The Mystic River Watershed Association was one of four Healthy Estuaries Grants awarded by the Massachusetts Bays National Estuary Partnership (MassBays) through the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM) with funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on July 29, 2020.
Funding will be used to conduct an inventory of environmental conditions in Belle Isle Marsh.This is the first step toward developing a comprehensive resource management plan for one of the last remaining substantial salt marshes in greater Boston. The project team includes property owner, Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, Woods Hole Group and Friends of Belle Isle Marsh and the Nature Conservancy.
"For far too long, Belle Isle Marsh has been overlooked," said Catherine Pedemonti, Project Manager at the Mystic River Watershed Association. "With this funding the project team will identify solutions that would preserve the marsh from the rising seas, and project vital habitat for birds and wildlife."
Belle Isle Marsh and its tributary span over 300 acres across East Boston, Revere, and Winthrop at the mouth of Boston Harbor. The last remnant within Boston of the salt marshes that were once prevalent along the Massachusetts Bay shoreline, it is now hemmed in by development. The reservation hosts over 250 species of birds, including seven listed species, who spend some or all of their life cycles there. In recognition of this important habitat the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recognizes Belle Isle Marsh as one of Massachusetts’ most biologically significant estuaries north of Boston and the National Audubon Society recognizes it as an Important Bird and Biodiversity Area, an international designation.
Beyond direct improvements to the Marsh, work on this project can help serve as a model for the evolving science around salt marsh restoration, particularly how restoration looks in highly developed urban areas.
Read more about the program and other awardees here: https://www.mass.gov/news/baker-polito-administration-awards-grants-to-improve-habitat-health-in-massachusetts-bays
