OPINION/Protect Wareham’s natural resources, vote ‘No’ on Article 1
Wicked Local
Jocelyn Forbush is acting president and CEO of The Trustees of Reservations
While responsible economic development is a must for every community, we’re asking Wareham residents to vote “No” on Article 1 because rezoning these 700-plus acres potentially threatens the town’s drinking water, rare species habitat, local wildlife, and outdoor recreational opportunities, which many residents enjoy.
The most important reason to oppose this effort to create a “Hospitality, Recreation, and Entertainment Overlay District” at the April 10 Special Town Meeting is that it threatens to permanently damage Wareham’s drinking water supply. This land is home to the Plymouth-Carver Sole Source Aquifer — Wareham’s only source of clean drinking water. Dense commercial development not only means increased water withdrawals that the region can’t absorb, but also the threat of groundwater contamination via nutrient enrichment from runoff and wastewater disposal, as well as other chemicals and contaminants. Keeping the land open allows forests to purify and recharge water as it passes through sandy soils.