The sippican river buzzards BAY wetlands conservation project will permanently protect 851 acres of a high priority coastal wetland ecosytem along two branches of the coastal sippican river, a key…

The sippican river buzzards BAY wetlands conservation project will permanently protect 851 acres of a high priority coastal wetland ecosytem along two branches of the coastal sippican river, a key component of the coastal wetland ecosystem of buzzards BAY, an estuary of national significance. The sippican river, a primary tributary of buzzards BAY, contains a diverse assemblage of diadromous fish species including alewife herring, blueback herring, and american EEL. These fishery resources and the habitats that support them are important forage resources that are depended on by commercial and recreational fish species, birds (including globally significant nesting populations of state and federally protected terns) and marine mammals in the river, estuary and coastal waters of buzzards BAY and beyond. The project area lands, a cranberry farm and associated its undisturbed accessory lands, contain a remarkable diversity of wetland habitat and ecological value. The project area includes more than a third of a mile along the river. Habitats include the river itself and associated bank and flood plain as well as complexes of emergent marsh and shrub swamp. There are areas of riverine and palustrine forested wetland including important examples of coastal atlantic white cedar swamp, an imperiled natural community in massachusetts. Cranberry bogs on the property present a remarkable opportunity for future wetland restoration at this site once acquired. The project area also contains important coastal forest areas which buffer crowding residential, commercial industrial and energy development in this area further protecting the coastal water resources. The project lands contain a diversity of habitats that have tremendous ecological value. The natural functioning of these wetlands and buffering uplands benefit water quality in the river, estuary and coastal waters. They are important to a variety of birds, fish and wildlife, including federal and state protected species. The project area will be open to the public and its protection will have marked economic benefits by supporting commercial and recreational fishing and shellfishing, hunting, boating, tourism and other recreational opportunities consistent with conservation. The wetlands provide buffers from storms and flooding and resiliency in the face of climate change but the sustainability of these natural resources and dependent activities are threatened by development and land use change that has greatly impacted many nearby coastal areas in recent decades. The goal of this project is to permanently protect these lands for conservation of these natural resource values. The massachusetts department of conservation and recreation (DCR) seeks ncwcgp funds to be used, along with non-federal matching funds to be contributed by project partners, by buzzards BAY coalition (BBC) to purchase (fee ownership) the full 851 acre project area.