Alliance To Protect Nantucket Sound Inc

TO SECURE PERMANENT PROTECTION FOR NANTUCKET SOUND (SEE 990, PART III)

NANTUCKET SOUND:NANTUCKET SOUND INCLUDES 163 SQUARE NAUTICAL MILES OF WATER AND SEABED BETWEEN CAPE COD, VINEYARD SOUND, AND THE ISLANDS OF MARTHA'S VINEYARD AND NANTUCKET, EXTENDING SEAWARD BEYOND MONOMOY AND NANTUCKET ISLANDS. NANTUCKET SOUND POSSESSES SIGNIFICANT MARINE HABITAT FOR A DIVERSITY OF ECOLOGICALLY AND ECONOMICALLY IMPORTANT SPECIES. THE SOUND IS SIGNIFICANT FOR SEVERAL FEDERALLY PROTECTED SPECIES OF WILDLIFE AND A VARIETY OF COMMERCIALLY AND RECREATIONALLY VALUABLE FISHERIES.THE SOUND IS SITUATED AT A CONFLUENCE OF THE COLD LABRADOR CURRENTS AND THE WARM GULF STREAM. THIS CREATES A UNIQUE COASTAL HABITAT, REPRESENTING THE SOUTHERN RANGE FOR NORTHERN ATLANTIC SPECIES AND THE NORTHERN RANGE FOR MID-ATLANTIC SPECIES. NANTUCKET SOUND IS CHARACTERIZED BY AN EXTREME RICHNESS OF BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY, CONTAINING HABITATS THAT RANGE FROM OPEN SEA TO SALT MARSHES. NANTUCKET SOUND IS MORE THAN A BODY OF WATER. IT IS A SOURCE OF LIVELIHOOD FOR MANY LOCAL FISHERMEN, AN INSPIRATION FOR ARTISTS, AND A SOURCE OF SOLACE, RELAXATION, AND RECREATION FOR THE MILLIONS THAT FLOCK TO ITS SHORES. THE SOUND IS THE ECONOMIC ENGINE OF THE CAPE AND ISLANDS. THE LOCAL FERRY OPERATORS ALONE TRANSPORT OVER THREE MILLION PASSENGERS PER YEAR THROUGH NANTUCKET SOUND, AND 400,000 FLIGHTS PER YEAR TRAVERSE THE AIRSPACE OVER THE SOUND. THE SOUND IS AN IMPORTANT AND SIGNIFICANT NATURAL TREASURE THAT MUST BE PRESERVED AND PROTECTED.NANTUCKET SOUND IS UNIQUE FOR MANY REASONS: - THE SOUND IS ONE OF ONLY TWO AREAS IN THE COUNTRY WHERE FEDERAL WATERS ARE SURROUNDED BY STATE WATERS AND IS THE ONLY LOCATION WHERE THESE STATE WATERS ARE DESIGNATED AS A SANCTUARY UNDER STATE LAW. - THE SOUND IS THE ONLY OCEAN-BASED TRADITIONAL CULTURAL PROPERTY. AND WAS RECOGNIZED AS SUCH FOR ITS SIGNIFICANCE TO THE AREA'S WAMPANOAG TRIBES. - THE SOUND IS BORDERED BY ONSHORE NATIONAL HISTORIC LANDMARKS, INCLUDING THE KENNEDY COMPOUND ON CAPE COD, WESLEYAN GROVE AND THE FLYING HORSES CAROUSEL ON MARTHA'S VINEYARD, AND THE ENTIRE ISLAND OF NANTUCKET. - NO OTHER OCEAN AREA SUITABLE FOR OFFSHORE WIND DEVELOPMENT SHARES THE SOUND'S UNIQUE GEOGRAPHY AND COMPLEX HISTORIC, TRIBAL, ENVIRONMENTAL, AND ECONOMIC ATTRIBUTES. THE EXTRAORDINARY PUBLIC INTEREST VALUES OF THE SOUND ARE CLEARLY WORTHY OF NATIONAL RECOGNITION AND PROTECTION.NANTUCKET SOUND HAS LONG BEEN UNDER CONSIDERATION FOR PROTECTED STATUS. - IN 1971, NANTUCKET SOUND STATE WATERS, OUT TO THREE MILES FROM THE SHORELINES OF CAPE COD, MARTHA'S VINEYARD, AND NANTUCKET, WERE DESIGNATED AS THE MASSACHUSETTS CAPE AND ISLANDS OCEAN SANCTUARY UNDER STATE LAW. HOWEVER, THE FEDERAL WATERS IN THE CENTER OF THE SOUND REMAINED UNPROTECTED. - IN 1980, THE COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS NOMINATED THE SOUND FOR DESIGNATION UNDER THE NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARIES ACT. - IN 1983, THE FEDERAL RESOURCE EVALUATION