ALLIANCE TO PROTECT NANTUCKET SOUND INC

NANTUCKET SOUNDNANTUCKET SOUND INCLUDES 163 SQUARE NAUTICAL MILES OF WATER AND SEABED BETWEEN CAPE COD AND THE ISLANDS. NANTUCKET SOUND POSSESSES SIGNIFICANT MARINE HABITAT FOR A DIVERSITY OF ECOLOGICALLY AND ECONOMICALLY IMPORTANT SPECIES. THE SOUND IS IMPORTANT FOR SEVERAL FEDERALLY PROTECTED SPECIES OF WILDLIFE AND A VARIETY OF COMMERCIALLY AND RECREATIONALLY VALUABLE FISHERIES.THE SOUND IS SITUATED AT A CONFLUENCE OF THE COLD LABRADOR CURRENTS AND THE WARM GULF STREAM. THIS CREATES A UNIQUE COASTAL HABITAT, REPRESENTING THE SOUTHERN RANGE FOR NORTHERN ATLANTIC SPECIES AND THE NORTHERN RANGE FOR MID-ATLANTIC SPECIES. NANTUCKET SOUND IS CHARACTERIZED BY AN EXTREME RICHNESS OF BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY, CONTAINING HABITATS THAT RANGE FROM OPEN SEA TO SALT MARSHES. NANTUCKET SOUND IS MORE THAN A BODY OF WATER. IT IS A SOURCE OF LIVELIHOOD FOR LOCAL FISHERMEN, AN INSPIRATION FOR ARTISTS, AND A SOURCE OF SOLACE, RELAXATION, AND RECREATION FOR THE MILLIONS THAT FLOCK TO ITS SHORES. THE SOUND IS THE ECONOMIC ENGINE OF THE CAPE AND ISLANDS. IT IS AN IMPORTANT AND SIGNIFICANT NATURAL TREASURE THAT MUST BE PRESERVED AND PROTECTED.NANTUCKET SOUND IS UNIQUE FOR MANY REASONS. IT IS THE ONLY LOCATION IN THE COUNTRY WHERE FEDERAL WATERS ARE SURROUNDED BY STATE WATERS THAT ARE DESIGNATED AS A SANCTUARY UNDER STATE LAW. THE SOUND IS THE ONLY OCEAN-BASED TRADITIONAL CULTURAL PLACE AND WAS RECOGNIZED AS SUCH FOR ITS SIGNIFICANCE TO THE AREA'S WAMPANOAG TRIBES. IT IS BORDERED BY SEVERAL ONSHORE NATIONAL HISTORIC LANDMARKS, INCLUDING THE KENNEDY COMPOUND ON CAPE COD, WESLEYAN GROVE AND THE FLYING HORSES CAROUSEL ON MARTHA'S VINEYARD, AND THE ENTIRE ISLAND OF NANTUCKET. NO OTHER OCEAN AREA SUITABLE FOR OFFSHORE WIND DEVELOPMENT SHARES THE SOUND'S UNIQUE GEOGRAPHY AND COMPLEX HISTORIC, TRIBAL, ENVIRONMENTAL, AND ECONOMIC ATTRIBUTES. THE EXTRAORDINARY PUBLIC INTEREST VALUES OF THE SOUND ARE CLEARLY WORTHY OF NATIONAL RECOGNITION AND PROTECTION.NANTUCKET SOUND HAS LONG BEEN UNDER CONSIDERATION FOR PROTECTED STATUS. IN 1971, NANTUCKET SOUND STATE WATERS, OUT TO THREE MILES FROM THE SHORELINES OF CAPE COD AND THE ISLANDS WERE DESIGNATED AS THE MASSACHUSETTS CAPE AND ISLANDS OCEAN SANCTUARY UNDER STATE LAW. HOWEVER, THE FEDERAL WATERS IN THE CENTER OF THE SOUND REMAINED UNPROTECTED. IN 1980, THE COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS NOMINATED THE SOUND FOR DESIGNATION UNDER THE NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARIES ACT. IN 1983, THE FEDERAL RESOURCE EVALUATION COMMITTEE, APPOINTED BY THE NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION'S (NOAA'S) SANCTUARY PROGRAM, DETERMINED THE SOUND WAS WORTHY OF