Hanging from the elbow of Cape Cod, Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge consists of a dollop of barrier island habitat in the Refuge System’s Region 5. Situated in the town of Chatham, Barnstable County, Massachusetts, Monomoy was established in 1944, and it is managed as part of the Eastern Massachusetts NWR Complex.
Composed of ocean, salt and freshwater marsh, dukes, and freshwater ponds, it now comprises 7,921 acres, 99% of which were acquired with MBCF funds. Somewhat unusually, the fixed western boundary encompasses open water in Nantucket Sound, while the eastern boundary follows the mean low water mark, and hence shifts with the sands. As evidence of how critical the refuge is to protecting wildlife and its habitat, it has been designated a Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network (WHSRN) regional site, an Important Bird Area (IBA), and a Marine Protected Area (MPA). Nearly half of the refuge acres are designated as wilderness.
Species of conservation concern on the refuge include Piping Plover, Red Knot, and Roseate Tern. (The region has produced an illuminating video about its monitoring activities with Common and Roseate Terns.) Conservation of invertebrates is important, too: key taxa are Horseshoe Crab and the predacious Northeastern Beach Tiger Beetle, listed as Threatened under the Endangered Species Act. The beetle was re-established on Monomoy by transplantation from Martha’s Vineyard, beginning at the turn of this century.
Unfortunately, in recent months the refuge’s western boundary has become a point of contentious dispute with Chatham residents and businesses, with commonwealth-level officials weighing in as well. As recently reported by Tim Wood, town selectmen fear new federal restrictions on traditional fin and shellfishing in the waters, although the refuge says it has no plans to impose new restrictions. Indeed, certain activities, like kiteboarding and blue musselling, are prohibited by the refuge’s management plan.
Enjoy a very fine gallery of images from Monomoy NWR. Certainly, the refuge has earned its place on our roster of Stamp Success Stories.
This National Wildlife Refuge profile first appeared in the 11 September 2018 issue of Wingtips.