Making Space: Restoring Cranberry Bogs for Marsh Migration

Future Coastal Marsh Migration

Coastal ecosystems and communities in Massachusetts are under threat from climate change and rising sea levels. Salt marshes are important natural wetlands that play a pivotal role in mitigating those threats by storing floodwater, removing pollutants, and providing habitat for fish and wildlife. With rising tides, however, salt marshes will need to adapt and gradually migrate inland in the coming years. Restoration of unproductive cranberry farmland offers one opportunity to create the space needed for marsh migration; that is where this NOAA-funded initiative comes into play.

Inviting Marsh Migration through Restoration

With support from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Mass Audubon is working with a coalition of partners to prioritize and enroll wetland conservation projects in Southeastern Massachusetts, Cape Cod, and the Islands. Our goal: protect and restore hundreds of acres of low-lying coastal wetlands in the region to make space for future marsh migration. This initiative specifically targets unproductive cranberry bogs with interested landowners that present an opportunity for conservation, wildlife habitat, and open space. 

Learning Together

This initiative includes three main strategies: 1) prioritize sites and engage directly with interested landowners to enroll potential projects, 2) complete two pilot projects, and 3) build a robust network of practitioners and partners for sustained effort. Key partners include the Cape Cod Cranberry Growers’ Association, Native Land Conservancy, Living Observatory, Buzzards Bay Coalition, and the Town of Falmouth.