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Draft Protecting and Enhancing Shellfish Resources Action Plan
About the new Buzzards Bay CCMP Action PlansThe 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 21st 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 1: Protecting and Enhancing Shellfish Resources
Goals
1. Increase availability of shellfish resources for recreational and commercial use.2. Increase the abundance and distribution of shellfish resources.
Objectives
1. To keep open all shellfish areas that have not closed and open priority areas that are closed.2. To enhance efforts to manage and protect shellfish resources at both the state and local levels.
3. To increase the capacity and commitment of municipalities to remediate pollution sources identified in sanitary surveys and other studies.
4. To increase the ability of DMF to carry out the sanitary survey program.
5. To increase the ability of DMF to provide technical guidance to municipalities on strategies to identify pollution sources and better manage shellfish resources.
6. To expand the use of the conditionally approved classification for shellfish areas.
7. To restore shellfish habitat by eliminating pollutant sources and disturbances contributing to their loss and by expanding programs to propagate, seed, relay shellfish.
Recommendations
Recommendation 1.1 DMF will encourage Buzzards Bay towns to work cooperatively to maintain or expand conditionally approved shellfish areas.Recommendation 1.2 The Commonwealth will increase funding to carry out the Shellfish Sanitation and Shellfish Management Programs more effectively and provide funds for seeding programs in each town.
Recommendation 1.3 Towns will assist DMF with their water quality-monitoring program to meet FDA required testing frequency.
Recommendation 1.4 Boards of Health will take enforcement action to eliminate illicit and illegal discharges identified by DMF's sanitary surveys, municipal Phase II plans, and DEP and other studies of pathogen and stormwater load assessments.
Recommendation 1.5 DPWs should remediate town-owned stormwater discharges for sediments to meet the state stormwater policy standard, and fecal coliforms to meet the Buzzards Bay bacterial TMDL whenever major roadwork is conducted or a wetlands permit is required where discharges are to impaired (category 5 303(d) listed) waters.
Recommendation 1.6 Town of Bourne adopt criteria, standards, and designated areas for hydraulic clamming?
Recommendation 1.7 Town's should provide staff to assist in shellfish seeding programs