The BEAT News January 9, 2008

COALITION FOR THE ENVIRONMENTAL BOND

We have lots of good news and a few requested action items. First the good news:

The Coalition for the Environmental Bond now has more than 150 organizational members.
Together we represent more than 300,000 people across the Commonwealth.
As you know, the Governor filed his Environmental Bond Bill (H.4446) on December 21st and received positive media attention across the state. All this and more can be seen on the Coalition’s website, www.envirobond.org

MOST IMPORTANTLY, the first legislative hearing on the Bond will be on:

Tuesday, January 15, 10 am
Room A-1, State House

The public hearing will be held by the Joint Committee on the Environment, Natural Resources & Agriculture.

This hearing is the first of several steps for the Environmental Bond Bill will go through in the legislative process. After this hearing the bill still needs to be heard by the Joint Committee on Bonding, Capital Expenditures and State Assets, then redrafted by House and Senate Ways and Means Committees, and then will receive a vote by the full House and Senate.

If you can join us to testify next Tuesday it will be valuable, though not critical, to show the Environment Committee the deep and broad support there is to pass a strong Environmental Bond this year. If you cannot join us but would like to submit written testimony, we encourage you to do so. Please send your written testimony as either a Microsoft Word or .pdf document, on your letterhead, to [email protected] and we will present your testimony to the Committee for their review.

Whether or not you can make it to the hearing or provide written testimony, you can still start acting now to make certain we see a strong bill in place to support the crucial environmental programs in the state.

Contact your legislators – you can find your state Senator and Representative here: www.wheredoivotema.com, and tell them you want a strong Environmental Bond Bill passed this session.

Thank you,
Jeremy Marin
Campaign Manager
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The NATURE CONSERVANCY is hiring a Land Protection Specialist for Western Massachusetts.

The Land Protection Specialist works to implement Conservancy land protection activities in Western Massachusetts .  Responsibilities include identifying, tracking and screening protection projects,  initiating contact with priority landowners, negotiating gifts, purchases, conservation restrictions and management agreements for natural areas; raising public funds for protection projects and operations; developing public support for natural areas protection; and coordinating Conservancy protection efforts with other conservation organizations.

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EPA is requesting proposals for applicants to manage the Five Star Restoration Training subgrant program. The Five Star Restoration Training Grant is a national-scale sub-granting mechanism initiated in 1999 to provide subgrants to brings together students, conservation corps, other youth groups, citizen groups, corporations, landowners and government agencies to provide environmental education and training through community-based on-the-ground projects that restore wetlands and other aquatic resources.  Proposals must be received by EPA by 4:30 P.M. EST February 1, 2008 for hardcopy submission or by electronic submission through Grants.gov by 11:59 P.M. EST February 1, 2008.  Additional information on the Five Star Restoration Training program can be found at http://www.epa.gov/owow/wetlands/restore/5star/ and the Five Star Training Grant RFP can be found on http://www.grants.gov or at http://www.epa.gov/owow/wetlands/pdf/5starRFPfinal.pdf.  For additional information please

contact Myra Price at [email protected] , or phone, (202) 566-1225.
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This month’s MassWoods updates include:

1.  New Case Studies of Conservation have been posted and are featured as the monthly update:

http://www.masswoods.net/index.html

MassWoods offers a suite of case studies which details the diverse and creative ways landowners, local conservation groups, towns, and state agencies have worked together to achieve conservation success.  These case studies are divided into the conservation tools used to conserve the land.  Links to information on the conservation tools themselves are also available.  The case studies are developed by students as a part of a class taught by Dave Kittredge to expose students to land conservation.  The seminars are run in the spring and also provide an opportunity for continuing education credits for foresters.

2.  I have added a link called “Find a Neighbor with training and experience in Forest Conservation” so landowners can find peers, Keystone Cooperators (formerly Coverts), in their area to talk to about their land decisions.

http://masskeystone.net/sustainability/index.html

Some landowners are comfortable speaking with state employees, others with con. orgs., and many like to hear from their peers about their experience with land management and conservation.  Based on less than two months of monitoring, visitors are using this link.  We hope this provides greater opportunity for peer-to-peer information sharing.

