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Rally at the State House to Stop the Pipeline!
Wednesday, July 30th, please join in the Rally on the Boston Common (across from the State house) from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm.
We will deliver petitions to the statehouse, and a rally will be held from 11:00 am- 1:00 pm on the statehouse steps and across the Boston Common. We (pipeline opponents from around the state) imagine this being populated by any citizens and organizations who have been waiting to bring this fight to the State House.
To see what already happened, see the Rolling March Events Archive
MACC Update: Proposed Kinder Morgan Tennessee Gas Pipeline
On June 25, we attended a meeting organized by MA Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) for groups raising concerns about the proposed Kinder Morgan gas pipeline. Kinder Morgan gave its standard presentation and answered questions from the audience. Many questioners were very critical of the proposed project. EEA did not take a position on the need for the pipeline or on a route it would prefer for the pipeline. We remain very concerned that the pipeline would dissect and disrupt wetlands and protected open space and that there has been no comprehensive state review of whether there are alternatives to the pipeline. We are scheduling meetings with conservation commissions along the pipeline route to discuss the role of conservation commissions as owners/managers of open space and as implementers of the state wetlands protection act and local wetlands by-laws and what to expect if Kinder Morgan moves ahead with the pipeline.
Please email eugene.benson@maccweb.org if your conservation commission would like to be included in those meetings.
EPA Extends Comment Period for Proposed Cleanup Plan for Housatonic River “Rest of River”
Public Hearing to be Held on Tuesday, September 23
(BOSTON) – EPA has scheduled a formal public hearing and is extending the public comment period regarding its Draft Modification to General Electric’s Reissued RCRA Permit (also referred to as the Proposed Cleanup Plan for the Housatonic River Rest of River).
EPA will hold a public hearing on the Draft Modification to the RCRA Permit on September 23 at 6:30 p.m. at Lenox Memorial Middle and High School (Duffin Theater). In response to several requests for extension, public comments on the Draft Permit will also be accepted through October 1, 2014.
The Draft Modification to the RCRA Permit sets forth EPA’s Proposed Remedial Action and Operation and Maintenance requirements for the Rest of River. The Rest of River begins at the confluence of the East and West branches of the Housatonic River in Pittsfield, Massachusetts and extends into Connecticut.
At the end of May, EPA released its Statement of Basis for EPA’s Proposed Remedial Action for the Housatonic River “Rest of River” and the associated Draft Modification to the RCRA Permit. Public Informational meetings were held on June 18 in Lenox, Massachusetts and June 24 in Kent, Connecticut.
Copies of the Statement of Basis and the Draft Modification to the RCRA Permit are available for review at, at the EPA office in Boston, on the EPA Region 1 website at http://www.epa.gov/region1/ge/proposedcleanupplan.html, and at local information repositories (see website for locations).
Additional information on the Rest of River can be found at: http://www.epa.gov/region1/ge/thesite/restofriver.html.
Two BNRC Reserves Now Bigger, Better!
DCR’s Jennifer Howard lends perspective to one of BNRC’s new trees.
A big “Thank You!” to all of BNRC’s supporters whose gifts helped conserve 115 acres in Berkshire County this week … 65 acres added to the Hoosac Range Reserve in North Adams, and 50 acres added to Constitution Hill!
Both properties are open to the public – in North Adams, easy access from a Mahican-Mohawk Trail pull-off on Route 2 opposite Rock Manor, and in Lanesboro from Laston Park. Until we can get a bridge up, you’ll have to wade across Town Brook, but that’s not a bad thing to do on a hot summer’s day!
The State pushed the Golden Hill Agricultural Preservation Restriction closing back at the last minute, but we expect a closing later this summer. Stay tuned.
With trail projects underway at Clam River and Alford Springs, and nearly 20 more land projects inching toward closing, we still need your help … every gift makes a difference!
