News Release
Town of Wellfleet and Friends of Herring River
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Contact: Linzy French, 508-957-0710
Wellfleet, Mass. – This year, Cape Cod National Seashore will benefit from more than $461,000 received from the Inflation Reduction Act to replace two failing culverts in the upper Herring River in Wellfleet, MA. The project will build upon planning and design efforts already in place. This project is part of a nationwide effort to restore natural habitats and address climate change impacts. In fiscal year 2023, President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act will provide $52 million to the National Park Service to fund projects throughout the country related to ecosystem resilience, restoration, and environmental planning needs.
The Herring River provides a critical link between Cape Cod Bay and freshwater pond spawning habitat for river herring (alewife and blueback herring) and migratory habitat for American eels and other diadromous species. River herring are a species of management concern in Massachusetts and play a critical role in the larger ecology of the Gulf of Maine. This project will eliminate two barriers to fish passage making the last one and one-half miles of stream and the breeding ponds more accessible to fish. Through this project as well as other restoration efforts taking place in the Herring River estuary, the park hopes to improve habitat and breeding success of river herring.
“Efforts to restore the larger Herring River estuary have been ongoing for decades and now many years of planning and science are coming to fruition with the beginning of restoration efforts,” said Superintendent Brian Carlstrom. “This project plays a key role in restoring roughly 380 acres of the upper Herring River watershed by improving hydrology and the migration pathway for river herring which play an important role in the natural and cultural history of Cape Cod. Inflation Reduction Act investment.”
The projects announced today infuse much-needed funding to put people to work addressing critical ecosystem needs to restore healthy and resilient park lands while benefiting communities surrounding parks. Through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act, the National Park Service is working to address the impacts of the climate crisis, including intensifying drought, wildfires, flooding and legacy pollution in national parks and other public lands. Resources are making significant strategic investments to repair critical facilities and infrastructure and enhance conservation through ecosystem restoration and recreation opportunities.
The full lists of fiscal year 2023 projects are available online: IRA Restoration and Resilience projects and BIL Ecosystem Resilience projects.
Last updated: August 8, 2023