitat quality of the westport river estuary by protecting the stream corridors and wetland complexes associated with the cold water tributaries, including snell creek, of this estuarine ecosystem.