Thank you to Rachel Branch, producer of the television show Solutions Rising for including a “BEAT” series for people to learn more about the fracked gas pipelines proposed to bring gas from the fracking fields of Pennsylvania across New York, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire to a gas hub in Dracut, MA. The show interviews many people providing information about the proposed pipelines as well as the many alternatives to these pipelines.
UMass sit-ins, sit-outs over after President Marty Meehan agrees to vote for full divestment
The University of Massachusetts Fossil Fuel Divestment Campaign’s sit-in and sit-out is over. Divest UMass got the commitment it wanted from university President Marty Meehan Thursday —a vote for full divestment from all direct holdings in fossil fuels at the next Board of Trustees meeting June 15. The UMass Foundation will also be asked to vote in support June 22. Students occupied the Whitmore Administration Building for five days lastweek, and 32 were arrested over two nights. By Diane Lederman, MassLive, April 22, 2016
Cuomo administration rejects Constitution pipeline
The Cuomo administration has denied the water quality permits for a controversial pipeline in what has become another political test of Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s environmental legacy. On Friday, which is Earth Day, the state Department of Environmental Conservation denied the water quality certificate the pipeline developers need to begin construction. Most of the pipeline’s federal permits have already been approved and the project developers have already shipped all of the pieces into the state and even began clearing trees in Pennsylvania. Though the administration has approved other pipelines, the Constitution pipeline application did not contain adequate information to determine whether it would meet water quality standards, the DEC’s chief permit administrator, John Ferguson, wrote in the rejection. By Scott Waldman, Capital New York, April 22, 2016.
What’s on Baker’s combo platter now?
Gov. Charlie Baker isn’t crying over the demise of the $3 billion Kinder Morgan natural gas pipeline that was going to bring cheap natural gas from Pennsylvania into Massachusetts via New Hampshire. Kinder Morgan officials announced on Wednesday that they were pulling the plug on the project because of strong political and grassroots opposition as well as a dearth of utility customers for the gas. The company was also having problems finding financially stable suppliers in Pennsylvania, which is reeling from a downturn in natural gas prices that is decimating the industry nationwide. Commonwealth Magazine, April 21, 2016.
“Keystone-ization” is the fossil fuel industry’s new nightmare
The fate of a tree planted at poet Emily Dickinson’s home raises questions about whether gardeners can — or should — play a role in helping plant species migrate in the face of rising temperatures and swiftly changing botanical zones. On rare occasions, the townsfolk of Amherst, Massachusetts, would catch a glimpse of a ghostly figure dressed in white, leaning over to tend her flowers by flickering lantern light. The mysterious recluse, who was better known to neighbors for her exquisite garden than for her lyric poems that revealed a passionate love of nature, differed from fellow 19th-century American writers whose thinking became the bedrock of modern environmentalism. While Thoreau famously declared wild places to be “the preservation of the world,” Emily Dickinson was finding nature’s truth and power in an ordinary dandelion.
