W.I.P.C.A. has had meetings and multiple communications with the UMASS Cranberry Station, the Cranberry Growers Association, the Plymouth County Conservation Commission, the Coalition for Buzzards Bay, and the Massachusetts DEP.
These meetings have been very productive and have resulted in a set of new procedures which the cranberry growers are implementing this year. These new BMPs “best management practices” call for a drastic reduction in the use of phosphate fertilizer by the bogs. As I am sure you’re aware, there must be both nitrogen and phosphate available for algae to bloom. This is just a first step, but a very important one for the restoration of White Island Pond. The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection has agreed to test the pond and collect data this entire summer. However, we will still test the pond every four days for the Coalition for Buzzards Bay. The Board of Directors is extremely happy to report these encouraging developments. We cannot stress enough the tremendous cooperation the Association has received from all parties involved.
As we discussed last year at the annual meeting, this process will not be a short one, but if we all do our part to protect the pond, it will be a successful one!!!
– The Board of Directors