The Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) will develop a cooperative management plan for the Menemsha Pond with $181,590 in tribal wildlife grants from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The management plan would not only ensure the proper management of the bay scallop resource in Menemsha Pond, but also create a framework for management of other important resources, such as American oysters, herring species, winter flounder, American eels, and any other resource found in the connected pond system, according to a statement from the federal officials.

The management plan would also be used as a platform to resolve historically difficult issues between parties, such as reciprocity between town and tribe field staff, uniform regulations between towns, uniform oil-spill response and creating a dredging plan for Menemsha Pond.

The implemented plan will create a template for shared management that does not currently exist, and which will benefit the sustenance resources in the ponds to the benefit of both the tribe and neighboring towns. This plan would be solidified in the form of an agreement between the tribe and towns of Aquinnah and Chilmark.