Yale Environment 360, April 19, 2016Senate passes energy modernization bill that would have been modern in 1980
The Senate passed the Energy Policy Modernization Act on Wednesday, the first comprehensive energy bill in nearly a decade. The bill will fund an increase in renewable energy as well as boost funding for natural gas, geothermal energy, and hydropower. The bill also reauthorizes a half-billion dollars to protect public lands and parks, updates building codes to increase efficiency and safety standards, and addresses the threat of potential cyberattacks on the electrical grid, reportsThe New York Times. While the bill was hailed as a bipartisan victory by authors Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Sen. Maria Cantwell of Washington, 350.org likened it to the “V.H.S. of climate policy” — in other words, dated. Apr 20, 2016
Jobs
Conservation Easement Stewardship Associate – Columbia Land Conservancy (Chatham, NY)
Laborer I – MA Dept. of Conservation and Recreation (Pittsfield) – SIX POSITIONS AVAILABLE
Seasonal Ranger I (West) – MA Dept. of Conservation and Recreation (Pittsfield)
Seasonal Forest And Park Supervisor III (West) – MA Dept. of Conservation and Recreation (Pittsfield)
Seasonal Forestry Assistant – MA Dept. of Conservation and Recreation (Pittsfield)
Laborer II – Long Term Seasonal – MA Dept. of Conservation and Rereation (Pittsfield)
Environmental Justice Job – Arise for Social Justice
GIS Developer / Analyst – Housatonic Valley Association
Landscape Design Assistant, Garden Installation Manager & Crew, Fine Garden Maintenance Crew – Helia Native Nursery and Land Design
Camp Counselors – Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary of Mass Audubon
UMass sit-ins, sit-outs over after President Marty Meehan agrees to vote for full divestment
By Diane Lederman
MassLive
April 22, 2016
AMHERST — The University of Massachusetts Fossil Fuel Divestment Campaign’s sit-in and sit-out is over.
Divest UMass got the commitment it wanted from university President Marty Meehan Thursday —a vote for full divestment from all direct holdings in fossil fuels at the next Board of Trustees meeting June 15.
The UMass Foundation will also be asked to vote in support June 22.
Students occupied the Whitmore Administration Building for five days lastweek, and 32 were arrested over two nights.
This week, they staged a sit-out, demonstrating on the lawn outside Whitmore.
Meehan met with Divest UMass representatives Sarah Jacqz and Kristie Herman and was joined by Chancellor Kumble Subbaswamy, Vice Chancellor John Kennedy and Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and Campus Life Enku Gelaye for about an hour, said UMass spokesman Robert Connolly.
Connolly, who also attended the meeting, said Meehan intends to recommend “Syracuse language” to the Board of Trustees, referring to the step Syracuse University in New York took earlier this month when it announced it plans to remove direct investments in fossil fuels companies from its endowment and would also make additional investments in clean and sustainable energy, according to UMass spokesman Robert Connolly.
Meehan said he wants to make UMass “the first major public university” to take this significant a step.
“We are pleased that we appear to be moving forward in a united fashion on this critical issue,” Connolly said in a statement.
“We want to acknowledge the important role students have played in urging the university to take these steps as an expression of environmental concern and in an effort to bring about change.
“UMass has a rich tradition of being at the forefront of important social movements and the direct-divestment step President Meehan is advocating is consistent with its history and tradition.”
“We’re happy with commitment,” said Divest UMass spokesman Filipe Carvalho.
He said demonstrators feel they were able to get what they wanted — a full commitment to divest in fossil fuel. He said they are confident trustees and the foundation will support that when they vote. They feel like they have a timeline now, something they had been asking for.
In a statement, Jacqz said, “We want to recognize President Meehan for acknowledging the need for immediate action on the climate crisis by committing to lead UMass towards full divestment.
“Our university president has demonstrated that he truly intends to lead with us.”
What’s on Baker’s combo platter now?
By Bruce Mohl
Commonwealth Magazine
April 21, 2016
Gov. Charlie Baker isn’t crying over the demise of the $3 billion Kinder Morgan natural gas pipeline that was going to bring cheap natural gas from Pennsylvania into Massachusetts via New Hampshire.
Kinder Morgan officials announced on Wednesday that they were pulling the plug on the project because of strong political and grassroots opposition as well as a dearth of utility customers for the gas. The company was also having problems finding financially stable suppliers in Pennsylvania, which is reeling from a downturn in natural gas prices that is decimating the industry nationwide.
Pipeline decisions are largely the purview of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, but Baker for years has been quietly campaigning against the Kinder Morgan project. During his run for governor, he said he preferred expanding pipeline capacity using existing rights of way rather than building new routes. More recently, he adopted a new argument. He told opponents of the Kinder Morgan pipeline that the best way to stop it was to show federal regulators that it wasn’t needed by supporting his bill to import hydroelectricity from Canada. “Most people who are concerned about Kinder Morgan, they should really think hard about hydro,” he said in February.
