Winter 2019 Nantucket Land Council Newsletter

2019 WINTER NEWS

Nantucket Land Council PLANNING

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PROTECTING

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PRESERVING

INSIDE this ISSUE NLC Promotes Emily Molden to Executive Director—pg. 2 Stormwater Improvements—pg. 3 Eelgrass Transplant Project—pg. 4 River Herring—pg. 5 State of the Harbor Forum—pg. 6 Oyster Farm & Harbor Tours 2019—pg. 7

Nantucket Land Council PO Box 502, 6 Ash Lane Nantucket, MA 02554 508.228.2818 www.nantucketlandcouncil.org BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Lucy S. Dillon, President Paul A. Bennett, Vice President William Willet, Vice President Howard N. Blitman, Treasurer Neil Marttila, Assistant Treasurer Susan E. Robinson, Clerk Matt Anderson Susan Baer Larry Breakiron William S. Brenizer Karen K. Clark Christine Donelan Joshua Eldridge Robert Friedman Nancy Gillespie Nathanael Greene Charles A. Kilvert III Laurel Ried Langworthy Matthew B. Liddle Peter McCausland Eileen P. McGrath Paul P. Moran Carl H. Sjolund H. Brooks Smith Lars Soderberg David Troast Peter Watrous

HONORARY DIRECTORS William M. Crozier, Jr. Jean Haffenreffer

SCIENTIFIC ADVISOR

James W. Sutherland, Ph.D.

STAFF

Cormac Collier, Executive Director cormac@nantucketlandcouncil.org Emily Molden, Resource Ecologist emily@nantucketlandcouncil.org Meg McNeely Browers Development Director meg@nantucketlandcouncil.org Shari Santos, Bookkeeper

OF COUNSEL

Peter R. Fenn & Associates Design by: Gioiosa Design Harvard, MA, www.gioiosadesign.com Printed On Recycled Paper

NLC NEWS

NLC Promotes Emily Molden to Executive Director The Board of the Nantucket Land Council is proud to announce that NLC Resource Ecologist Emily Molden has accepted the position as Executive Director.

“For the past 15 years, Emily has worked tirelessly at the Land Council to protect and preserve Nantucket’s natural environment. Her background, education and experience, along with her dedication to the island and its natural resources made her an unparalleled choice to serve as the leader of the Land Council. We are thrilled to announce that Ms. Molden has been named the new Executive Director of the NLC, and look forward to a very productive and exciting year ahead,” said Board President Lucy Dillon.

Ms. Molden who grew up in Carmel, NY, first came to Nantucket in the fall of 2004 to fill the position of Resource Ecologist with the Land Council. She worked for the Tuckernuck Land Trust on Tuckernuck Island and on Muskeget as a shorebird monitor and educator. Emily studied Biological Sciences and Wildlife Biology at the University of Vermont and worked for multiple seasons on projects studying rare and endangered species. Since 2004, Emily has led the NLC’s extensive research and education programs. Ms. Molden has worked side by side with outgoing Executive Director Cormac Collier on the many advocacy and land protection initiatives at the Land Council. She is the lead NLC representative before the Nantucket Conservation Commission, providing sound guidance for wetland protection on the island. 2019 will be Emily’s 15th year with the NLC and she is looking forward to the transition into her new role as Executive Director. “I could not be more excited and proud to be leading the Nantucket Land Council into its next phase of environmental protection on the island,” said Molden, who will begin serving in her new role as E.D. in late Spring 2019.

NLC Thanks Cormac Collier for his Many Years of Service Outgoing Executive Director Cormac Collier has been chosen to lead the Nantucket Conservation Foundation as President and CEO, starting later this spring.

Mr. Collier served as Resource Conservationist for the Land Council starting in 2001, and transitioned to Executive Director in 2005. Under his leadership, the NLC succeeded in many significant campaigns including the permanent protection of the Linda Loring property, additional acres at Bartlett’s Farm, and the Nantucket Boy Scouts Camp Richard property. “We thank Cormac for his many years of service.

Cormac leaves the NLC in an excellent position to continue our important advocacy work and research. We look forward to working with him and the Foundation in the future,” said Board President Lucy Dillon.

