Herring River Project Receives $700,000 in State Funding

COURTESY FRIENDS OF HERRING RIVER

WELLFLEET – The Baker Administration has announced funding for a number of river and wetland projects on the Cape, the Islands, and the South Shore.

Nearly all of the money went to the Friends of Herring River, the group spearheading the Herring River Estuary Restoration effort in Wellfleet and Truro.

The project, which aims to rebuild the main dike at the mouth of the river, is one of the largest ecological restoration projects in the northeast. The goal is to improve water quality by reconnecting the estuary to the ocean, which will increase habitat health for wildlife and fisheries and will restore shellfishing and commercial and recreational opportunities.

The Department of Fish and Game will allocate $700,000 to the project.

The Sheriff’s Meadow Foundation in Chilmark will receive $15,000 to support the permitting process for the plans to replace the culverts on Mill Brook.

“Mill Brook is a natural beauty on Martha’s Vineyard and home to a diverse range of fish and wildlife, including some endangered species. It comes upon us to preserve these ecosystems and habitats as well as provide resiliency efforts against the impacts of climate change that threaten them,” said State Rep. Dylan Fernandes (D-Woods Hole). “Thank you to the Administration for investing in our natural resources and working to protect some of the most beautiful and vital ecosystems in the state.”

“The Department of Fish and Game’s grants for Truro, Wellfleet, and Chilmark advance important ecological restoration projects that will improve water quality, increase habitat health and reverse decades of environmental degradation,” said State Senator Julian Cyr (D-Truro). “In addition, the Friends of Herring River has worked diligently to put in place a sound project that will incrementally restore tidal exchange in one of the largest estuaries in New England, rebuild the freshwater and salt water marshes located there, which will result in unprecedented environmental benefit to the Outer Cape.”

The North and South Rivers Watershed Association in Duxbury and Marshfield will receive $12,000 to remove two dams along the South River.

“Our administration is committed to supporting communities and local stakeholders in their efforts to protect critical environmental and wetland habitat,” Gov. Charlie Baker. “Priority projects are vital to the Commonwealth’s efforts to combat and mitigate the impacts of climate change, and are crucial to the efforts of cities and towns who continue to work tirelessly to preserve ecosystems across the state.”