With my best wishes,
More than 5,500 buildings to compete in EPA’s Fifth-Annual Energy Star Battle of the Buildings
Commercial buildings around the US are in a race to save energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions
WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) launched the 2014 Energy Star Battle of the Buildings: Team Challenge. More than 5,500 buildings nationwide are going head-to-head to reduce their energy use. In support of President Obama’s Climate Action Plan, which calls for businesses to cut in half the amount of energy they waste over the next 20 years, the competition specifically targets wasted energy in commercial buildings, and will motivate businesses to improve energy efficiency, reduce harmful carbon pollution, and save money.
“The competitive spirit is alive and well among the building teams working to improve their energy efficiency in this year’s Battle of the Buildings,” said EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy. “After four successful years, we’re excited to see the innovative ideas that will emerge from the competitors as they find new ways to save energy and money while reducing greenhouse gas emissions and protecting the environment.”
In the only coast-to-coast competition of its kind, dozens of different types of commercial buildings are facing off in this year’s Energy Star Battle of the Buildings. This year’s theme, “Team Challenge,” features teams of five or more buildings who will work together to reduce their collective energy use as much as possible over the course of a year. For example, “Team Staples” includes 17 Staples stores, while 15 Whole Foods stores will support each other as part of “Team Whole Foods Market.” In New Castle County, Del., 13 elementary schools will compete as part of a team, and they’re going up against their county’s five middle schools and six high schools. In Hillsborough County, Fla., fire stations will team up to compete against libraries.
This year marks the fifth year that EPA has hosted the Battle of the Buildings. The competition—and positive environmental impacts—have grown exponentially since that time. Altogether, last year’s competitors saved an estimated $20 million on utility bills. Nearly 50 buildings in the competition demonstrated energy use reductions of 20 percent or greater.
Commercial buildings in the United States spend more than $100 billion in annual utility bills and are responsible for approximately 20 percent of both the nation’s energy use and greenhouse gas emissions. By improving the energy efficiency of the places they work, play, and learn, the competitors will save energy and reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change.
Competitors will measure and track their buildings’ monthly energy consumption using EPA’s online energy measurement and tracking tool, Energy Star Portfolio Manager. Building teams will work to optimize or upgrade equipment, retrofit lighting, and change occupants’ behaviors—all with help from Energy Star. The team that reduces its buildings’ average energy use the most, on a percentage basis over a 12-month performance period, will be declared the winner. In addition to the team competition, 700 individual buildings are also competing in a special water reduction category, and will work with EPA’s WaterSense program to apply best practices for commercial building water management.
EPA will maintain a website devoted to the competition, featuring a list of the competitors and their starting, midpoint, and final standings, a live Twitter feed where competitors will post updates on their progress and an interactive map of the competitor’s locations. Midpoint results will be posted in October, with the winner announced in April 2015.
Products, homes and buildings that earn the Energy Star label prevent greenhouse gas emissions by meeting strict energy efficiency requirements set by the U.S. EPA. From the first Energy Star qualified computer in 1992, the label can now be found on products in more than 70 different categories, with more than 4.8 billion sold. Over 1.5 million new homes and 23,000 buildings have earned the Energy Star label.
More information on the competition: http://www.energystar.gov/BattleOfTheBuildings
Northeast Organic Farming Association Summer Conference
40 Years of Growing the Organic Food Movement
AMHERST, MA – The Northeast Organic Farming Association’s (NOFA) 40th annual Summer Conference takes place August 8-10, 2014 at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Appealing to a wide range of interests, 1400 consumers, gardeners, farmers, food policy experts, and urban agriculturalists travel from across the northeast and beyond to participate in 150+ workshops, pre-conferences, farms tours, and much more.
This is a family-friendly event, with special conference tracks for children 5-12 and teens 13-17. While parents attend great educational workshops on gardening, farming, nutrition, and ecological sustainability, children experience age-appropriate and fun workshops about these same topics with other youth. Childcare is available for children 2-4.