3.  Mount Grace’s excellent publication:  Conservation and Land Use Planning under Massachusetts’ Chapter 61 laws is posted on the front page:  http://www.masswoods.net/index.html

Paul
Forest Resources Specialist
University of Massachusetts at Amherst
160 Holdsworth Way
Amherst, MA 01003-9285
413.545.4839
http://www.masswoods.net
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Safer Alternatives Bill Votes and Get the Lead Out Campaign
By Rebecca Lisi, Political Campaign Organizer, Clean Water Action

Senate Delays Vote on Bill to Get Toxics Out of Products
On Monday, November 12th Senate President Therese Murray (D-Plymouth) announced that the legislature had scheduled a vote on legislation to get toxic chemicals out of products.  Unfortunately however, hopes were dimmed the day of the vote when it was postponed until the following week and then again until the new year.

The bill is An Act for a Healthy Massachusetts, Safer Alternatives to Toxic Chemicals (S-2406), known as the Safer Alternatives Bill for short.  It would create a broad program based on the commonsense idea that “if you’re using a toxic chemical, and there’s a safer alternative that you could use instead, then we’ll help you switch!”

The bill was first filed 5 years ago by Senator Steven Tolman (D-Brighton) and Representative Jay Kaufman (D-Lexington) and advocates from the Alliance for a Healthy Tomorrow coalition have been working steadily to build up support in the legislature and around the state.

However, on November 15th, the day the vote was scheduled, the State House was crawling with lobbyists for industry trade groups who oppose the bill such as the Massachusetts Chemical Technology Alliance, the American Chemistry Council, the Associated Industries of Massachusetts, and the Massachusetts Retailers Association.  Those groups, realizing that this bill was really on the move, crafted some inaccurate statements about how the bill will hurt businesses in the state, and activated their members to deliver misinformation to their local Senators along with a request to oppose the bill.  Several Senators balked and the vote was delayed.  It is scheduled to come up next at the first formal session after the Senate convenes in January (date not yet scheduled at the time of writing) and we’re doing all that we can to see that it is successful!

What you can do to help:
For updates on where the bill is now, visit the Alliance for a Healthy Tomorrow website www.healthytomorrow.org, or call 617-338-8131.  If the Senate has not yet voted on the bill – please call your State Senator and ask them to do all that they can to bring the Safer Alternatives Bill to the floor for a vote quickly!  If the Senate passes the bill it will move on to the House and we’ll need your help there too.  Those that oppose it are doing all that they can to stop it so we need you to help and do all that you can to pass it!  Any small action you can contribute makes a difference.

Get the Lead Out of Children’s Products
The Alliance for a Healthy Tomorrow and national allies recently released results from testing 1,200 popular children’s toys for toxic chemicals at www.HealthyToys.org, the nation’s first toy database of its kind. While some of the toys tested had high levels of chemicals such as lead, cadmium, and arsenic, others were free of these harmful additives; this demonstrates that safer alternatives are available.  HealthyToys.org also tested toys for mercury, bromine, chromium, tin and antimony — chemicals that have all been linked to health problems and have been subject to either regulatory restrictions or voluntary limits set by industry associations.  Many toys have tested high for lead in paint and have been recalled.  However, companies have added lead to children’s products like vinyl bibs, rubber ducks, lunch boxes, car seats and more and they are still being sold.

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) has proposed a regulation to ban the sale of toy jewelry with “dangerous levels” of lead.  While this is an important first step, it’s not enough! AHT is calling on the DPH to ban lead in all products intended for use by or with children.
You can help get lead out of all children’s products by asking ten people you know to sign an online petition to the DPH.  The petition currently has over 800 signatures, but the Alliance for a Healthy Tomorrow’s goal is 2,000!  Once the coalition reaches that goal, it will deliver the petition to Governor Deval Patrick.  To take action, go to www.healthytomorrow.org.
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Job Opening: Water Conservation Coordinator

The Neponset River Watershed Association (NepRWA) works to clean up and preserve the Neponset River , its tributaries and surrounding lands through public education, environmental monitoring and advocacy.

NepRWA is seeking a Water Conservation Coordinator (“WCC”) to lead a pilot program in the Town of Sharon . The WCC works to educate residents of the Town of Sharon about the need and opportunities to conserve water in their homes, businesses and landscapes. This includes outreach through newspaper articles, mailings, an informational website, classroom visits, presentations to community groups, demonstration projects, interpretive signage and partnerships with local water-related businesses.

The successful candidate will be an outgoing individual with excellent writing and presentation skills and at least two years experience in communications, classroom education, public relations, community organizing, or a related field. The candidate need not be an expert on water conservation, but should be interested in learning. Familiarity with the Town of Sharon is an advantage. Strong computer skills, particularly desktop and web publishing are a plus. Must have own transportation and be able to attend occasional evening meetings and weekend activities.

