The Herring River Restoration Project began in January 2023 when AmeriCorps volunteers started clearing shrubs and brush with hand tools along the Herring River on the eastern edge of Duck Harbor. That was followed by vegetation clearing in the Duck Harbor basin with a heavy tracked full-tree mulcher, and subsequently, construction of the $31 million Chequessett Neck Road bridge (image above) that will eventually control the restoration of tides in the Herring River estuary.
Many Wellfleet stakeholders expressed reservations about the project and asked many unanswered questions while it was in the planning phase. But the voices of concerned citizens gradually fell silent as regulatory agencies granted the necessary permits and the project became inevitable. Many of the issues they raised, however, remain germane today.
This website assembles a body of information that includes many facts not widely known and presents perspectives not widely expressed. Its primary purpose is to provide the stakeholders – primarily the citizens of Wellfleet – with realistic expectations.
A key to stakeholder satisfaction is meeting or exceeding expectations. Conversely, failure to meet expectations breeds dissatisfaction. This website is designed to provide helpful counterpoint to the promises of extensive environmental benefits without sufficient disclosure of potential harms.
Although some of the perspectives may appear biased, the facts behind them are verifiable, and primary sources are linked to the narrative for easy fact-checking. I encourage anyone taking issue with any reported facts or my interpretation of them to let me know at rgabel60@gmail.com.
Use the site map to explore topics that interest you. And please send me your comments and questions.
Ronald A. Gabel, M.D.
rgabel60@gmail.com.
A particularly vivid example of the contrast between the public's perception of the project and reality is the difference between the project's governance in theory and governance in practice.
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