The right whale “Monarch” and her calf spotted near Sandy Neck. Photo courtesy of the Center for Coastal Studies. NOAA Permit 25740-02
BARNSTABLE – The state has launched a 25-year biodiversity plan to boost conservation, including coastal and marine habitats.
Building off of an earlier executive order by Gov. Maura Healey, the state will set biodiversity targets for the next 3 decades, hoping to restore 75 percent of habitats and preserve 40 percent of land and water by 2050.
It also looks to support the designation of Cashes Ledge as a National Marine Sanctuary, which the administration calls a vital habitat for fish and marine mammals.
Local stakeholders including the Association to Preserve Cape Cod says it go a long way in helping the Cape’s water quality and endangered coastline.
“This bold and ambitious plan touches all the bases. The visionary plan reflects and addresses the challenges we face locally as practitioners of restoration projects, promoters of improved water quality, increased land protection and better overall environmental stewardship. We are grateful to the Healey-Driscoll Administration for this bold vision and for further positioning of the Commonwealth as a committed partner in the protection and restoration of our critical natural resources,” said Andrew Gottlieb, Executive Director of the Association.
The plan also calls for strengthening food security with investment in local farming and fishing programs.
“Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard, and Nantucket are on the front lines of the climate and biodiversity crisis. Rising seas, warming waters, and habitat loss threaten not only our environment, but also our economy, culture, and way of life. This 25-year plan arrives not a moment too soon to ‘Protect, Restore, Sustain, and Connect’ the natural systems we need to survive. Implementing and maintaining such a bold vision for our shared future is what we do best here in Massachusetts,” said Cape and Islands State Senator Julian Cyr (D-Truro) in a statement.
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