Notes of August 1, 2004 General Membership Meeting
Wellfleet Non-Resident Taxpayers Association
The Sunday, August 1, 2004 membership meeting of the Wellfleet Non-Resident Taxpayers Association focused on the history and health of the Wellfleet Harbor. It was held at the Wellfleet Senior Center at 2:00PM and was attended by approximately 70 residents. May Ruth Seidel, president of the WNRTA, expressed her thanks to Chick Holtkamp, chairman of the Program Committee, for planning the meeting, and to Ed Rullman and Mary von Kaesborg, chairs of the Harbor Committee, for preparing a handout entitled Report on the State of the Harbor.
May Ruth introduced Helen Purcell, a noted Wellfleet historian, who spoke about the history of the Wellfleet harbor from the time of the Pilgrims through the War of 1812. Noting that as a tidal harbor no large vessels could come in or out of the harbor except on high tide, she discussed the need to dredge the harbor in order to maintain an active shipping industry. The first settlers came from the Plymouth colony, seeking land of their own. They lacked the skills for surviving in this environment and learned, primarily, through trial and error. A constant pressure was to earn enough money to repay the investors who had financed this venture.
Initially, Wellfleet colonists settled on Griffith s Island, Bound Brook Island and at Gull Pond. As farming became a less viable occupation, residents tended to settle closer to the harbor and moved houses constructed elsewhere to that area. The harbor impacted everything in the Town. By the American Revolution, they had become skilled in navigation, building boats, making sails, barrels, and catching fish. The first census taken after the Revolution identified virtually every resident as a fisherman.
The Benevolent Association of Wellfleet was a major factor in the development of commerce. Originally formed to provide funds to help those in need, the contributions of members accumulated and the directors of the fund used the money to make loans to those who wished to start their own businesses. Officers of this fund later started the bank in Wellfleet.
The War of 1812 was unpopular in Wellfleet because the embargo imposed by Madison, and the British blockade, forced ships to lie fallow in the harbor. The industry was just recovering from the losses incurred during the Revolution and citizens from Wellfleet were among those who supported the Hartford Convention, at which there were talks of secession. With the end of the war, shipping resumed and the industry profited. Wharves were built at Griffith s Island, up the Herring River, at Mayo Beach and at Old Wharf Road. Ships from Wellfleet participated in the three cornered trade that fished in the Grand Banks, brought salted and dried fish to the West Indies, and brought molasses and rum from there to the Cape.
Following Helen s presentation, May Ruth introduced Doug Franklin, chair of Wellfleet s Natural Resources Advisory Board. The Board has five members, no budget and functions solely in an advisory capacity. It is charged with drafting a harbor plan and a shellfish plan and is currently reviewing and revising the draft plan completed in 1995. Its challenge is to provide a constructive forum in which citizens can reach a consensus. The Board meets monthly, holding conversations with 10-12 participants. It is drafting a report and expects to start issuing chapters in September. The Board hopes to have its report completed by the spring and to make recommendations in April of 2005. As they are available, chapters will be accessible through the Town s website.
The major themes it is trying to address are: maintaining water quality, which he views as the most important thing regarding the harbor; satisfying the various constituencies for whom the harbor is important; developing a long-term perspective; and recognizing that we share this environment with other creatures.
In November of 2003 the Board held its First Annual State of Wellfleet Harbor Conference, which brought together many contributors who shared their expertise and concerns. The conference was viewed as a valuable learning experience for participants and a second conference will be held on November 6th of this year. Doug urged those present to become informed about these issues, to participate in the meetings of the Board, and to contact him or other Board members regarding any issues pertaining to the harbor.
In closing he raised the following questions: What will happen if we do nothing? In 10 years, what will we wish that we had done? What do future Wellfleet generations deserve with reference to the harbor?
In response to questions from the floor, the following points were made by the speakers:
-The algae blooms in Falmouth and Mashpee contribute to our sense of urgency that we need to address these problems.
-During each tidal cycle there is a 70% turnover of water in the harbor. We don t yet know the impact of the outfall pipe from Boston; although there is no evidence to date of a negative effect.
-Shellfish have always had an enormous impact on Wellfleet s economy. Initially they could be gathered on the sand but could not be shipped and so were not helpful in repaying investors.
-Wellfleet was incorporated in 1763. The first settlers arrived in Eastham from Plymouth in 1653. The schism with Eastham began in 1720 when Wellfleet built its own church.
-Lieutenant s Island is named for an Indian who assumed that title when he observed that lieutenants were treated with more respect than ordinary citizens
-Bike paths and walking trails can be helpful in maximizing access to the harbor.
-If planning had been implemented some time ago, it might have been possible to develop a buffer zone around the harbor and to encourage the development of cluster housing.
-We need to mount an educational campaign to protect the harbor s natural resources. Clorox is one of the substances that is hazardous to water quality and damages septic systems. Hydrogen peroxide can be used to bleach clothes instead of Clorox.
-Dredging has an impact on water quality. The mooring basin is dredged every 10 years. We also dredge the channel from Jeremy Point.
-Removing the trestle at Duck Creek might improve flushing of the creek. The impact of opening all estuaries is being reviewed. This will be a slow process but the general feeling is that reclaiming them will improve water quality.
May Ruth announced that the WNRTA will hold its annual meeting on August 22 at 2:00PM. The meeting was adjourned at 3:25 PM.
Respectfully submitted,
Lila Croen, Secretary
August 2, 2004
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