Affordable accommodations (like camping and dorms) are available, as are scholarships, group discounts, work exchange, and other creative financing options.
“At the heart of NOFA as an organization is the NOFA Summer Conference. A place of inspiration, awakening, reconnecting, and practical education, it is the event that for 40 years has brought the brightest, best, and most collaborative farming game-changers together for one packed weekend celebration of life and farming,” says farmer, former NOFA Summer Conference Coordinator, and current NOFA/Mass Executive Director, Julie Rawson.
Trained as a microbiologist, Dr. Elaine Ingham, this year’s keynote speaker, brings a unique perspective to her work with farmers. Her goal is to develop soils that foster thriving microbial communities. Her simple approaches to building soil biology require less labor and off-farm inputs and ultimately help save farmers money, while reducing adverse ecological effects of conventional farming. She maintains that by building soils teeming with the right kind of biology, growers can mitigate plant pests and diseases.
In addition to her Friday all-day pre-conference seminar titled “Changing Dirt into Soil: Specific Approaches for Different Soil Types and Crops”, Ingham will lead three workshops during the conference. Three half-day pre-conferences will also take place on Friday, including “Tools for Resilient Urban Ecosystems” with Scott Kellogg; “Healing the Gut and the Body through Nutrition” with Dr. Chris Decker; and “Bioregional Herbalism: Stocking the Home Apothecary with Locally Abundant Herbs” with Jade Alicandro Mace.
Saturday and Sunday’s workshops are geared to many skill levels and interests. Knowledgeable and experienced instructors will offer workshops on topics such as nutrition and health, food politics, land access, crop production, cooperative economies, urban and international agriculture, gardening, animal husbandry, farm economics, food preservation and cooking, permaculture, and mitigating climate change through agriculture.
There will be a sing-along event on Friday evening called “Singing for Food and Freedom: Carrying on the Legacy of Pete Seeger” (free for conference registrants and open to the public with a $5-$10 suggested donation). The weekend also features films (such as The Queen of the Sun, Out Here, and Food for Change), meet-ups for participants from a variety of interests, organic meals, a country fair, a contra dance, 100+ exhibitors, and more.
FOR MORE INFORMATION on the Northeast Organic Farming Association Summer Conference visit www.nofasummerconference.org or contact NOFA/Mass Public Relations Director, Nicole Belanger at nicole@nofamass.org or 508-450-2441.
Great Barrington Land Conservancy’s
Run for the Hills
1K-5K-10K Run/Walk
90 Days and Counting!
RUN – WALK – SUPPORT
Land Conservation,
Community Trails,
& Farm Preservation
Learn more:
Great Barrington
Land Conservancy
Berkshire Taconic Seeks a Program Coordinator
Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation is seeking a full-time Program Coordinator to support our grantmaking programs and capacity-building for nonprofits. Please share this announcement with those you believe would make a strong candidate for our team.
Brief Job Description:
The Program Coordinator will strengthen and promote BTCF’s mission by:
- Managing all grant cycles for scholarship and education enrichment, including online grant processes and review meetings
- Evaluating progress of grantee organizations and processing all grant applications
- Overseeing grantmaking process by volunteer committees; managing relationships and communications with advisory committees and grantees
- Coordinating the capacity-building program for area nonprofits
About Berkshire Taconic
Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation builds stronger communities and improves the quality of life for all the residents in Berkshire County, Mass., Columbia County, NY, northeast Dutchess County, NY and northwest Litchfield County, Conn.
Since 1987, Berkshire Taconic has managed a growing collection of charitable funds created by individuals, families and businesses. Each year, the foundation distributes over $8 million through grants and scholarships for programs in the arts, education, the environment, and health and human services, helping thousands of generous donors achieve their philanthropic goals and hundreds of regional nonprofits fulfill their missions.
Berkshire Taconic is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit public charity, governed by a dedicated board of directors and managed by an experienced professional staff.