But Baker’s opposition to Kinder Morgan’s pipeline shouldn’t be construed as opposition to all new natural gas pipelines. Baker sees imports of cheap natural gas as a way to hold energy prices steady in the region and possibly reduce them slightly. Baker reportedly favors expansion of the existing Algonquin pipeline, a project called Access Northeast that runs on existing right of way and would be built by Spectra Energy along with the utilities Eversource Energy and National Grid.
Any new pipeline project is likely to face stiff opposition from environmental groups, grassroots activists, and possibly Attorney General Maura Healey. A study released by Healey in November found no need for new natural gas pipelines. Environmental advocates say asking electric ratepayers to subsidize natural gas pipeline capacity is nonsensical. In the wake of Kinder Morgan’s decision, one environmental activist said the battle isn’t over: “Spectra Energy, you’re next,” she said.
So where does all this leave Baker’s combo energy platter? Baker wants the Access Northeast natural gas project, hydroelectricity imports from Canada, and he increasingly talks as if he would support offshore wind. The House is likely to order the same platter in energy legislation expected to be unveiled in a couple weeks, but some House members would prefer to drop natural gas and hydro from the platter and feast just on offshore wind.
That approach seems unlikely. Former governor William Weld, who splits his time between the law firm of Mintz Levin Cohn Ferris Glovsky and Popeo and the firm’s lobbying arm, ML Strategies, said last year that he and his colleagues share Baker’s view on energy. Weld, of course, is Baker’s political mentor and former boss. Weld’s firm represents solar companies, hydroelectricity suppliers, and Spectra Energy, the company leading the charge for Access Northeast.
“There are issues with it,” Weld said of the Access Northeast project. “But conceptually it’s a fairly easy sell except for the people who now suddenly don’t like natural gas because it’s a member of the fossil club, which I think is not a well-taken position. It’s going to be a long time before that point of view becomes relevant.”
Cuomo administration rejects Constitution pipeline
By Scott Waldman
Capital New York
April 22, 2016
The Cuomo administration has denied the water quality permits for a controversial pipeline in what has become another political test of Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s environmental legacy.
On Friday, which is Earth Day, the state Department of Environmental Conservation denied the water quality certificate the pipeline developers need to begin construction. Most of the pipeline’s federal permits have already been approved and the project developers have already shipped all of the pieces into the state and even began clearing trees in Pennsylvania.
Though the administration has approved other pipelines, the Constitution pipeline application did not contain adequate information to determine whether it would meet water quality standards, the DEC’s chief permit administrator, John Ferguson, wrote in the rejection.
“The Application fails in a meaningful way to address the significant water resource impacts that could occur from this Project and has failed to provide sufficient information to demonstrate compliance with New York State water quality standards,” wrote John Ferguson, the “Constitution’s failure to adequately address these concerns limited the Department’s ability to assess the impacts and conclude that the Project will comply water quality standards.”
Administration officials pointed to the inadequate depth of the pipeline in streams, as well as what they described as a “lack of detailed project plans.” They accused the Constitution developer of intentionally providing vague or incomplete responses to DEC questions.
The Constitution pipeline would have crossed hundreds of bodies of water and involved the clearing of between 100,000 to 700,000, according to figures provided by the developer and those provided by environmental groups.
Developers expected the approval for more than a year, and ordered the fabrication of the pipeline. Much of it is sitting in pieces in storage, including in the Albany region, ready to be deployed for a construction process that was to have taken about a year or less.
Friday’s decision was a “disappointment,” said Christopher Stockton, a spokesman for William company, the pipeline’s developer.
“We are in the process of analyzing the stated rationale for the denial,” he said in a statement. “Once that review is complete we will assess our options, which may include an appeal to the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.”