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COMMUNITY NEWS

NLC Opposes Surfside Crossing 40B The 40B regulatory review for the Surfside Crossing Development continued this winter before the Nantucket Zoning Board of Appeals. Although the applicant has proposed an alternative plan for consideration which reduces the overall number of units, the development will still have significant impacts to the rural nature of the area, overburden the sewer system, pollute the groundwater and Miacomet pond, and add an overwhelming amount of traffic to an already congested roadway system. The Land Council hired Thomas Houston from PSC to perform a comprehensive review of the proposal.

His report can be found at the NLC website https://www.nantucketlandcouncil.org/wp-content/ uploads/Peer-Review-Rept-Surfside-Crossing-120418.pdf.

The Land Council also appealed a Determination by the Massachusetts Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program regarding their lack of protection for various potential plant species and Northern Long Eared Bat habitat. That appeal will be heard by the State in the coming months. The Zoning Board of Appeals has recently formed a workgroup including concerned neighbors, members of the opposing “Tipping Point” advocacy group, the Land Council, and the proponent.

Members will be sitting down in the coming weeks to discuss and hopefully reach a consensus on overall density, the lot layout and design, and on-site open space. Stay tuned to our e-newsletter for updates on this developing situation at www.nantucketlandcouncil.org.

Proposed 40B subdivision at Surfside Crossing.

Stormwater Infrastructure Improvements As the DPW and the Town of Nantucket continue to evaluate the impact that landfill mining is having on water quality in Long Pond and the surrounding watershed, the Nantucket Land Council is lending a hand with additional site improvements.

Utilizing the NLC Water Fund, the Land Council has hired the engineering and environmental consulting firm Horsley Witten Group to provide input on how onsite stormwater management at the landfill can be upgraded as well. The infrastructure currently in place was not designed for the size and extent of island population and industry growth that the landfill has been forced to contend with. Rob McNeil, DPW Director, is working closely with Waste Options on bigger picture improvements for the entire DPW/Landfill campus and they are working with NLC and Horsley Witten to incorporate cutting edge technologies that greatly reduce nutrient pollution from running offsite to nearby wetlands and Long Pond. Sediment traps, floating wetlands and wood chip filters are all being discussed as possible components for the onsite improvements.

NLC staff will continue to work with Horsley Witten Group and the DPW on this project along with evaluating other downtown areas that would make great candidates for new BMPs. NLC staff review plans with Anne Kitchell of Horsley Witten at the Town’s Washington Street parking lot.

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RESEARCH NEWS

Eelgrass Transplant Project This past summer, the Nantucket Land Council partnered with the Town of Nantucket and Alyssa Novak, Coastal Ecologist and Assistant Research Professor at Boston University, to begin an exciting new research project assessing the health of eelgrass beds and transplanting healthy eelgrass in beds off Monomoy beach in Nantucket Harbor. This data may help Nantucket better understand the effects of nutrient inputs in different parts of the harbor watershed from sources such as fertilizer and septic systems. Following the eelgrass health study, NLC’s Resource Ecologist Emily Molden and a team of volunteer divers spent 6 days from July to October collecting and transplanting eelgrass. With close to ¼ acre planted, the hope is these plants will establish roots and survive the winter to continue growing and spreading this spring! The transplant project will continue throughout 2019. As a reminder, please avoid the transplant bed area in Monomoy so the recently transplanted eelgrass has a fair chance to establish itself over the winter. For more information or if you are interested in volunteering this spring, please contact Emily Molden at emily@nantucketlandcouncil.org. g.

NLC board member Matt Anderson assists with eelgrass transplant project last fall.

The Water Fund The Nantucket Land Council has steadily transitioned into being the leading voice for the investigation, education and protection of our water resources—including ponds, our harbor, freshwater, groundwater and stormwater management via a series of projects including an eelgrass restoration project in Nantucket Harbor and a harbor-wide eelgrass health analysis.

The NLC will continue our critical eelgrass work with a spring transplant to help reestablish eelgrass in our harbor; you can help with a donation to our Water Fund and for our members with scuba certification, by volunteering (email emily@nantucketlandcouncil.org to sign up)! Your donation to the Water Fund helps us continue these critical water initiatives—join us! Help us keep our water resources clean and healthy!

Be sure to sign up for our e-newsletter at www.nantucketlandcouncil.org to stay up to date on the progress of our water related projects and research. We can’t do this critical water work without your help!

