Buzzards Bay National Estuary Program

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Draft Beach Debris and Litter Action Plan

About the new Buzzards Bay CCMP Action Plans
The Buzzards Bay NEP is now updating our 1992 landmark Buzzards Bay Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP) to reflect the great progress achieved since that plan was finalized. It will include new goals, objectives, and recommendations to meet the environmental needs for Buzzards Bay and its surrounding watershed into the next decade of the 21^st century. This new document will also meet the requirements for a Massachusetts Watershed Action Plan, which will enable new funding opportunities through the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

On this page is a draft action plan from the updated Buzzards Bay Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan and planned 2009-2014 Watershed Action Plan. The text on this page is a public draft provided to invite comment and discussion of the subject by residents and stakeholders. It may contain goals and recommendations that have not yet been endorsed or approved by the Buzzards Bay Steering Committee. The views or information contained here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts or the US Environmental Protection Agency.

We want your feedback on this action plan. At the bottom of this page is a link for you to provide comments on each goal, objective and recommendation contained in this Action Plan. Based on your feedback, we will update and revise all the action plans in the new CCMP.

Action Plan 16*: Reducing Beach Debris, Marine Floatables, and Litter in Wetlands

Draft date: October 25, 2006

Goals

Goal 1. To ensure that Buzzards Bay beaches, coastal waters, and inland wetlands habitat are clear of harmful and degrading levels of marine debris.

Objectives

Objective 1. Ensure an adequate number and capacity of waste disposal barrels be provided at public beach and public and private marinas and boat haul-outs.

Objective 2. Stormwater discharge BMPs should include strategies to reduce or eliminate discharges of debris and floatables.

Objective 3. Encourage fisherman to not dispose of fishing lines, nets, cables, and trash at sea or on shore.

Objective 4. Educate the public and businesses on the importance of reducing litter and marine debris discharges and involve them in the potential solutions.

Objective 5. Ensure that state and local officials work in concert to reduce litter on public lands, beach debris, and marine floatables.

Objective 6. Identify and map important debris location sites, natural collection points, and potential remediation strategies

Recommendations

Recommendation 16.1 Municipalities include debris and floatable reduction strategies (e.g. maintenance and installation of litter traps and screens) in their Phase II stormwater discharge permit plans.

Recommendation 16.2 The Coalition for Buzzards Bay and other NGOs continue to organize annual beach cleanups to keep Buzzards Bay clean, and raise public awareness of the problem through adopt-a-shoreline and similar programs.

Recommendation 16.3 Municipalities provide adequate waste collection barrels at public beaches, marinas, and boat ramps, and maintain adequate pick-up, especially during heavy use periods.

Recommendation 16.4 Private marinas and private beaches provide adequate waste collection barrels and maintain adequate pick-up.

Recommendation 16.5 School Departments institute programs to minimize litter disposal from students including wise buying programs to reduce sources (e.g. purchasing paper cups instead of plastic foam cups).

Recommendation 16.6 The Massachusetts Legislature should update the bottle bill to improve litter source reduction and collection of beverage containers.

* This Action Plan was not in the 1992 CCMP.

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