COMMITTEE, APPOINTED BY THE NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION'S (NOAA'S) SANCTUARY PROGRAM, DETERMINED NANTUCKET SOUND WAS WORTHY OF DESIGNATION. THE SOUND WAS LISTED ON THE SITE EVALUATION LIST IN THE FEDERAL REGISTER AS ONE OF 28 AREAS "FROM WHICH NOAA WILL SELECT SITES TO EVALUATE AS CANDIDATES FOR NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARIES." - IN JANUARY 2010, THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE RECOGNIZED THE UNIQUE HISTORIC AND TRIBAL VALUES OF THE SOUND AND DETERMINED THAT IT WAS ELIGIBLE FOR LISTING IN THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES AS A TRADITIONAL CULTURAL PROPERTY. ALLIANCE 2021 ACTIVITIES:REGULATORY/LEGAL/LEGISLATIVE - THE ALLIANCE DEVELOPED FEDERAL LEGISLATION - THE NANTUCKET SOUND NATIONAL HISTORIC LANDMARK ACT - TO ACCOMPLISH THREE IMPORTANT GOALS. O FIRST, THE BILL WILL FORMALLY RECOGNIZE THE SOUND'S RICH MARITIME AND TRIBAL HISTORY. IT WILL IMPART THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF HISTORIC PROTECTION POSSIBLE BY DESIGNATING THE SOUND AS A NATIONAL HISTORIC LANDMARK, THE SAME DESIGNATION ENJOYED TODAY BY THE ISLAND OF NANTUCKET, THE KENNEDY COMPOUND IN HYANNIS PORT, AND WESLEYAN GROVE ON MARTHA'S VINEYARD. O SECOND, THE BILL WILL PROHIBIT FEDERAL APPROVAL OF ANY INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT INCONSISTENT WITH EXISTING SAFEGUARDS UNDER STATE LAW. WHILE THE WATERS WHICH EXTEND THREE MILES FROM THE SHORELINES OF CAPE COD, MARTHA'S VINEYARD, AND NANTUCKET ARE PROTECTED BY THE COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS, THE WATERS IN THE CENTER OF THE SOUND ARE UNDER FEDERAL JURISDICTION AND OPEN TO DEVELOPMENT. ENACTMENT OF THE NANTUCKET SOUND NATIONAL HISTORIC LANDMARK ACT WILL PROVIDE LONG-TERM PROTECTION FOR THE ENTIRETY OF NANTUCKET SOUND. O FINALLY, THE BILL WILL PRESERVE THE SOUND BY ADDRESSING THREATS TO WATER QUALITY, COASTAL EROSION, AND HABITAT DEGRADATION. THE PROPOSED LEGISLATION REQUIRES A FORMAL EVALUATION OF POTENTIAL CLIMATE IMPACTS AS WELL AS RECOMMENDATIONS TO IMPROVE NANTUCKET SOUND'S HEALTH AND RESILIENCE TO THESE IMPACTS AND INCLUSION IN THE NATIONAL ESTUARY PROGRAM. - THE ALLIANCE SUBMITTED COMMENTS TO THE COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS ON THE 2020 MASSACHUSETTS OCEAN MANAGEMENT PLAN. THIS PLAN IS REVISED EVERY 5 YEARS.ADVOCACY - THE ALLIANCE MET WITH AND HAD DISCUSSIONS WITH ELECTED OFFICIALS AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS TO ENCOURAGE SUPPORT FOR THE FEDERAL LEGISLATION. WE REACHED OUT TO LOCAL, STATE, AND NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS TO SIGN ON TO A LETTER TO OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS IN SUPPORT OF FEDERAL LEGISLATION TO PROTECT NANTUCKET SOUND. WE BUILT A STRONG COALITION OF SUPPORT, INCLUDING MUNICIPAL AND TRIBAL GOVERNMENTS, HISTORIC PRESERVATION GROUPS, COMMERCIAL FISHERMEN, ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS, BUSINESSES, SHIPPING AND MARITIME TRANSPORTATION ENTITIES, OFFSHORE WIND DEVELOPERS, AND