Appeal of Zone Comment

Cape Cod Cranberry Growers’ Association GROWER ADVISORY Zone II Delineation and The Appeals Process Introduction Zone IIs and IWPAs have received a lot of attention by the CCCGA, its partners in the cranberry industry and our grower-members over the past several years. Since the inception of the Zone II concept these delineated areas have grown and not surprisingly they have grown to overlap many bogs and supporting uplands. Reservoirs and the wetland environment necessary for cranberry production have inarguably contributed to the higher water tables consistent with public drinking water supplies of Southeastern Massachusetts. Thus, as the cranberry growing areas of Southeastern Massachusetts become increasingly urbanized, demand for ground water will increase, and additional sources may be put on-line resulting in additional areas to be protected by Zone II delineations, limiting the tools available for pest control on the bog. Previous advisories have been distributed addressing how to comply with the Zone-II regulations, which are enforced by the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources. This advisory will focus on how the Department of Environmental Protection goes about delineating a Zone II, including their tools and justification. More importantly however, this advisory can be used to assist in understanding the appeals process presenting the grower with the opportunity to either remove his/her land from the ...