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time, 38 of 60 coastal towns established conservation commissions to 

 administer to the conservation needs of the community. As stated by 

 the 1964 Massachusetts Legislature : 



The greater effort of many coastal commissions has been directed toward the 

 protection of tidemarsh areas. Protection methods in various towns have 

 included : establishment of dredging and filling bylaws ; conservation district 

 and/ or subdivision zoning; and actual acquisition of tidemarsh acreages. Un- 

 fortunately that acquisition — ^the most highly desired form of protection — is 

 being exercised in relatively few towns. The towns of Orleans and Chatham are 

 leaders in acquisition, having procured 400 and 170 acres, respectively. Acquisi- 

 tion in both of these towns has been by gift, purchase, and eminent domain. In 

 addition to the actual acquiring of tidemarsh acreages for conservation purposes, 

 each of the above towns employs zoning, and dredging and filling bylaws to 

 further regulate the use of coastal wetland areas. 



The town of Barnstable . . . designated the great marshes of Barnstable 

 as the great marshes conservation area. This area comprises about 3,300 acres 

 of tidemarsh. It is expected that the entire area will be deeded over to the town 

 within 2 or 3 years. 



If all coastal conservation commissions could boast of similar accomplishments 

 the problem of our vanishing wetlands would no longer exist. To date, less than 

 1,000 acres of coastal wetland have been acquired at the town level of govern- 

 ment. 



A primary goal of every coastal commission should be to acquire and place 

 under permanent protection, at least one of its more important tidemarsh areas 

 (V-3-16). 



Section 5. Recommendations and Conclusions 



This chapter has briefly surveyed existing practices and evaluated 

 the accomplishments and problems of local government activities re- 

 lating to estuaries. On the following pages, some recommendations are 

 made to promote effective local programs, bearing in mind that, under 

 our federal system, operating success can best be achieved through co- 

 operative local- State programs. 



The purpose of these suggestions is not to freeze forever the estuaries 

 in their present status, but rather to curb uncontrolled growth and 

 haphazard but devastating urban incursions and to develop compati- 

 ble land and water management systems that will provide for balanced 

 use of estuaries. 



First, local governments must be strengthened and reoriented to 

 focus on estuarial problems. Carefully drafted model legislation, or- 

 dinances, and planning guides for local governments should be estab- 

 lished to call attention to these vulnerable resources. They should in- 

 clude a statement of public purpose and interest along with a descrip- 

 tion of basic goals (such as open space and recreational development 

 and the shoreline area, including wetlands and waterfront areas, to be 

 covered) . In addition to a legislative declaration of public rights and 

 use claims, planning and regulatory authority should be given to a 

 specific estuarine management agency. At least an interagency commit- 

 tee should be established to coordinate local policies. 



Such legislation could establish an open space and estuarine pres- 

 ervation policy to control the alteration of estuaries and prohibit any 

 pollution. Further grants of State-owned tidelands could be halted, 

 and the State could definitely establish claim to all such lands unless it 

 could be shown that colonial or territorial titles or special legislation 

 had given this land to a private owner. The legislation could also desig- 

 nate essential areas to be preserved, or repurchased if necessary, and 

 give the agency full planning and zoning power. Dredging or filling 



