The Land Bank Is Needed Now More Than Ever

To the editor: The Nantucket Islands Land Bank is needed now more than ever.

Climate change and rising sea levels pose an existential threat to our island. Dealing with increasing incidents of inundation, especially in the downtown area, as well as erosion along our shoreline will be a formidable, and expensive, challenge for decades to come.

The strategies for increasing Nantucket’s resilience are outlined in the recently adopted Coastal Resilience Plan (CRP), developed by the consulting group Arcadis in collaboration with the Select Board’s Coastal Resilience Advisory Committee (CRAC). The list of 40-plus recommended projects is expensive: over the next several decades, the total cost will be in the hundreds of millions of dollars.

Fortunately, the Land Bank has the resources and expertise to lead the way in helping to make Nantucket more resilient. The projects that have already been undertaken along Easy Street and Washington Street are exemplary. Returning filled tidelands to their original state enhances our island’s ability to absorb the rising waters and better protect inland structures. The rain garden recently installed at the low-lying corner of Easton and North Beach streets is right out of the CRP: a model of how to enhance on-site ecological benefits through nature-based design.

Moving forward, Nantucket has no choice but to implement the recommendations of the CRP if we are to maintain our very existence. The burden on taxpayers will be significant. Being able to partner with the Land Bank in making our island more resilient is critical.

On behalf of the Nantucket Coastal Conservancy Board of Directors, D. Anne Atherton, Ashley Erisman, Susan MacFarland, Maureen Phillips, Karen Werner, and Mary Wawro,

Sincerely,

Burton Spruce Balkind
President, Nantucket Coastal Conservancy