HomeMy WebLinkAboutDMF Letter1
Cavanaugh, Kimberly
From:DMF EnvReview-South (FWE) <dmf.envreview-south@mass.gov>
Sent:Tuesday, November 25, 2025 2:46 PM
To:Cavanaugh, Kimberly; Hoopes, Edwin
Cc:Davis, Amanda (FWE); Logan, John (FWE); Falvey, Kara (FWE); Bordonaro, Patrice (EEA);
Mary Rimmer
Subject:NOI, Mass Audubon Barnstable, Great Marsh Salt Marsh Restoration, Barnstable
Dear Commissioners:
The Division of Marine Fisheries (MA DMF) has reviewed the Notice of Intent (NOI) for the Mass Audubon
Barnstable Great Marsh Salt Marsh Restoration Project. The project has been filed as an Ecological
Restoration Limited Project. The project seeks to restore 76.5 acres of salt marsh within Mass Audubon’s
Great Marsh Wildlife Sanctuary in the Town of Barnstable. Restoration would make use of nature-based
techniques to address water impoundment, excess drainage, and expand salt marsh sparrow
(Ammospiza caudacuta) habitat. Specifically, 15,072 linear feet of ditch remediation and 3,384 linear
feet of runnel creation are proposed, with removed material to be used for micro-topography habitat
mounds for salt marsh sparrow habitat. The proposed restoration techniques to address oxidation
subsidence through ditch remediation and waterlogged subsidence through runnels have been
previously implemented by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service in 2014 and by The Trustees in
2019 in other Massachusetts salt marshes. Pre-construction monitoring, as well as five years of post-
construction monitoring, are detailed in the NOI, including a Corrective Action Plan describing adaptive
management.
At this time, MA DMF has no additional recommendations for sequencing, timing, or methods that would
further avoid or minimize impact to marine resources beyond the best management practices detailed in
the NOI.
Questions regarding this review can be directed to Amanda Davis in our New Bedford office at
amanda.davis@mass.gov
Sincerely,
Kara Falvey
Sent on behalf of Amanda Davis
Environmental Review Administrative Assistant
MA Division of Marine Fisheries
836 S. Rodney French Boulevard
New Bedford, MA 02744
http://www.mass.gov/eea/agencies/dfg/dmf/