About Pleasant Bay Alliance
In 1987 the Towns of Orleans, Chatham, Harwich and Brewster applied to the Commonwealth to designate Pleasant Bay an Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC). The Commonwealth’s ACEC designation led the towns to develop a resource management plan for Pleasant Bay and form the Pleasant Bay Alliance to coordinate management activities.
Pleasant Bay Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC) Index Map

Mission
The Pleasant Bay Alliance is a municipal organization formed by the Towns of Orleans, Chatham, Harwich and Brewster to coordinate the resource management plan for the Pleasant Bay ACEC and watershed. The Alliance’s projects, programs and studies promote healthy natural resources and safe public access throughout Pleasant Bay.
Alliance programs encompass technical research, policy analysis, and public outreach in the areas of coastal processes, watershed planning, navigation, fisheries, wetlands protection, and water quality monitoring.
Management Plan and Updates
The Pleasant Bay Resource Management Plan is designed to provide analysis and action steps for coordinated local, regional and state management and permitting activities in Pleasant Bay and the Pleasant Bay watershed.
The plan is based on four guiding principles:
1
To sustain and, wherever practicable, regenerate the health and productivity of Pleasant Bay’s eco-system;
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3
4
Committee Members
The Alliance is governed by a Memorandum of Agreement signed by the four participating towns. The Memorandum establishes a Steering Committee to provide policy oversight and governance, and a Technical Advisory Committee to advise the Steering Committee. Appointments to the Steering and Technical Resource Committees are made by the Boards of Selectmen in the four participating towns. A coordinator is hired by the Steering Committee to manage the Alliance’s projects and activities.
The Alliance has formed work groups to assist the Steering and Technical Resource Committees with programs and projects in the following areas:
Watershed
Planning
Climate
Resilience
Wetlands
Protection
Water Quality
Monitoring
Committee Members
Steering Committee
Drusy Henson, Orleans
Dee Dee Holt, Chatham
Dorothy (Dolly) Howell, Harwich
Chris Miller, Brewster
Walter North, Orleans
Kimberly Crocker Pearson, Brewster
Allin Thompson, Jr., Harwich
Janet Williams, Chatham
Technical Resource Committee
Greg Berman, Director, Department of Natural Resources, Town of Chatham
Renee Gagne, Shellfish Constable, Town of Chatham
John Jannell, Conservation Administrator, Town of Orleans
Director, Coastal Resources Department, Town of Chatham
George Meservey, Director, Planning & Community Development, Town of Orleans
Chris Miller, Director, Natural Resources and Shellfish, Town of Brewster
Superintendent, Water and Wastewater, Town of Harwich
Natural Resources Officer, Town of Harwich
Harbormaster, Town of Harwich
Nathan Sears, Natural Resources Manager, Town of Orleans
Amy Usowski, Conservation Agent, Town of Harwich
Coordinator
Carole Ridley
Ridley & Associates, Inc.