OTHERS. THE ALLIANCE HAS THE SUPPORT OF 80 DIVERSE GROUPS, AND MANY MORE IF MEMBER GROUPS OF STAKEHOLDER COALITIONS ARE INCLUDED. - THE NATIONAL CONGRESS OF AMERICAN INDIANS (NCAI) PASSED A RESOLUTION TO SUPPORT THE "PERMANENT PROTECTION OF NANTUCKET SOUND AS PART OF ITS EFFORTS TO PROTECT AND PRESERVE SACRED SITES OF IMPORTANCE TO TRIBAL NATIONS". THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENT AS NCAI IS THE OLDEST TRIBAL ORGANIZATION AND REPRESENTS TRIBAL NATIONS ACROSS THE UNITED STATES. GRASSROOTS AND EDUCATION - THE ALLIANCE CONDUCTED QUARTERLY DIRECT MAIL CAMPAIGNS AND FREQUENT EMAIL UPDATES FOR EDUCATION AND CONTRIBUTIONS. - WE PROVIDED INTERVIEWS TO MEDIA AND RESPONDED TO STUDENT AND OTHER INQUIRIES. - WE EXECUTED AN INTENSIVE GRASSROOTS CAMPAIGN TO MOBILIZE THE PUBLIC TO REACH OUT TO THEIR ELECTED OFFICIALS TO ENCOURAGE THEIR SUPPORT FOR THE NANTUCKET SOUND NATIONAL HISTORIC LANDMARK ACT. THE CAMPAIGN INCLUDED A LARGE VOLUME OF TELEVISION ADS RUNNING ON COMCAST STATIONS IN CAPE AND ISLANDS MARKETS TO DRIVE ACTION. NUMEROUS MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS ALSO DISTRIBUTED A CALL TO ACTION TO THEIR MEMBERS. THESE INCLUDE CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE, FISHING GROUPS, ANGLERS' CLUBS, MARINAS, AND OTHER COALITION MEMBERS. - WE DEVELOPED A NEW WEBSITE WITH A STRONG ENVIRONMENTAL FOCUS. THE NEW WEBSITE FEATURES A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF NEW CONTENT TO PROFILE THE MANY THREATS FACING NANTUCKET SOUND, NANTUCKET SOUND'S HISTORY AND UNIQUE VALUES, PRESERVATION EFFORTS, THE PROPOSED LEGISLATION, STAKEHOLDER SUPPORT AND OUR EDUCATIONAL INITIATIVES. - THE ALLIANCE RAN A COMMUNITY EDUCATION PROGRAM - "A CELEBRATION OF NANTUCKET SOUND OR ACONS - TO PROMOTE NANTUCKET SOUND'S IDENTITY, SUPPORT OUR PRESERVATION EFFORT, AND ENCOURAGE CONTINUED ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP. ACONS IS A FREE MONTHLY WEBINAR SERIES WHICH CONNECTS CONTENT EXPERTS WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO CELEBRATE NANTUCKET SOUND'S HISTORY, ENVIRONMENT, ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE, AND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE. EACH WEBINAR PRESENTS VIEWERS WITH THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN ABOUT THE VALUES THAT MAKE THIS NATIONAL TREASURE WORTHY OF PROTECTION. OUR 2021 WEBINARS INCLUDING DISCUSSIONS OF MARINE MAMMALS, BIRDS AND FISHING ON NANTUCKET SOUND, SHIPWRECKS, THE SOUND'S RICH TRIBAL HISTORY, ITS ECONOMIC IMPACT, AND SONGS AND SEA SHANTIES OF NANTUCKET SOUND. - THE ALLIANCE LAUNCHED THE "NANTUCKET SOUND AMBASSADORS" PROGRAM TO MOBILIZE LOCAL HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS TO SPREAD AWARENESS AND ADVOCATE FOR PERMANENT PROTECTION FOR NANTUCKET SOUND. DEVELOPMENT - THE ALLIANCE UPDATED SUPPORTERS ON A REGULAR BASIS WITH LETTERS, NEWSLETTERS, PHONE CALLS, EMAILS, PERSONAL MEETINGS, AND QUARTERLY DIRECT MAIL CAMPAIGNS. - THE ALLIANCE HOSTED SIX FUNDRAISING EVENTS ON THE CAPE AND NANTUCKET IN THE SUMMER AND FALL.