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RESEARCH NEWS

River Herring Last summer, Matt Devine, Fish Biologist and PhD student at UMASS Amherst, came to Nantucket to initiate river herring sampling in the great ponds. NLC staff and interns worked with Matt to sample Hummock Pond, which acts as an estuary with its biannual openings, and discovered that juvenile herring were indeed present in the pond after the spring opening. The herring are sampled at night using a large purse seine net. A handful of the juvenile herring were collected for analysis back in the lab.

Matt will be able to determine the age of the herring and how quickly, or not, they are growing. The fish typically head back towards the ocean after spawning, and the juveniles do the same after an initial period of growth, but in Hummock Pond the fish are trapped until the pond is opened again in the fall. At that point the tides and duration of the opening will dictate how successful they are at leaving again. Populations of these fish are considered depleted on the East Coast, so the NLC is very interested to learn more about how they are using Nantucket’s water bodies. Stay tuned for more river herring research in 2019.

Matt Devine and NLC intern Sophie Kuhl prepare to sample Hummock Pond for juvenile herring.

BOARD MEMBER SPOTLIGHT “As a Nantucket homeowner who has been spending summers in Nantucket since I was a small child, and as a mother of three small children, I joined the Nantucket Land Council Board to help safeguard our island’s natural resources for ourselves and for future generations.”

— Laurel Ried Langworthy

NLC Board of Directors

WHY WE GIVE EDUCATION NEWS

NLC Karen K. Borchert Educational Grants 2018-2019 After 25 years, the Land Council is still honored to be awarding Educational Grants to teachers and their students in grades K-12 across Nantucket. The Karen K. Borchert Educational Grants are designed to support science projects and programs that cannot be funded with a teacher’s classroom budget. Experiential education has been shown to provide huge benefit to instruction of the sciences, and with such a wonderful, diverse island to use as a classroom the NLC is committed to continue assisting teachers bring science to life. For the 2018-2019 school year the NLC has awarded over $8,000 in funds to a wide range of projects including: Two sets of Engineering is Elementary project kits for Taylor Murphy and the NES Kindergarten classes, magnetics study materials for Erin Dancik and Nantucket Lighthouse School students, simple machines study materials for Joni Amaral and Nantucket Lighthouse School students, educational gardening supplies for Rain Harbison and Nantucket Lighthouse School students, science texts for MaryAnn Bartlett and the Nantucket Lighthouse School science library, and support for Rachael Sullivan and the Nantucket New School’s 5th grade trip to Nature’s Classroom.

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SPRING TIP!

EVENT NEWS

Make sure your landscaper is following Nantucket's fertilizer laws and

State of the Harbor Forum

Best Management Practices. Visit

The Nantucket Land Council will hold its third annual State of the Harbor Forum on July 18, 2019 at 4:30 pm at the Great Harbor Yacht Club. NLC Executive Director Emily Molden will present an overview of the eelgrass restoration project in Nantucket harbor, as well as answer questions about the project. Additional updates on the state of the harbor will be provided, stay tuned for more details.

https://www.nantucketlandcouncil.org/education/ fertilizer-guidelines/ for more info, and call NLC at 508.228.2818, with questions or assistance in talking with your landscaper. u

Visit www.nantucketlandcouncil.org to watch the full video of the 2018 State of the Harbor Forum and view slides from the event. Business and family sponsorship opportunities are available for this year’s State of the Harbor Forum! Join us in promoting this event and protecting our water resources—please contact meg@nantucketlandcouncil.org for more information.

The State of the Harbor Forum will be followed by a raw bar and cash bar. Thank you to the Great Harbor Yacht Club for being a lead sponsor for this event and supporting the NLC’s water protection initiatives.

COMMUNITY NEWS

SBPF Proposes to Extend Geotubes on Sconset Beach Last year, the Siasconset Beach Preservation Fund (SBPF) submitted a Notice of Intent application to the Conservation Commission to extend the geotubes at the toe of the Sconset Bluff significantly. The current installation runs approximately 950 linear feet along the base of the bank. The new proposal would extend the geotubes to the north and to the south for a total of over 3,800 linear feet. The NLC has once again hired Applied Coastal Research and Engineering, of Mashpee, MA,

to assist with reviewing and commenting on this proposal.

We are very concerned about the impacts that this extension will have on adjacent and downdrift coastal beaches. The nourishment program currently in place for

the existing geotubes is not adequate to mitigate for

damages during severe storms, and so far the proposal for

the extended geotubes does not go far enough to address these concerns.

