In November of 2024, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts announced that a $6 million grant by the Division of Ecological Restoration (DER) would be awarded to support wetland restoration in former cranberry bogs. With Massachusetts cranberry farming on the decline due to economic constraints and climate change, the state’s initiative will fund projects to convert unused former cranberry bogs into wild wetlands that can be habitats for native species, protect coastlines, and even sequester carbon from the atmosphere.
Massachusetts is home to over 13,000 acres of cranberry bogs, many of which were once wetlands before being converted for agricultural use, according to the DER. To farm in these existing wetlands, water control measures, canals, and other structures were often built to help create ideal conditions for growing cranberries. Farmers also typically added layers of sand to bogs regularly to deter pests, maximize growth, and increase water drainage. These agricultural measures mean that when these bogs are no longer being used for cranberry farming, they require specific restoration measures to address these changes before they can again thrive as independent, wild wetland ecosystems.
If abandoned cranberry farms are left unrestored, they lack sufficient amounts of water to fully support native species, and ditches, canals, and barriers can further prevent them from independently returning to a fully functioning wetland ecosystem. According to the DER, to convert them effectively, these water control measures and other farming structures must be removed to re-saturate the bog. The sand used to enhance cranberry productivity also presents challenges to creating wild wetlands, because it covers up the underlying peat and contributes to the drainage of moisture from the bogs. Therefore, restoration often involves either removing this layer of sand altogether or using other strategies like filling in ditches and slowing the flow of water out of the bog to help increase water retention. Additionally, surface roughening — adding more topographical variation to the ecosystem — and altering man-made canals to closer resemble natural waterways can create more suitable habitat conditions. To promote the presence of native plant and animal species, restorationists often also make efforts to remove invasive species in the bogs that could impede their success.
However, not all cranberry farms are created equal, and state and local governments often have to prioritize bogs based on their suitability for restoration. According to a 2019 study, the most ideal farms for restoration are often flowthrough farms, which are farms constructed in pre-existing wetlands that therefore have connections to groundwater and adjacent waterways, as opposed to farms without these characteristics that require more human intervention to build.
Though the restoration process involves significant amounts of planning and labor, it has many benefits for humans and ecosystems that lead conservationists and government officials to support it as an ideal “exit method” for retired and abandoned cranberry farms. According to a 1990 assessment of US wetlands, about 93,000 hectares of Massachusetts wetlands were lost between 1780 and the 1980s, so converting bogs provides an opportunity to bring back the ecosystem services they once provided. Some similar projects have already taken place in Massachusetts, with 14 currently in progress. One early project began in 2009, when the town of Plymouth, Massachusetts converted 60 acres of cranberry farms into wetlands in the Eel River Headwaters Project. The project cost about two million dollars and was funded by a federal conservation grant. Over the fifteen years since the project’s 2010 completion, wetland plant species thrived in the former farm, and rare Atlantic white cedar trees planted by restorationists continue to grow successfully. Animals formerly driven out by development, such as river herring, have also returned to the habitat, providing an example of the environmental success that is possible for future wetland restoration projects.
The restoration of wetlands has significant benefits not only for plants and animals but also for local human populations, providing several important ecosystem services. One example is their removal of nitrogen from waterways, which can help prevent eutrophication, a significant issue in many bodies of water in Massachusetts. They can also protect population centers and human infrastructure from storms and erosion, as well as mitigate the impact of flooding. These traits are especially important for helping Massachusetts localities deal with the effects of climate change, which are expected to bring rising sea levels and more extreme weather events in Massachusetts. Wetlands are also capable of helping climate change mitigation efforts because of their role as carbon sinks, decreasing the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. A 2020 study found that restored wetlands can store more carbon than unrestored former cranberry bogs, showing that restoration projects can have significant impacts on greenhouse gas concentrations and can even help contribute to reaching Massachusetts’ emissions goals.
The state’s November funding initiative specifically directed funding toward twelve wetlands projects, ten of which involve cranberry bog restoration. These initiatives aim to restore both cranberry bogs and nearby wetlands, so habitats are not only protected but interconnected, enabling more movement of species. The funding recipients include local governments like the towns of Chatham and Plymouth, as well as nonprofit conservation organizations such as the Buzzards Bay Coalition, the Harwich Conservation Trust, and Mass Audubon. The grants are set to provide funding for a variety of different elements of wetland restoration projects: at some of the sites, they will be used for planning and data gathering, while others that are further along in the planning process will use the funds to begin construction and restoration efforts. Obtaining funding for these projects is vital to maximizing the number of unused cranberry farms that are restored into wild wetlands, as other competitors for land use also seek out these bogs, many of which are privately owned by farmers, for other types of development that lack the environmental benefits of wetland restoration. After early success in projects like the Eel River bogs restoration, and as a part of ongoing state efforts to prepare for and mitigate the effects of climate change, the cranberry bog restoration policy provides an opportunity for more of Massachusetts’ former wetlands to be restored and has the potential to increase public awareness and support for the conservation of these vital ecosystems.
Sources:
Bartolucchi et al., (2020). Wetland restoration: Techniques and results. Wiley Online Library. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/rec.13314
Baystate Environmental, Inc. (2024, November 28). Cranberry bogs and wetlands in Massachusetts. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/nov/28/cranberry-bogs-massachusetts-wetlands
Dahl, Thomas. (1990). The ecological benefits of wetlands: A global perspective. University of Chicago Press. https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=GhwLAQAAIAAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PR4&ots=3vjH3HfaOo&sig=iyY0RnuGpZkrEiXWdqTHMn4992A#v=onepage&q&f=false
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Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs. (n.d.). Eel River headwaters restoration project, Plymouth. Massachusetts Government. https://www.mass.gov/info-details/eel-river-headwaters-restoration-plymouth
Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs. (2023, October 9). Healey-Driscoll administration awards $6 million for cranberry bog and coastal wetland restoration projects. Massachusetts Government. https://www.mass.gov/news/healey-driscoll-administration-awards-6-million-for-cranberry-bog-coastal-wetland-restoration-projects
Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs. (n.d.). How are wetlands restored on retired cranberry farmland? Massachusetts Government. https://www.mass.gov/info-details/how-are-wetlands-restored-on-retired-cranberry-farmland
University of Massachusetts Cranberry Station. (n.d.). Cranberry. University of Massachusetts Extension. https://ag.umass.edu/cranberry/about/cranberry