Join us. We are:
Friends of Long Pond Marstons Mills Inc. and we are a Massachusetts nonprofit corporation
exempt from federal income tax under IRS Section 501(c)(3).
Our board of directors includes 7 homeowners who meet regularly, work with Town officials, and engage with our Long Pond neighbors.
History of Friends of Long Pond Marstons Mills
In October 2019, two residents concerned about excess cyanobacteria and closures at Long Pond began to research causes of the problem and potential solutions. They distributed educational flyers to homeowners, along with an invitation to a December 2nd meeting. Close to 30 residents attended that meeting to listen to a presentation of their findings and discuss possible action. The outcome was the formation of a 9-member task force charged with addressing such action. The first task force meeting took place on 12/14/19.
Fifty eight residents signed a letter to the Barnstable Town Councilors expressing our concerns and asking them to partner with us to improve our pond’s water quality. We followed up on this letter with comments at the January 9th Town Council meeting. In those comments, we asked the Town to correct four storm drains that were piping storm water runoff directly into Long Pond. (The Town subsequently followed up by evaluating our storm drains and approving a $300,000 Capital Improvement request to replace them.)
The task force continued to meet once or twice a month to discuss and prioritize potential action, including further education of our neighbors to reduce inputs into the pond, storm water fixes, rain gardens, fixes to the Long Pond Farms beach parking lot, possible in-pond treatments, and enhanced pond testing. We also decided to become a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in order to be able to fund raise.
Articles of Organization and bylaws for “Friends of Long Pond Marstons Mills” were filed in February, 2020. We were recognized by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization on 3/24/20.
Board members continued to monitor, track and share APCC and Town pond test results throughout the summer weeks, and our concern grew over the repeated pond closures, warnings, and pet advisories. In late July, we submitted a letter, signed off on by 86 Long Pond neighbors, asking the town to prioritize our pond for a pond study and management plan. The Town agreed, and consultants began a comprehensive pond study in the spring of 2021. A management plan will be developed during 2022 and implemented for the summer of 2023. The board of Friends of Long Pond Marstons Mills is currently in the process seeking town, county and state approval to implement a temporary solution to our cyanobacteria problem during the summer of 2022. If successful, we will initiate a fund raising campaign this fall to pay for the treatment.
Friends of Long Pond Marstons Mills Inc. and we are a Massachusetts nonprofit corporation
exempt from federal income tax under IRS Section 501(c)(3).
Our board of directors includes 7 homeowners who meet regularly, work with Town officials, and engage with our Long Pond neighbors.
History of Friends of Long Pond Marstons Mills
In October 2019, two residents concerned about excess cyanobacteria and closures at Long Pond began to research causes of the problem and potential solutions. They distributed educational flyers to homeowners, along with an invitation to a December 2nd meeting. Close to 30 residents attended that meeting to listen to a presentation of their findings and discuss possible action. The outcome was the formation of a 9-member task force charged with addressing such action. The first task force meeting took place on 12/14/19.
Fifty eight residents signed a letter to the Barnstable Town Councilors expressing our concerns and asking them to partner with us to improve our pond’s water quality. We followed up on this letter with comments at the January 9th Town Council meeting. In those comments, we asked the Town to correct four storm drains that were piping storm water runoff directly into Long Pond. (The Town subsequently followed up by evaluating our storm drains and approving a $300,000 Capital Improvement request to replace them.)
The task force continued to meet once or twice a month to discuss and prioritize potential action, including further education of our neighbors to reduce inputs into the pond, storm water fixes, rain gardens, fixes to the Long Pond Farms beach parking lot, possible in-pond treatments, and enhanced pond testing. We also decided to become a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in order to be able to fund raise.
Articles of Organization and bylaws for “Friends of Long Pond Marstons Mills” were filed in February, 2020. We were recognized by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization on 3/24/20.
Board members continued to monitor, track and share APCC and Town pond test results throughout the summer weeks, and our concern grew over the repeated pond closures, warnings, and pet advisories. In late July, we submitted a letter, signed off on by 86 Long Pond neighbors, asking the town to prioritize our pond for a pond study and management plan. The Town agreed, and consultants began a comprehensive pond study in the spring of 2021. A management plan will be developed during 2022 and implemented for the summer of 2023. The board of Friends of Long Pond Marstons Mills is currently in the process seeking town, county and state approval to implement a temporary solution to our cyanobacteria problem during the summer of 2022. If successful, we will initiate a fund raising campaign this fall to pay for the treatment.
