Bufflehead Bay

This 325-acre property is the centerpiece of the Mashpee National Wildlife Refuge on Waquoit Bay. In a new model of multiple ownership, the 5,871-acre refuge is managed by a council that includes federal, state, and town governments, as well as the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe and private groups. In 1997, with a combination of federal, state, local, and private funds, The Trust for Public Land conveyed the bulk of the Bufflehead Bay property to the Fish and Wildlife Service and transferred nearly 50 acres to the town of Mashpee for permanent protection. The land includes fresh and saltwater wetlands, two white cedar swamps, and significant developable upland.