This is a part-time position, 20 hours per week, with a flexible schedule. The position is initially funded for one year with the potential to become permanent and/or full-time. We hope to have the position filled 2/1/2008. Applications accepted until position is filled. Compensation commensurate with experience. EEO employer.

To apply, send a letter of interest, writing sample and resume to:

Ian Cooke, Executive Director
2173 Washington Street
Canton, MA 02021
781-575-0354
fax 781-575-9971
[email protected]
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Atwater Farm
Managing a Forest into the Future

Atwater Farm, a 300-acre forest in East Charlemont, is a well-managed and beautiful area.  The trees here are large–they average 23 inches in diameter and many trees are over thirty inches.  Though the trees are valuable, investment manager John Atwater thinks of this forest as a very long-term investment.

Like most Massachusetts forests, the Atwater Farm forest grew up in abandoned agricultural fields in the early 20th century.  The trees in this forest are all 75-100 years old.  However, Mr. Atwater’s vision is a forest containing a variety of tree ages and species. He has visited forest in Germany, and was very impressed with the forests there. His management plans are guided by the Dauerwald concept, where the goal is a forest with high biodiversity and large volumes of valuable trees along with younger seedlings and saplings.

To read more visit the Mass Acorn webpage.
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Water Headlines for January 7, 2008
Benjamin H. Grumbles Assistant Administrator Office of Water

Water Headlines is a weekly on-line publication that announces publications, policies, and activities of the US Environmental Protection Agency‘s Office of Water

Water Efficiency at the U.S. Air Force Academy Under Executive Order 13423, which was signed in 2007, all federal agencies are required to improve water efficiency by 16 percent by the end of 2015. The U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado serves as an example of what can be accomplished. Their facilities have reduced water consumption by 36 percent since 2000, and were projected to further reduce usage by 41 percent by the end of 2007. They have implemented a comprehensive set of best management practices such as processing wastewater for reuse for irrigation, using water efficient landscaping, installing water efficient bathroom fixtures, and educating their members about water efficiency. They are focusing on best management practices that have a simple payback of 10 years or less, and they are active in the local utility’s 5-year conservation plan.
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Do you enjoy art, science, or history?
Become a volunteer docent at the Berkshire Museum!
The Berkshire Museum is the area’s only art, history, and science museum.
Learn to lead hands-on school visit programs on topics such as Ancient Civilizations, innovation, native peoples and more.

Become a part of this dynamic education team at the Berkshire Museum.  Join us for a docent tea on February 1, 2007 at 2:00. Call now to reserve your spot and get more details, contact Carrie Schadler at 413-443-7171, extension 21.

It is a volunteer position.  The informational tea is on February 1.  Following the tea we are going to hold an orientation and begin training in March.  Docents have many opportunities here at the museum.  The majority of our docents volunteer one morning a week for three hours and lead hands on programs in our galleries with school groups.  We also have docents that facilitate our weekend gallery and family programs, and even some that simply volunteer either in the galleries on a weekly basis or help out with family and special events.  Docents are able to choose how they spend their time, their schedule, and which topics they focus on.  We really try to tailor each persons experience to fit their needs and our mission.  If you or someone you know has any questions or would like more details please feel free to call me.  Thank you for your help.

Carrie Schadler
Education Specialist and Docent Coordinator
Berkshire Museum
39 South Street
Pittsfield, MA 01201
(413) 443-7171, ext 21
(413) 443-2135 (fax)
[email protected]
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The new Massachusetts Stormwater Standards took effect January 2, 2008.  Any Notice of Intent submitted to a Conservation Commission on or after January 2, 2008 must comply with the new standards.

http://mass.gov/dep/water/wastewater/stormwat.htm

http://mass.gov/dep/service/regulations/proposed/310c10p.doc

Workshops

January 17, 2008, Thursday | 6:30 p.m. | Regulatory Revisions to Stormwater Management under the Wetlands Protection Act | Lenox Town Hall Auditorium, 6 Walker Street, Lenox, MA

January 22, 2008, Tuesday | 6:30 p.m. | Regulatory Revisions to Stormwater Management under the Wetlands Protection Act | Easthampton Municipal Office Building, 50 Payson Avenue, Easthampton, MA

 

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