CAPE COD NATIONAL SEASHORE ADVISORY COMMISSION THREE HUNDRED TWELFTH MEETING

HELD AT CAPE COD NATIONAL SEASHORE, Salt Pond Visitors Center, Eastham, Massachusetts, on Monday, September 9, 2024, commencing at 1:07pm

SITTING

Richard Delaney, Chair - absent
Heather McElroy, alternate – Acting Chair

Barnstable County

Sheila Lyons
Mark R. Forest – absent

Chatham

Thomas Dougherty - virtual
Theodore Keon, absent

Eastham

David Crary
Joanna Stevens, alternate

Orleans

Lawrence Spaulding
John “Charlie” Carlson, alternate

Provincetown

Mary-Jo Avellar - absent
Leslie Sandberg, virtual

Truro

Susan Areson

Wellfleet

Lilli-Ann Green
Wayne Clough, alternate

Commonwealth of MA

Leslie Ann Jonas - virtual
Mark Robinson

Also present:

Jennifer S. Flynn, Superintendent
Leslie Reynolds, Deputy Superintendent
Michael Valora, Chief, Visitor Resources & Protection
Lucas Dixon, Engine Captain
Adam Baghetti, IT Specialist
David Bott, IT Specialist
Cheryl Johnson, Executive Assistant
Audience members (in person/virtual)

Meeting opened at 1:00pm

Welcome
Acting Chair, Heather McElroy welcomed back the Commission.

1. Agenda was adopted.
2. Minutes from August 5th were accepted into the record with some edits submitted by Lilli-Ann Green.
3. Introduction of Members – round robin
4. Superintendent Report

Jennifer S. Flynn, Superintendent – Fire Lilli-Ann Green asked for more 2024 Advisory Commission meetings. Supt. Flynn reminded Commission of 10-week Federal Register posting requirement. BOEM wind project was raised, and Commission was reminded that topic is out of the purview of the Commission, but all are encouraged to participate as citizens. Board moved ahead with the approved agenda. Superintendent Flynn updated Cape Cod National Seashore items; New Economic Impact Numbers, Science Symposium being hosted September 19^th, and Wildland Fire Report.(full presentation available online) Fire Suppression Policy was result of 1910 wildland fire; presented history of legislation: findings, themes. Discussed CCNS short term goals including Fort Hill area; WUO code compliance; pile burning/fuel reduction; Marconi area; wood road maintenance.Commission discussed County is considering updating their report on wildfire; MOUs with CCNS and local towns, involvement with cooperating agencies, audits of homes in the park.

David Crary – Eastham

• Summarized his experience and background; was Fire Management Officer at CCNS
• 1970 study, three times past century wildfire in Wellfleet, White Cedar swamp 300 years ago probably burned all Summer; one lightning strike fire in punkhorn.
• Volunteer program included SCA student; AmeriCorps (six individuals served Oct/July)
• Science based burns
• Recommendations: get permanent staff hired; weekly projects; use groups; many small fires, ensure public awareness, debris disposal

Larry Spalding mentioned that Orleans had a truck that can drive on the beach for brush fires and a fire boat to reach any islands.Heather directed members to share/advise Superintendent

Leslie Ann Jonas – Commonwealth of MA

• Ancestral ties to burning for over 1,000 years
• Matter of living with and living on the land – balance
• Wampanoag have 55 acres around tribal management area
• Support flora & fauna.
• Chuckie Green prescribed burns to restore habitat for cottontail/blueberries
• Use of smoke in culture; smudging, funerals
• Tribe currently updating grant for future prescribed burns
  • Loss of control & small
  • Outreach & management – work with Fire Chiefs, reverse 911 calls
• Mapping areas of heat stress

Leslie Sandberg – Alternate, Provincetown

• Questioned whether or not CCNS Fire Department has MOUs with local fire departments in the seashore towns
• Requirement of Seashore – has met with some resistance
• Offer of help if applicable to her town

Tom Dougherty – Chatham

• Not aware of any prescribed burns on the barrier beach. Fish and Wildlife have done a few limited burns on Monomoy Refugee which includes coordination with the Fire Dept. Any prescribed burns in Chatham would utilize Division of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) Fire Control Division. No issues to date.
• The Barnstable County Wildfire Preparedness Plan is referenced in both our Hazard Mitigation Plan and Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan. In late fall or winter Chatham and other towns will be reviewing and updating the preparedness plan with the Fire Warden for DCR.
• None that we are aware of other than adherence to the state fire code.
• Wildfire as a hazard is acknowledged to be an issue in our hazard mitigation plan. Chatham maintains wildfire preparedness plans for two open space properties (Goose Pond Complex and the Town Forest). These plans include public education, access road improvements and a fuel reduction program in consultation and input from the DCR Fire Control Division.
• Chatham does have a Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan.

Mark Robinson – Commonwealth of MA

• Appreciated Dave Crary’s recommendations.
• Appreciated today’s fire management strategy i.e., 160-acre fire can displace a lot of wildlife/containment issues
• Depression citizens would start fires, and then offer to be paid to put them out.

Susan Areson – Truro

• Fire Chief, Tim Collins is present.
• Addressed burn piles in woods created by Woodchuck group – would be optimal to remove.
• Agreed with utilizing reverse 911 calls in fire mgmt.
• Concern about wood level in CCNS creating fuel source.
• Updating 12-year-old Barnstable plan needs to be done in tandem w/local fire depts.
• No specific zoning laws currently related to fire suppression.

LilliAnn Green – Wellfleet

• Recognized Assembly Delegates present at the meeting from Provincetown, Truro and Eastham.
• She spoke to Chief and looks forward to working with CCNS Supt.
• Need fire roads and water sources in good condition (flushing hydrants still?)
• Is there cooperative/collaboration with State, Towns and CCNS on bike trail access for emergency vehicles?
• Clear fire roads
• Disaster planning; concentration on residence areas; utilization reverse 911 system.
• Battery storage; other energy infrastructure; and transmission lines - have issues raised

regarding potential fire and contamination of our sole source aquifer

• Use of goats for clearing brush has been suggested in the past; using AmeriCorps volunteers has been implemented in the past.
• Spoke about County Fire Plan and the concerns expressed in the Assembly of Delegates meetings

Sheila Lyons – Commonwealth of MA

• Barnstable has outdated Fire Suppression plan; will be updated and will take time and resources.
• Money from grants
• Increase data to public may help foster future fire prevention career interest.
• Factor in climate change impact on fires.
• Recruitment of AmeriCorps and volunteer citizen groups
• County is willing to cooperate in any way.
• Mike McGuire will address Commission.

Public comments –Woodchuck members addressed CCNS, had questions regarding not using group; CCNS is short staffed. Loss of road access, Griffin Island; neighbor’s house burned down; no egress need to create solution to issue; Controlled burns at Fort Hill in the past; Provincetown airport lease - see full transcript.Jennifer Flynn – brought up proposed meeting dates in 2025; would like assistance from commission on 36 CFR part 27, secretary’s standards as looking for consistency across seashore districts; begin public conversation, termination of Certificates of Suspension from Condemnation from private property owners; potential zoning ordinance in conflict with secretarial standards possibility of entire town w/CSCs being terminated.Next meeting Monday, October 7th. Please come prepared to discuss the main topic which is Coastal Resiliency. Future topics and dates for the 2025 Advisory Commission will be discussed.

1. Meeting was Adjourned at 4:03 pm

These minutes were certified by the Chair of the Cape Cod National Seashore Advisory Commission on October 7, 2024

Additional Documents

Full Closed Captioning Transcript
Superintendent's Park Update Presentation - Wildfire