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Wellfleet Harbor is an important, integral part of the Town, physically and aesthetically, economically and environmentally. The issues associated with the management of Wellfleet Harbor are diverse and complex. Increased population and use, year round and summer, have placed Harbor resources under greater demand and stress. It is the town’s natural resources that attract people to Wellfleet. It is the Town’s responsibility to ensure that resources are available for future generations to enjoy. The Board of Selectmen authorized in September 2002 the creation of a Wellfleet Harbor Planning Group (HPG), which will proceed, pursuant to state regulation, to draft a town harbor plan. State regulations, 301 Code of Massachusetts Regulations s. 23, adopted in 2000, provide for a voluntary procedure by which any city or town may obtain approval of a municipal harbor plan by the Secretary of Environmental Affairs. Such a plan will serve to inform and guide state agency actions affecting the implementation of state waterway management programs at the local level. Specifically, approved plans will be of direct assistance to the Mass Department of Environmental Protection in making regulatory decisions pursuant to Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 91. In short, if the citizens of Wellfleet can agree as to what they think the Harbor should look like, the state will commit its agencies and officers to being responsive to such objectives and priorities. In addition to state regulatory support, it is hoped that future state funding decisions might be directed to those projects, which are contained within an approved municipal harbor plan. The members of the Wellfleet Harbor Planning Group include: members of the Natural Resources Advisory Board, established by Town Meeting in 1987; a member of the Planning Board; the Harbormaster; the Shellfish Constable; the Health and Conservation Agent; the Beach Administrator; and the Assistant Town Administrator as chairperson. The group will utilize the many earlier reports and plans that have addressed Wellfleet Harbor, including “Mini-Bays” reports; the Local Comprehensive Plan; the1995 draft harbor management plan. Major planning initiatives on the Cape have recently also been undertaken for Provincetown Harbor, Pleasant Bay and Stage Harbor, Chatham. Specifically, the HPG will be focusing on marina, shellfish management and public access issues with full recognition of the importance of water quality and the Harbor’s other natural resources. Wellfleet Harbor is also a designated Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC). A separate and overarching management plan will be undertaken to address the many issues not addressed by the Harbor Management Plan. State law provides that any Harbor Management Plan must be consistent with the ACEC Plan. The process that will be followed in drafting a management plan for the Harbor is set forth in 301 Code of Massachusetts Regulations s. 23. Copies of the regulation are available for inspection or photocopying at Town Hall and the Wellfleet Library. Copies are also available on-line at the Town’s website (www.wellfleetma.org). The process is intended to value significant public input. Public comment periods will be posted at Town Hall, the Post Offices, and neighborhood sites. Members of the press will be kept informed of progress of the planning effort. Drafts for review will be made available on the town’s website. The anticipated completion date will be January 2004 for submission to the Board of Selectmen, Town boards and committees and ultimately to the Secretary of the Massachusetts Executive Office of Environmental Affairs for final certification. All Wellfleet citizens, visitors and groups are encouraged to participate in the Wellfleet Harbor Management process. Further information may be obtained from: Rex Peterson, Assistant Town Administrator Town Hall – 300 Main Street Wellfleet, MA. 02667 508-349-0349 fax: 508-349-0305 e-mail: rex@cape.com Town website: www.wellfleetma.org
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