By Carol Britton Meyer

Hull resident Ian MacDonald started a new chapter in his career in late December after accepting the position of conservation administrator in the town’s Climate Adaptation and Conservation Department, with a focus on the all-important Wetlands Protection Act.

“I’m excited and grateful to be granted this opportunity to work in the town I grew up in,” he told The Hull Times. “I graduated from Hull High School in 2015 and am a Hull kid through and through.”

MacDonald stepped into the role formerly occupied by Chris Krahforst, who is now serving as the town’s first director of climate adaptation and conservation, and will work under his supervision.

The department coordinates the town’s efforts in climate adaptation and conservation planning, and serves as administrator to the conservation commission, guiding floodplain and storm management as well as bringing about the research, design, and implementation of climate adaptive and resiliency projects. In addition, the department also provides assistance in Wetlands Protection Act applications.

MacDonald believes that being a longtime Hull resident is a “plus” in his job because he understands the importance of preserving and protecting the town’s valuable resources from his own experience “and knowing what it means to reap the benefits of maintaining a healthy environment.”

MacDonald stood out to Krahforst during the initial round of interviews for the conservation administrator position because he was prompt and well-prepared.

“Ian had also taken a course on WPA regulations and administration through the Massachusetts Association of Conservation Commissions months before we considered advertising for this position,” Krahforst said. “That certainly was a bonus. Also, his genuine enthusiasm and ready-to-go attitude were immediately apparent.”

MacDonald said that his “favorite thing about living in Hull is the natural beauty that we get to live in every day. From the beautiful sunsets, to sunrises, and everything in between.

“Going to the beach in the summertime is how I like to spend my days off,” he said. “Also, I love being out on the ocean on a boat or kayak. Hull is a great place to grow up and make lifelong friends along the way.”

Among MacDonald’s duties are assisting applicants in the permitting process, reviewing applications and plans, determining resource areas and Federal Emergency Management Agency flood zones, conducting conservation commission meetings, organizing site visits, drafting decisions, and addressing compliance issues.

“Administering the WPA is a full-time job since most of the town is within protected resource areas such as barrier beaches, coastal dunes and banks, and land subject to coastal flooding resulting from storms, or within a buffer to these resources,” Krahforst explained.

Enforcing the WPA is one of the biggest issues facing Hull, according to MacDonald. “About 80 percent of the property in town falls under the Act.”

MacDonald’s annual salary is $65,000 and is a non-union position, according to Town Manager Philip Lemnios. As part of the fiscal 2023 budget, town meeting approved the creation of the director position that Krahforst now holds, which is responsible for coordinating the town’s response to climate change.

Potential flooding is a concerning issue the town faces on a regular basis, especially in view of rising sea levels.

“This has become more apparent over the years,” Krahforst said. “Anyone driving around Hull can see that there are plenty of homes that need to be, or have been raised, on piles to get them out of the flood zone. The [threat of flooding] is very real and has been happening in town at an increasing rate.”

Scientific data confirms the frequency and magnitude of the impacts of climate change on the environment, according to Krahforst. “Ian has been focusing a lot on different aspects and starting to unpeel the layers” he said. “He has a lot of catching up to do, and he’s up to the job.”

In recent years, the conservation administrator also served as Hull’s floodplain manager and through that role has worked with the town to identify and implement storm damage protection and flood control measures through grants. The department also manages Straits Pond and works with the DPW to maintain flood control and improve the quality of the pond’s ecology.

“Ian’s focus will help our department to be able to continue to improve the town’s response to current coastal flooding issues, and to prepare for future climate impacts by incorporating the best science and technology-based information,” Krahforst said. “This added capacity to our department will also benefit our outreach and communication.”

Prior to accepting the administrator position, MacDonald served as an environmental scientist and earlier, as an energy efficiency intern with Newton Power Choice. He holds a bachelor’s degree with a focus in environmental studies from Lasell University.

While he enjoyed working for an environmental consulting firm in Bridgewater and working in this field, MacDonald didn’t feel as if he could “check off all the boxes” because he was looking toward a career change that would give him more of a sense of fulfillment.

“Living in this peninsula town as I do, I wanted to make a difference in physically conserving and preserving Hull’s resources,” he said.

Many of the planned projects related to climate adaptation and resiliency are under way, including in the Hampton Circle area, which Krahforst and MacDonald hope will serve as a model for other coastal communities.

Looking ahead, the department will play a major role in:

- Creating a new floodplain bylaw (required after Hull’s FEMA flood maps are updated);

- Securing FEMA funding for Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities and Flood Mitigation Assistance;

- Integrating American Rescue Plan Act funding initiatives into hazard mitigation;

- Participating in initiatives for climate change vulnerability and mitigation and floodplain management;

- Continuing to address the town’s aging infrastructure, including seawalls, municipal buildings, and others, and the need for climate adaptation;

- The overall management of Nantasket Beach.

 The department also ensures the town’s participation in FEMA’s Community Rating System and is preparing, with FEMA funding, to update Hull’s local Hazard Mitigation Plan.

The added capacity from creating the new position for Krahforst will be beneficial to the town when pursuing funding, Krahforst said.

Among MacDonald’s goals in his new role are “growing as a person, getting settled in the position, brushing up on previous, current, and future projects, and maintaining positive relationships with staff in the other town offices.”

For more information on the Department of Climate Adaptation and Conservation, click here. At the bottom of the page is a link to a story board on Preparing for Climate Change.

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