DRP 2014 Environmental Hero: Beverly Kane
At its annual meeting on October 4, 2014, the Friends of the Mashpee National Wildlife Refuge presented its second annual David Ross Palmer award to Beverly Kane of Mashpee. Like Mr. Palmer, this year’s recipient began her distinguished environmental protection career with her concern about the water quality in our estuaries.
Bev strongly supporter conservation and was there speaking at many town meetings to advocate for the creation of the Mashpee National Wildlife Refuge. Conservation lands protected the precious Cape Cod watersheds. As Vice-President of the Mashpee Environmental Coalition in 1996, she penned a letter to the Editor of the Mashpee Enterprise pushing for the establishment of a District of Critical Planning Concern for the Popponesset Bay watershed by the Cape Cod Commission. Her work led to the establishment of a DCPC Study Committee the following year, on which she was an outspoken member. Although its proposal did not make it to the commission, the Committee lived on to become today’s Watershed Management Committee.
Ms. Kane was responsible for creating the “Watershed Year” event in 1997 to educate the public about the nitrogen overloading in local bays. The event is still celebrated today and culminates in a Watershed Block Party at every year since at Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve.
Serving as a member and a chairman of the planning board, she promoted numerous zoning changes, storm water management and waste water standards. As a result of M. Kane’s efforts, the Blue-Ribbon Comprehensive Committee was formed. It was with that committee, now know at the Environmental Oversight Committee, she worked to publish the Mashpee Blue Book, a citizens’ guide to helping clean town waterways and estuaries. That Committee was called the “Blue Ribbon Comprehensive Committee”, which has continued to this day as the Environmental Oversight Committee. Ms. Kane’s greatest achievement with that Committee was the publication of the Mashpee Blue Book, a citizens’ guide to how we can all help clean up our waterways and estuaries.
Meanwhile, she continued to advocate for the Refuge in 2001 as a member of the Open Space Committee for land purchases made in the Refuge under the Land Bank Act. When the Town adopted the Community Preservation Act, she became a founding member of the Community Preservation Committee. Retirement from the Planning Board and the other committees in December 2008 did not put an end to her passion for our environment and support for the Refuge. As President of the Mashpee Environmental Coalition, she served on the Community Advisory Committee for the Mashpee Watershed Nitrogen Management Plan, led its educational outreach efforts and, most conspicuously, spoke out at Town Meeting as Mashpee’s environmental.