Association to Protect Cape Cod pitches 'Cape WeShape' land‑protection campaign to Falmouth board

Andrew Gottlieb, executive director of the Association to Protect Cape Cod, presented the group’s new "Cape WeShape" initiative to the Falmouth Select Board on April 13. Gottlieb outlined a map‑based effort to identify the 14% of Cape Cod land that remains neither developed nor durably protected, to prioritize parcels tied to drinking‑water protection, rare species habitat and flood resilience, and to partner with towns and land trusts to finance acquisitions before parcels are developed.

Gottlieb said Cape Cod is now about 86% developed or protected and that roughly 80% of the remaining 14% has been identified by the Cape Cod Commission as priority natural resource land. The campaign’s first phase focuses on education and local coalition building so towns can identify priority parcels, work out financing strategies and avoid reactive conflicts that arise once developers initiate 40B or similar processes. Gottlieb said APCC will provide guidance, campaign support and local coordination but will not dictate town‑level choices.

Board members asked about farmland inclusion, relationships with wastewater and housing goals, and whether the campaign will engage developers. Gottlieb said farmland preservation was not a central focus of the current priority‑land definition but the campaign can work with local farming efforts; he said the project seeks to pair protection in critical areas with directing intensive development to locations served by wastewater infrastructure.

Board members expressed support for the work and noted ongoing local efforts (e.g., Long Pond land votes) that align with the campaign’s goals. Gottlieb said APCC will roll out town‑level materials and staffing to support local teams and invited Falmouth to engage with the campaign’s mapping and outreach work.