Publications:
Fact Cards
 The
Massachusetts Bays Program is
a partnership of local, state,
and federal governments, as well
as citizens, scientists, educators,
and businesses, all united behind
a principal mission: the preservation
and management of a healthy ecosystem
of living resources in Massachusetts
and Cape Cod Bays, useable by
the public. The Massachusetts
Bays region covers over 800 miles
of coastline from the tip of Cape
Cod Bay to the New Hampshire border,
and encompasses 49 coastal communities.
The program focuses on building
partnerships, promoting local
and regional solutions, and developing
models that work.
Facts About the Estuary
- Roughly
3.8 million people now live
in the Massachusetts Bays
watershed, and the number
is growing.
- Overall,
tourists in coastal Massachusetts
spend about $1.5 billion per
year, and support over 80,000
jobs. Water-based economies
such as tourism, commercial
fisheries, and marinas directly
depend on the wealth provided
by the Massachusetts Bays.
- Boston
Harbor is a center for countless
activities including shipping,
marine research, whale watching,
and the Harbor Island Park
system. Less urban parts of
the Massachusetts Coast attract
visitors from all over New
England looking to sunbathe,
kayak, sail, hike, and simply
enjoy being outdoors.
- The
number of housing units on
Cape Cod more than doubled
between 1970 and 1990 (from
65,676 to 135,192)-the equivalent
of adding almost 10 new housing
units a day for 20 years.
Health
of the Estuary
- Massachusetts
has lost close to 30 percent
of its original coastal wetlands
due to development.
- Disease
causing viruses and bacteria
regularly close more than
20 percent of the state's
shellfish resources.
- Overflows
and leaks from large centralized
wastewater facilities and
individual onsite septic systems
cause local and regional declines
in water quality and ecosystem
health.
- Development
is producing more impervious
surface coverage (e.g., roads,
driveways, buildings) and
as a result increasing stormwater
volumes and velocities.
- Increasing
stormwater runoff, sewage-related
pollution, and development
pressure on fragile coastal
habitats threatens the health
of the bays.
Accomplishments
of the Estuary Program
- Continuing
a successful volunteer wetland
assessment program.
- Expanding
the Wetlands Health Assessment
Toolbox program on the North
Shore.
- Restoring
tidally restricted wetlands
on the North Shore, South
Shore, and Cape Cod.
- Restoring
"pocket" wetlands
in the Metropolitan Boston
area.
- Providing
technical expertise on stormwater
issues to municipal officials
and nonpoint source pollution
outreach to the public throughout
the region.
- Pursuing
"No Discharge Area"
plan designations and developing
guidelines for personal watercraft
use on Cape Cod.
For
Viewing and Printing:
Before printing one or more of these National
Estuary Program files,
check out each of their text only versions for
quick viewing.
To view each of the PDF versions, you will need Adobe
Acrobat Reader software, which can be downloaded FREE
from Adobe's site through a direct link.
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