WASHINGTON – Chatham town officials returned to Washington last week to lobby federal officials once again over the Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge boundary dispute.
The delegation, which included town manager Jill Goldsmith, Director of Natural Resources Robert Duncanson, and Selectman Shareen Davis, met with staff from the House of Representatives Natural Resources committee.
A bill is before the committee that would return 3,000 acres of submerged lands and waters to Chatham after the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service extended the boundary of the refuge as part of a 15-year management plan that was approved last year.
Congressman Bill Keating filed the bill on Chatham’s behalf. It has garnered the support of Gov. Charlie Baker, who sent a member of his D.C. staff to attend the meetings.
The bill remains in committee and Chatham officials are hoping it eventually moves on to consideration before the full House. A hearing was held on the proposal in the spring.
In addition to a legislative path, Chatham is also pursuing a potential agreement with the Fish and Wildlife Service to resolve the matter. In the meantime, Attorney General Maura Healey’s office continues to look into the possibility of suing the federal government over the dispute.
During the visit to Washington, the Chatham delegation also met with the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks and other staff from the Secretary of the Interior’s office. Town officials have made a number of trips to Washington over the issue, and this is the first time they have met with key staffers from Fish and Wildlife and the Interior Department.
“We had to the opportunity to bring them up to speed on what the issue has been about and what the directions the town and the Commonwealth have been taking to try to resolve it and then have a discussion with them about whether or not there is any opportunity for an administrative fix rather than the legislative fix or having to go the legal route,” said Duncanson.
According to Duncanson, representatives from the Interior Department said they would go back and review the matter.
“We had a very straightforward and productive meeting with Secretary [Ryan] Zinke’s staff who are extremely interested in the facts of our case,” Davis said. “The Secretary’s staff recognized the commitment of the Town and Commonwealth to sustainable stewardship of this area and the fact that we have exercises this stewardship responsibly for generations.
The waters had been owned by Massachusetts and had been managed by Chatham since 1944.
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