Bill Burke – “The History of Creating the Cape Cod National Seashore”

In the 1950s, Cape Codders were split over the proposal to carve a National Seashore out of the 6 towns of the Outer Cape.  Some feared the clutches of big government and viewed it as a land grab, while others welcomed preservation of the Cape’s last wild lands.

Now over a half century later, some of the dust has settled and we will explore the Seashore’s innovative “Cape Cod Model” that created a citizen advisory commission, patched together thousands of parcels of land, limited eminent domain and emphasized preservation of both land and cultural heritage.

Ponder with Historian Burke how the Seashore greets millions of visitors a year, serves as a  center for science and learning and offers refuge from everyday life.