376 



tions are effective in controlling the development of and alteration of 

 estuarine areas. Such an estuarine management organization must be 

 capable of handling and acting on estuarine problems. 



In May 1968, by a Commonwealth executive order (No. 59) the 

 Massachusetts Commission on Ocean Management was created to de- 

 velop a comprehensive long-range State plan for the management of 

 Massachusetts estuarine areas and to recommend an appropriate State 

 governmental organization to, in essence, carry out the plan. The com- 

 mission's findings will be reported to the commissioner of natural 

 resources. 



Other Massachusetts departments which have organizational re- 

 sponsibilities are the department of public Avorks which is also headed 

 by a commissioner and reports directly to the Governor, and the de- 

 partment of commerce and development which provides planning and 

 program development. A third department, the department of admin- 

 istration and finance acts to provide coordination and to guide joint 

 planning. This department is the agency responsible for personnel, 

 financing, and budget. 



Details on the department of natural resources and the department 

 of public works are included in the tabulations on the following pages. 



The Massachusetts State government assists the local governments 

 in estuarine management and acquisition through their self-help pro- 

 gram which consists primarily of funds awarded to town or city con- 

 servation commissions. 



The Wetlands Act restricts activities which may pollute the coastal 

 wetlands, whether publicly or privately owned. The act states that 

 "* * * to immediately provide for the protection of coastal wetlands 

 against the imminent threat of the development of such lands for 

 industrial and other uses detrimental to their preservation in their 

 natural state, therefore, it is hereby declared to an emergency law, 

 necessary for the immediate preservation of the public convenience." 



Also, the act provides that a city or town may take (by eminent 

 domain) coastal lands in the public interest in order to protect them 

 and for the establishment by the U.S. Government of national wild- 

 life refuges. Examples are the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge 

 and Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge which place about 3,000 

 tidemarsh acres under permanent protection. Advantages of this act 

 are that the State can restrict the use of large areas in general terms 

 or can be very specific as to permissible uses in small areas. 



The second act or Dredging Act restricts people from filling or 

 dredging in any coastal waters without prior approval of the re- 

 spective town or city and the State. 



The Wet Lands Act of 1965 has resulted in State actions that have 

 restricted the use of approximately 5,000 acres and in proposals to 

 restrict 12,000 more coastal acres including immediate action on ap- 

 proximately 1,700 acres of salt marshes in the North River estuary. 

 (See page 378 for coastline map, figure V.2.3, adapted from an 

 outline map of Massachusetts coast, prepared by the Massachusetts 

 Division of Marine Fisheries, Department of Natural Resources, 1969.) 