The denial would be perhaps the most significant environmental decision to come out of the Cuomo administration since it banned fracking last year. It had been closely watched amongst environmental groups, as well as within the energy industry, because states rarely reject intrastate gas pipelines.
The administration delayed making a decision on the proposed $1 billion Constitution pipeline for more than two years. In that time, environmental and community groups turned the 124-mile pipeline, which would have connected gas from Pennsylvania’s robust fracking industry into a network of pipelines that terminate in Schoharie County, into a powerful symbol of the fossil fuel industry that causes climate change.
As with fracking, environmental groups immediately said they would use the rejection to convince other governors to take a similar stand on the pipeline industry.
“Governor Cuomo’s rejection of the Constitution Pipeline represents a turning of the tide, where states across the nation that have been pressured into accepting harmful gas infrastructure projects by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission may now feel emboldened to push back,” said Roger Downs, conservation director of the Sierra Club’s Atlantic Chapter. “Cuomo’s leadership could inspire a domino effect of related pipeline rejections as other states begin to put the protection of water and our climate before flawed energy projects that do not serve the public interest.”
Proponents argued that Constitution was essential, as New York increasingly turns to natural gas for electricity and heat. They also argued that it would create jobs, and bring in tax revenue to an economically-challenged area of the state. Indeed, even top Cuomo administration officials, including Public Service Commission Chairwoman Audrey Zibelman have said the energy grid will need more pipeline capacity in the future.
Predictably, the decision angered industry. The rejection will cost New York jobs and put further strain on the state’s energy grid, said Heather Briccetti, president The Business Council of New York State.
“We are incredibly disappointed that the administration allowed fear-mongering to once again lead the way,” she said. “The decision to deny the approvals necessary for the construction of the Constitution Pipeline will have a direct and immediate negative impact on our state’s economy.”
Earlier this week, the $3 billion Northeast Energy Direct pipeline, which would have stretched 400 miles from Pennsylvania through New York to New England was scrapped by its developers because of low gas prices and a lack of customer commitments. But that pipeline was also met with tremendous opposition by environmental and community groups, as well as Democratic and Republican lawmakers, and an extensive legal battle was likely.
Pipelines are largely the purview of the federal government, and the state DEC has typically worked with developers to approve them. Earlier this week, DEC acting Commissioner Basil Seggos said he could not recall another pipeline that had been rejected by the state in recent years.
As World Warms, How Do We Decide When a Plant is Native?
The fate of a tree planted at poet Emily Dickinson’s home raises questions about whether gardeners can — or should — play a role in helping plant species migrate in the face of rising temperatures and swiftly changing botanical zones.
Yale Environment 360
April 19, 2016
On rare occasions, the townsfolk of Amherst, Massachusetts, would catch a glimpse of a ghostly figure dressed in white, leaning over to tend her flowers by flickering lantern light. The mysterious recluse, who was better known to neighbors for her exquisite garden than for her lyric poems that revealed a passionate love of nature, differed from fellow 19th-century American writers whose thinking became the bedrock of modern environmentalism. While Thoreau famously declared wild places to be “the preservation of the world,” Emily Dickinson was finding nature’s truth and power in an ordinary dandelion.
Among the plants that survive on the family property where Dickinson confined herself for much of her adult life are picturesque old trees called umbrella magnolias (Magnolia tripetala) — so named because their leaves, which can reach two feet long, radiate out from the ends of branches like the spokes of an umbrella.
Ironically, the denizen of the Dickinson homestead is also challenging basic precepts of conservation practice, such as what is the definition of “native”? Are climate refugees that hitchhike north via horticulture less worthy of protection than plants that arrive on their own? Do they pose a threat to existing native species? Should native plant gardening, the domestic form of assisted migration, be used to help plants stranded in inhospitable habitat?
A few years ago, Bellemare began to notice umbrella magnolias “peeking out from roadside vegetation” in western Massachusetts.
