National Park Service

Endless Summer: Managing Character in Coastal Communities: Conference Proceedings, October 6-8, 2004 National Park Service

Publisher Marketing: Inspiration, reflection, and renewal of the spirit are very much a part of experiencing the Outer Cape. While its physical beauty inspires artists and poets and attracts a steady stream of tourists, much of the character of the Outer Cape has been shaped by its long history of human use and settlement. To preserve areas with unique resources, the Cape Cod National Seashore was created in 1961 as a unit of the national park system. Designated parkland is interwoven along the perimeters of six towns including Chatham, Orleans, Eastham, Wellfleet, Truro, and Provincetown, with some 600 inholdings of private property within the park boundaries. The close proximity of villages and cultural sites to beaches, ponds, bays, and dunes and the diverse opportunities to enjoy these resources contribute to the charm of the Outer Cape. The park's legislation and 1998 General Management Plan (GMP) state the goal of preserving the way of life or "culture" established and maintained by the people who have lived and are living on the Outer Cape. But protecting these resources and at the same time providing for their continued use present significant challenges for all residents and land managers on the Cape. "The continuing attraction of the Cape to tourists and new residents has proved a mixed blessing, providing a valuable source of income but also bringing an increase in development and commercialism that threaten the very elements most residents and visitors seek (GMP, 7)." These conference proceedings address one of our greatest challenges on the Outer Cape: finding a balance in which the human needs of today and tomorrow are addressed within the context of both preservation and tradition. This document is both the culmination of a multi-year planning effort as well as a starting point for further discussion and actions. This document and the companion document People and Places of the Outer Cape provide insights and guidance for the park and Outer Cape communities to work regionally on common issues. The documents also serve as models for other communities facing similar pressures related to infrastructure limitations-particularly water and sewer, traffic woes, redevelopment, commercial sprawl, changing demographics, and lack of affordable housing.