NEW BEDFORD, MA – January 11, 2005 -- The Coalition for Buzzards Bay (CBB), the Massachusetts Environmental Trust (MET), and The Trustees of Reservations (TTOR) announced today that the first $2.3 million of a total of $7 million in Oil Spill penalty funds has been approved by the North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) Council to protect 285 acres of coastal lands on Buzzards Bay. The funds are part of the criminal fine paid by the Bouchard Transportation Company for the April 27, 2003 Oil Spill in Buzzards Bay. As part of its fine to compensate for the killing of migratory birds, the Company was instructed to pay $7 million into the NAWCA program.

The conservation projects receiving these first grants are the Viveiros Farm in Fairhaven; the Field Farm & Saltmarsh Restoration Project in Mattapoisett; and the Chapin White Farm in Westport – a total of 285 acres of coastal marsh, fields and adjacent forest.

Background
On April 27, 2003, a tanker operated by Bouchard Transportation spilled an estimated 98,000 gallons of fuel oil into Buzzards Bay—a federally-designated ‘Estuary of National Significance' and a state ‘Ocean Sanctuary'.  The spill polluted 93 miles of coastline, killed a recorded 461 birds, and shut down thousands of acres of shellfish beds. The oil spill reduced the habitat quality of Buzzards Bay for migratory birds, resident birds, marine animals, coastal vegetation and coastal invertebrates.

On March 29, 2004, U.S. Attorney Michael J. Sullivan announced that Bouchard would plead guilty to criminal charges related to the Oil Spill in Buzzards Bay and pay a $10 million fine. $7 million of that fine was directed to the North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) Program administered by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (US FWS). NAWCA provides matching grants to organizations that have developed partnerships to carry out wetlands conservation projects in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

As a result, on November 18, at Bouchard's formal sentencing, the U.S. District Court in Boston asked the US FWS to spend all of the $7 million dedicated to the NAWCA funds to acquire and restore wetlands in the Buzzards Bay Watershed.

In response to this opportunity, the Massachusetts Environmental Trust convened and funded an unprecedented coalition of 25 local, state and national conservation organizations and towns. The Coalition for Buzzards Bay took the lead in developing a collaborative proposal to NAWCA to protect Buzzards Bay habitat for waterfowl and migratory birds. The project partners sought not only to pursue land acquisitions that were near areas affected by the 2003 oil spill, but also proposed protecting sites with wetlands in areas threatened by residential and commercial development that are critical sites for waterfowl and shorebirds. A $10,000 grant from the MET supported development of the grant applications and partnership. MET Executive Director Robbin Peach commented, “This money really could have been directed anywhere in North America, but, the Trust grant enabled all of the area's environmental organizations to unite in applying for the grant funds and make a very compelling case.”

In December, the NAWCA Council met in Mexico and approved $2.3 million worth of the Buzzards Bay NAWCA funds to protect the Viveiros Farm in Fairhaven, the Field Farm & saltmarsh restoration project in Mattapoisett and the Chapin White Farm in Westport – a total of 285 acres of coastal marsh, fields and adjacent forest.

Mark Rasmussen, Executive Director of The Coalition for Buzzards Bay commented, “With such strong development pressure in southeastern Massachusetts, opportunities to protect the Buzzards Bay shoreline are becoming rarer every day. These funds are allowing us to take a great step forward in protecting natural areas on our coast for future generations and help turn the tragedy of the April 2003 Oil Spill into long-term improvements in the health of Buzzards Bay.”

The Properties
The Trustees of Reservations and Westport Land Conservation Trust will purchase a perpetual conservation restriction on the 96-acre Chapin White Farm in Westport, one of the largest undeveloped riverfront parcels on the East Branch of the Westport River.  The former dairy farm includes approximately 3,250 feet of frontage on the river and more than 22 acres of brackish tidal marsh which provide vital habitat for hundreds of species of birds and marine organisms.

Anthony Cucchi, Buzzards Bay Program Coordinator for The Trustees of Reservations said, “Thanks to Chapin and Ruth White's generous offer to sell a restriction on their farm for far less than what they might receive from a developer, these federal funds will go a long way in protecting one of Westport's most critical natural areas.”

The Coalition for Buzzards Bay is leading the effort to acquire a combination of land and Conservation Restrictions to permanently protect the 127-acre Viveiros Dairy Farm on Sconticut Neck in Fairhaven. This coastal Nasketucket Bay farm is comprised of 39 acres of salt marsh, tidal flat, beach, 70 acres of farm fields and 18 acres of emergent freshwater marsh and shrub swamp on the shores of Nasketucket Bay. The farm is adjacent to 260 acres of land already preserved by the Fairhaven-Acushnet Land Preservation Trust (FALPT). Dairy cow pasture and corn/hay production will continue on the farm's 70 acres of fields. Fundraising for the protection of the Viveiros Farm is ongoing.

The Coalition for Buzzards Bay and the Mattapoisett Land Trust have worked together to purchase a permanent conservation restriction on the 65-acre Field Farm in Mattapoisett.  The land is comprised of a 37-acre managed forest, more than 20 acres of salt marsh, a number of small fields and pastures and 1,550 feet of shoreline along Brant Island Cove, nearly the entire eastern shore of the Cove. 

The decision of the NAWCA Council must be ratified in March 2005 by the Migratory Bird Conservation Commission, a U.S. Congressional body, prior to the dispersal of the funds.

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The Coalition for Buzzards Bay is a nonprofit, membership organization dedicated to the restoration, protection and sustainable use and enjoyment of Buzzards Bay and its watershed. Founded in 1987, The Coalition works to improve the health of the Bay ecosystem for all through education, conservation, research and advocacy and is supported by 3,600 individuals, families and businesses. For more information, visit www.savebuzzardsbay.org.

The Massachusetts Environmental Trust is an environmental philanthropy that focuses on the marine, estuarine and freshwater resources of the Commonwealth. Established by the Massachusetts Legislature in 1988 and governed by an independent Board of Trustees appointed by the Secretary of Environmental Affairs, the Trust's mission is to fund and coordinate projects that (1) encourage cooperative efforts to raise environmental awareness; and (2) support innovative approaches that can protect and restore our natural resources, with a focus on water and water-related resources of the Commonwealth. The Trust is financed through the proceeds from the sale of its three specialty license plates. Last year, the Trust awarded approximately $1.5 million in grants to 60 environmental projects statewide.

The Trustees of Reservations has been conserving the best of the Massachusetts landscape since 1891, making it one of the nation's oldest conservation organizations. Its mission is to preserve, for public use and enjoyment, properties of exceptional scenic, historic, and ecological value in Massachusetts and to protect special places across the Commonwealth. They have helped protect more than 53,000 acres, including 23,600 acres on 94 reservations that are open to the public. They are a nonprofit organization funded entirely by visitors, supporters, and more than 40,000 members. For more information, visit www.thetrustees.org.