Habitat restoration and coastal resilience planning for underserved communities

Biodiversity protection + Risk Reduction

The overall aim of our proposal is to strengthen capacity building toward coastal resilience in underserved communities and support participatory, pluralistic, science-based ecosystem restoration for flood risk reduction. 

Project Description

1) Proposal Title. Habitat restoration and climate resilience in Rumney Marsh and surrounding communities

2) Applicant Organization and relationship to underserved communities. The applicant organization, the University of Massachusetts Amherst, has developed this grant proposal working in close partnership with the Massachusetts coastal communities of Everett, Lynn, Malden, Revere, and Saugus, and the Saugus River Watershed Council (SRWC), connectd to the The Saugus Pines River Advocacy for Regional Resilience (SPRARR). Founded in 1991, the SRWC works closely with the watershed communities to protect and restore the natural resources of the Saugus River watershed, including Rumney Marsh, to improve water quality, restore river habitat and fisheries, educate students about the environment, and promote public access and enjoyment of the watershed. Proposal partners include: the University of Massachusetts Boston, Tufts University, and the Woods Hole Group (WHG).

3) Underserved Communities partnering in the proposal. The communities partnering in this proposal are the coastal municipalities of Everett, Lynn, Malden, Revere and Saugus in Massachusetts. They have been identified as underserved and overburdened communities by the Council on Environmental Quality’s (CEQ) Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool (CEJST). These communiies present exceptionally high risk of flooding, low-income levels, low levels of social inclusion (e.g., low levels of education and high percentage of immigrants), and high levels of legacy pollution from high-risk sites.

4) Location. The underserved coastal municipalities partnering in this project surround Rumney Marsh, a 2,274 acres salt marsh located in the northern metro Boston area (centered here: N42.436, W70.997). Rumney Marsh is one of the largest marsh complexes in the region, providing critical habitat to migratory and resident species. Identified by the Massachusetts Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs as an Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC) due to its quality, uniqueness, and significance, the marsh includes Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program (NHESP) Priority Habitats for Rare Species. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service characterized Rumney Marsh as "one of the most biologically significant estuaries in Massachusetts north of Boston". The Atlantic Coast Joint Venture and the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) identified it as a priority restoration site to benefit the Saltmarsh Sparrow, currently an at-risk species. The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation owns and manages the majority of the Rumney Marsh, which offers recreational opportunities to residents in the surrounding underserved communities characterized by severe lack of green spaces (EJST). Recreational activities include canoeing, kayaking, fishing, hiking, educational programs, bird watching, and beachgoing at the adjacent Revere barrier beach. 

Major modifications of the marsh include a waste incinerator plant and adjacent landfill, the abandoned 1969 era I-95 embankment, and the 1950’s era seaplane basin. The marsh is severely degraded by filling, drainage problems, illegal dumping, and other sources of pollution. These actions have led to a loss in spawning and nursery grounds, and the expansion of invasive vegetation. Increases in Common Reed (Phragmites australis) and Perennial Pepperweed (Lepidium latifolium) have been displacing native salt marsh species such as Spartina (cordgrass), eliminating important habitat and food sources for native animals.

5) Brief Project Description. This project aligns with NOAA’s main program objective “to support opportunities for underserved communities to meaningfully engage in coastal habitat restoration activities”. This project aims to support participatory, pluralistic, science-based ecosystem restoration planning in the underserved communities surrounding Rumney Marsh, working in close partnership with these communities and the Saugus River Watershed Council. 

Research team

Multidisciplinary research team from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, the University of Massachusetts Boston, and Tufts University, including geoscientists, hydrologists, ecologists, climate adaptation specialists, coastal engineer, civil and environmental engineers specializing in transportation, regional planners, anthropologists, and environmental economists.

Project lead: 

• Marta Vicarelli, Assistant Professor, Department of Economics and School of Public Policy, University of Massachusetts Amherst – mvicarelli@econs.umass.edu

Team: 

• Rob de Conto, Director, School of Earth & Sustainability at University of Massachusetts Amherst, Provost Professor of Earth, Geographic and Climate Sciences

• Paul Kirshen, Professor of Climate Adaptation in the School for the Environment at University of Massachusetts Boston and Research Director of the Stone Living Lab

• Brian Yallen, Research Assistant Professor, Department of Earth, Geographic and Climate Sciences

• Scott Jackson, Extension Professor in the Department of Environmental Conservation

• Ryan Wicks, UMassAir LINK caps metrics LINK

• Eleni Christofa, Associate Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering - University of Massachusetts Amherst

• Chengbo Ai, Assistant Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering - University of Massachusetts Amherst

• Jonathan Lamontagne, Professor, Department of Engineering - Tufts University

• Camille Barchers, Assistant professor, Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning - University of Massachusetts Amherst

• Samantha Solano, Assistant professor, Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning - University of Massachusetts Amherst

Scientific advisors:

• Jon Woodruff, Professor, Department of Earth, Geographic and Climate Sciences; Co-director Northeast Climate Adaptation Science Center