The Herring Run
News and Information about the
HERRING RIVER RESTORATION PROJECT
May 2021
Multi-Agency Environmental Reviews Underway
Following the submission of a permit application to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in April, Phase 1 of the Herring River Restoration Project is now under review by eight state and federal agencies, including Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Coast Guard, National Park Service, Massachusetts Coastal Zone Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Massachusetts Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The recent filings build on prior success. The Project completed state and federal environmental impact assessments in 2016, and received approval from the Cape Cod Commission as a Development of Regional Impact in 2020. Already one of the most carefully studied projects of its kind, the detailed project plans are now going through additional rigorous environmental reviews to demonstrate compliance with a range of state and federal environmental standards in place to protect wetlands, fisheries, avian and wildlife habitat, rare species, public access, public health and safety, navigation and public acces to tidelands.

Later this year Project applications for wetlands permitting will be submitted to the Wellfleet and Truro Conservation Commissions, respectively.

All current project applications are available on the Town of Wellfleet's website.
'Step into Spring' Walks A Huge Success
Left: Dr. Barbara Brennessel (center) leads a science walk through Upper Herring River, one of the Step into Spring events sponsored by Friends of Herring River. Participation was limited due to COVID-19 restrictions, and scheduled walks filled quickly.
As part of Celebrate Herring River Month, Friends of Herring River has scheduled four guided walks during Saturdays in May. The walks are limited to ten participants for each event and are fully subscribed. The topics are:
-      Fish passage in the Upper Herring River;
-      Ecology of the Herring River: Past, Present and Imminent Future;
-      The History of the Atwood Higgins House and George Higgins
-      Sex on the Beach: The Natural History of the Horseshoe Crab in Wellfleet Harbor.

If you were unable to register and are still interested in any of these walks, please notify the office via email info@herringriver.org.

We may be able to schedule additional walks on these topics or on other topics of interest at a later date. 
Runners, Walkers, Swimmers and Paddlers To Gather for Inaugural 5K Herring River Run
The Wellfleet Selectboard voted to designate May as "Celebrate Herring River Month." One of the many celebratory events to be sponsored by Friends of Herring River is the First Annual Herring River 5K Run (and Walk, Swim or Paddle). This year, due to COVID-19, the run, walk, swim or paddle will be held virtually. For more information view the poster below. To register visit https://www.active.com/running/virtual-events/virtual-herring-river-run-5k-2021. More information is provided on the poster below.
Coming soon:
"Voices of the River"
In honor of poetry month in April, Friends of Herring River invited local poets to submit works relevant to the Herring River. So many wonderful poems were received that we will be publishing them in a special edition of Herring Run in the near future.
Sluiceway
P.O. Box 565
South Wellfleet, MA 02663
508-214-0656