DESIGNATION. IT WAS LISTED ON THE SITE EVALUATION LIST IN THE FEDERAL REGISTER AS ONE OF 28 AREAS "FROM WHICH NOAA WILL SELECT SITES TO EVALUATE AS CANDIDATES FOR NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARIES." IN 2010, THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE RECOGNIZED THE UNIQUE TRIBAL VALUES OF THE SOUND AND DETERMINED IT WAS ELIGIBLE FOR LISTING IN THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES AS A TRADITIONAL CULTURAL PROPERTY. ALLIANCE 2024 ACTIVITIESLEGISLATION AND ADMINISTRATIVE ACTIONTHE ALLIANCE CONTINUED TO PURSUE DESIGNATION FOR NANTUCKET SOUND AS A NATIONAL HISTORIC LANDMARK (NHL) TO RECOGNIZE THE SOUND AS A SACRED TRIBAL SITE AND TO PROTECT IT IN PERPETUITY. THE ALLIANCE PROMOTED FEDERAL LEGISLATION ENTITLED "THE NANTUCKET SOUND NATIONAL HISTORIC LANDMARK ACT" THROUGH CONGRESS. IN 2023, THE ALLIANCE ALSO LAUNCHED THE ADMINISTRATIVE PROCESS TO SEEK NHL DESIGNATION WITH A LETTER OF INQUIRY TO THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR. INTERIOR CONDUCTED GOVERNMENT TO GOVERNMENT CONSULTATION WITH THE MASHPEE WAMPANOAG TRIBE AND THE WAMPANOAG TRIBE OF GAYHEAD/AQUINNAH THROUGHOUT 2024.ADVOCACYTHE ALLIANCE MET WITH AND HAD DISCUSSIONS WITH ELECTED OFFICIALS AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS TO ENCOURAGE SUPPORT FOR THE FEDERAL LEGISLATION AND ADMINISTRATIVE ACTION. WE CONTINUED TO MAINTAIN AND BUILD A STRONG COALITION OF 90 STAKEHOLDER GROUPS, INCLUDING MUNICIPALITIES, TRIBAL ENTITIES, HISTORIC PRESERVATION GROUPS, COMMERCIAL FISHERMEN, ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS, BUSINESSES, OFFSHORE WIND DEVELOPERS, AND MANY OTHERS. GRASSROOTS AND EDUCATIONTHE ALLIANCE CONDUCTED QUARTERLY DIRECT MAIL CAMPAIGNS AND FREQUENT EMAIL UPDATES FOR EDUCATION AND CONTRIBUTIONS. WE ALSO PROVIDED MEDIA INTERVIEWS AND RESPONDED TO INQUIRIES. THE ALLIANCE RAN A COMMUNITY EDUCATION PROGRAM - "A CELEBRATION OF NANTUCKET SOUND OR ACONS - TO PROMOTE AWARENESS OF NANTUCKET SOUND, SUPPORT OUR PRESERVATION EFFORT, AND ENCOURAGE CONTINUED ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP. ACONS IS A MONTHLY WEBINAR SERIES WHICH CONNECTS CONTENT EXPERTS WITH THE COMMUNITY TO CELEBRATE NANTUCKET SOUND'S HISTORY, ENVIRONMENT, ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE, AND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE. EACH WEBINAR PRESENTS VIEWERS WITH AN OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN ABOUT THE VALUES THAT MAKE THIS NATIONAL TREASURE WORTHY OF PROTECTION. DEVELOPMENTTHE ALLIANCE UPDATED SUPPORTERS ON A REGULAR BASIS WITH LETTERS, NEWSLETTERS, PHONE CALLS, EMAILS, PERSONAL MEETINGS, AND QUARTERLY DIRECT MAIL CAMPAIGNS. IN THE SUMMER, WE ALSO HOSTED SEVERAL LOCAL FUNDRAISING EVENTS.