Editors, Vineyard Gazette:

The Friends of Sengekontacket (FOS), a nonprofit dedicated to preserving Sengekontacket Pond and the barrier beach, wish to thank both the Edgartown and Oak Bluffs selectmen for giving us and the joint committee for Sengekontacket the opportunity to present a summary of the Massachusetts Estuaries report for Sengekontacket. The Gazette article published a few weeks ago after the Oak Bluffs meeting did a fine job highlighting points made in the presentation, crafted and presented by Terry Appenzeller, one of our board members. At the Edgartown meeting on Oct. 22, all three selectmen reacted positively that cooperation between the two towns is a must to remediate, restore and maintain high water quality in the pond and to increase public awareness of what needs to be done.

Public policy dictates that both town boards formally accept the findings of the report.

We are asking both towns to set up departmental (planning, conservation, health, zoning) sessions to get on with the recommendations of the report. This includes both boards accepting the target threshold of .35 milligrams per liter per day, concentrating on methods to reduce nitrogen going into the pond. And we ask both towns to respond quickly to this request — just tell the joint committee (and FOS) where and when so we can provide any assistance as needed.

Sengekontacket Pond is worthy of all this work. Let us all continue to be the voice of this beautiful body of water.

Kris Vrooman, Oak Bluffs

The writer is a board member for the Friends of Sengekontacket.