Open Forum: Protecting Our Land and Waters
Event offers residents a forum to discuss concerns, make connections, and gather resources for local action.
On March 27, 2024, Community Land and Water Coalition (CLWC) and Southeastern Massachusetts Pine Barrens Alliance (SEMPBA) co-hosted a public forum about local land and water issues. The goal of the forum was for residents to come together, express their concerns over local drinking water issues, make connections and learn how to take action. Over 100 people were in attendance.
The event was advertised locally by the Plymouth Independent.
The forum began with opening remarks by Melissa Harding Ferretti, Chairwoman and President of the Herring Pond Wampanoag Tribe, who asserted her Tribe’s rights to protect their precious natural resources, the land, the water, and Mother Earth. She reminded the audience that her tribe has the human right to be consulted in all matters impacting her Tribe and its rights to be an interested party in all issues relating to Wampanoag historical sites connected to her Tribe, and Native American historical sites related to the King Phillips War. She spoke about her Tribe’s ongoing work to recover their historical homelands, and reminded the audience that they are still the same Tribe. She also spoke about the universal truth that the land doesn’t belong to us, but we belong to the land.
Speakers from both CLWC and SEMPBA spoke about the nature of the aquifer and the abundance of rare wildlife on coastal plains ponds. However, the main content of the forum was a chance for people to speak about the issues concerning them most over their water. Concerns expressed by residents ranged from cyanobacteria, to sand mining, to over development, to deforestation, to overuse of water for lawns, declines in water quality and quantity. Some residents questioned whether our Towns were equipped to handle the challenges posed to our greatest natural resource.
Meg Sheehan, environmental attorney with CLCW, spoke about the structure of Town government and what residents can do to get involved in local governing decisions over their natural resources.
Wareham resident Kathy Pappalardo emphasized to the crowd to “get involved,” “don’t give up,” and “talk to your neighbors.” She said that water unites us all and we all need it, it is precious and getting more precious.
Watch the full recording of the forum here.
Read the slide presentation from the forum:
At the event, participants were provided with a list of resources they could access to find out more about getting involved in water management and community planning:
Resources
Overview on Community Planning and Conservation:
- Community Planning For Conservation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYkEVI51Uik&list=PLDPhmu8GbbLJmjCkxAGO0S1fieEwulZVR&index=4
Local Government Bodies & What They Do
- Planning Board: permits and approvals for development projects
- Conservation Commission: Wetlands permits and enforcement
- Earth removal permits:
- Carver: Earth Removal Committee, Building Inspector
- Plymouth: Zoning Board of Appeals, Building Inspector
- Wareham: Select Board, Building Inspector
- Kingston: Select Board, Building Inspector
- Board of Health: air, noise, dust, water pollution
Resources about the Aquifer and Our Drinking Water
- Is your water safe to drink? Check out the Environmental Working Group (EWG) “Tap Water Database.” https://www.ewg.org/tapwater/ Put in your zip code and get information about your tap water. This is for “public water supply” wells only (town water and water systems over 25 people, like mobile home parks). If you are on a private well you have to test your own water.
- Old Colony Planning Council: “Regional Water Plan” https://oldcolonyplanning.org/waterplan/ (Plymouth, Kingston etc.)
- Southeastern Mass Regional Planning and Economic Development District (SRPEDD)
- CLWC Webinar 2: Our Water: Indigenous perspectives, youth and science. Includes presentation by Dr. David Boutt: Plymouth Carver Sole Source Aquifer from a Hydrologists Perspective https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DhCRdcJxM7c&list=PLDPhmu8GbbLJmjCkxAGO0S1fieEwulZVR&index=3&t=315s
- Wetlands Laws in Plymouth: webinar on the law and citizen enforcement: on CLWC website and YouTube
Climate change impacts:
- Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness study, 2023: https://pinebarrensalliance.org/massachusetts-vulnerability-preparedness-mvp/
Reporting Environmental Violations
- Earth Removal: Local building inspector-submit a written demand for enforcement under the Bylaws and General Laws, Chapter 40A; if the request is denied, appeal to the Zoning Board of Appeals
- Wetlands: Local Conservation Commission: Webinar on enforcing wetlands laws is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DhCRdcJxM7c&list=PLDPhmu8GbbLJmjCkxAGO0S1fieEwulZVR&index=3&t=315s; also Mass Association of Conservation Commission resources: https://www.maccweb.org/
- Local Board of Health
- Mass. Department of Environmental Protection: https://www.mass.gov/how-to/report-environmental-violations
- U.S. Environmental Protection, Region I for New England: https://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/epa-region-1-new-england
State and Local Government Accountability and Transparency
- Open Meeting Law: Attorney General’s Office of Open Government: https://www.mass.gov/the-open-meeting-law
- Public Records Law: Secretary of State Public Records Division: https://www.sec.state.ma.us/divisions/public-records/public-records.htm
- Government waste, fraud: Office of the Inspector General of Massachusetts. https://www.mass.gov/orgs/office-of-the-inspector-general
you do such good, inspirational work!