The Conservation Commission has been deliberating

through the fall and winter and their public hearings will continue through March before they have enough

information to make a decision on whether or not the

proposal can be permitted under the state and local

wetland protection regulations. SBPF will still need to

negotiate a new lease or license to use the Town owned

beach that portions of the existing and proposed geotubes

would be constructed on. Based on changes to the local

Bylaw at last fall’s Special Town Meeting, granting such a

license or lease will also need to be approved by an Annual Town Meeting vote.

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The northern end of the geotube installation, exposed during successive storms last March.

Oyster Farm & Harbor Tour Dates Announced for 2019

2019 Harbor & Oyster Farm Tour Dates

The Nantucket Land Council is excited to announce that the popular Oyster Farm and Harbor Tours will continue in 2019. These tours, in coordination with Shearwater Excursions and Fifth Bend Oyster Farmer Simon Edwardes, begin at 3:30pm at the Town Pier. Attendees will spend two hours boating up to the Head of the Harbor to learn about Oyster Farming, and how oysters affect harbor water quality and the overall harbor ecosystem. Limited seats available.

Tickets $75, and will go on sale April 1, 2019. Email nlc@nantucketlandcouncil.org with questions or to book a private tour.

Registration begins April 1, 2019 at EventBrite.com Please call Meg at 508.228.2818 with questions!

Tuesday, June 18 Wednesday, July 3 Thursday, July 19 Monday, August 5 Monday, August 19

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End of Season Dinner The 2018 Annual End of Season Dinner to benefit the Nantucket Land Council was held Labor Day Monday, September 3 at the Chanticleer Restaurant in ‘Sconset. Our nearly 100 guests enjoyed cocktails and hors d’oeuvres on a mild summer night in the herb garden followed by a delicious dinner prepared by Chef Jeff Worster. We are proud to announce that this year’s dinner supported The Water Fund— a donor restricted campaign to allow the Nantucket Land Council to continue its important water quality initiatives such as eelgrass research, stormwater runoff testing and green crab studies. Guests who attended this dinner were supporting the Nantucket Land Council’s ongoing work to protect, defend and restore our fragile marine and fresh water environments!

It was the perfect send off to another beautiful season on Nantucket. We could not do it without the support of our donors, members, and volunteers, including this year’s End of Season Dinner Host Committee.

William & Margaret Brenizer Howard & Maureen Blitman William M. & Prudence S. Crozier Marvin Davidson Lucy Dillon Robert & Barbara Friedman Nancy Gillespie & Ulrich Lächler Charles & Kaaren Hale

Charles & Ann Johnson Peter & Bonnie McCausland Paul & Jean Moran Lynn & Nick Nicholas Ellen & Kenneth Roman Meredyth & Brooks Smith Lars & Jane Soderberg 7

NLC honorary board member, Bill Crozier and his wife, Prudy, and Margaret Brenizer at the 2018 Annual Dinner.

Please Save the Date for this year’s Annual Dinner to be held at The Westmoor Club on Labor Day Monday, September 2, 2019—we hope you can join us for this special event to support the Nantucket Land Council!

2019 WINTER NEWS

Nantucket Land Council PLANNING

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PROTECTING

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PRESERVING

NONPROFIT US POSTAGE PAID STOUGHTON, MA PERMIT NO. 160

Post Office Box 502 Nantucket, MA 02554 www.nantucketlandcouncil.org

SAVE THE DATES Town of Nantucket Annual Town Meeting Monday, April 1, 6PM

Established in 1974, the Nantucket Land Council is the only environmental watchdog group on Nantucket Island.

The NLC works to protect Nantucket’s natural resources in three major areas— planning, protecting, preserving.

State of the Harbor Forum Thursday, July 18, 4:30PM Great Harbor Yacht Club

PLANNING: The NLC monitors development proposals, offers educational programs, grants and scholarships, and makes recommendations to voters on issues which affect the environment.

NLC Annual Meeting Thursday, August 8, 5PM The Nantucket Hotel

PROTECTING: The NLC conducts scientific research to support the protection of our natural resources such as native species, wildlife habitat, and water quality.

Oyster Farm Harbor Tours June 18, July 3 & 19 August 5 & 19 See page 7 for more information

PRESERVING: The NLC specializes in holding conservation restrictions.

CRs allow the property to remain in the owner’s hands, while ensuring that the land remains preserved.

Young Friends Summer Event July 11 Almanack Arts Colony