As Bellemare and coauthor Claudia Deeg pointed out in a paper last July inRhodora, this is also when the climate began warming quickly in the region. In a presentation at the Ecological Society of America conference last year, Bellemare and a group of collaborators concluded, “It is unlikely that natural dispersal from the South would have allowed Magnolia tripetala to reach this region anytime soon.”For years, scientists have predicted that natives planted well north of their historic geographic limits inevitably would not only survive, but thrive and naturalize outside of horticulture in habitat made increasingly hospitable by global warming. In a 2008 paper in Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, biologists found that 73 percent of the 357 native European species they investigated were being sold hundreds of miles north of the plants’ natural geographic ranges.
“While debate continues about whether humans should actively assist the migration of species in the face of climate change, it is clear that the horticulture industry has already done so for hundreds of species,” they wrote.
Natural range shifts of birds and other mobile species have been documented in the past decade, but new studies suggest that many native plants are also struggling to keep up with climate change by migrating to higher elevations or towards the poles. In an analysis of the flora of Worcester County in central Massachusetts in 2013, biologist Robert Bertin found that the ranges of native plants appear to be contracting.
“Northern” species most widely distributed in upper New England, he wrote, are declining faster than the region’s “southern” plants, primarily from New England’s lower reaches, which are expanding their ranges northward. In a paper published earlier this year, biologists detected significantly fewer shifts in elevation by plants in California than by other organisms such as birds and mammals. They also found that the migration upward in elevation of non-native invasive plant species was nearly five times greater than that of the flora overall, and even more when compared to localized endemic plants.
Endemic plants with small ranges, scientists believe, are among the species at greatest risk as their preferred climate shifts far beyond their ability to disperse. Bellemare and University of Minnesota biologist David Moeller have analyzed the likely impact of climate change on one of the most celebrated clusters of endemic plants — herbaceous wildflowers of the Southeast, from bleedinghearts to trilliums — which produce a flamboyant explosion of blooms that carpet the forest floor in spring.
These endemic wildflowers have been unable to disperse northward in the 15,000 years since the last ice sheet began receding. While they would probably be well positioned to survive the climatic cooling of another ice age, the breakneck speed of current warming seems to place many of these plants “on the wrong side of climate history,” Bellemare has written.
Horticulture has helped the umbrella magnolia disperse beyond its former range limit south of the glacial boundary. Naturalized populations have been discovered throughout the Northeast, including on Long Island, where the trees were planted widely in the 1920s, and perhaps earlier.
Not all biologists are toasting the plant’s arrival in the northeastern U.S., however. Because the umbrella magnolia arrived via horticulture, Bill Brumback, director of conservation at the New England Wild Flower Society, says he would not consider it native — the basic prerequisite for a plant worth preserving.
“I really don’t know” if southeastern species that have escaped from cultivation should be considered native in New England, says Brown University biologist Dov Sax, who is collaborating with Bellemare and other scientists on a nationwide study of what shifting ranges portend for the survival of native plants in the face of rapid warming. “A new, more nuanced set of terms than ‘native’ or ‘non-native’ is needed,” Sax says.
The debate over how to characterize plants colonizing new areas as the climate changes is based in large part on concern over their potential to hijack the habitat of existing native species. This same worry has made assisted migration of species threatened by climate change one of the most controversial topic in contemporary conservation science and has fueled concern among some scientists over gardeners moving native plants well beyond their current boundaries.
“Native plant horticulture is giving us some fascinating insights into what is likely to happen with climate change,” says Bellemare. “But we’re not at a point where most botanists and ecologists would feel comfortable advocating” that gardeners help protect plants by moving them to cooler climes, he adds. Indeed, given their rampant spread, Brumback worries that the naturalized magnolias may be in the early stages of biological invasion. “If I saw them taking over a woodland, I’d recommend removing them,” he says.Brown University’s Sax suspects that this is unlikely, noting that studies indicate a species’ risk of becoming invasive increases with the distance of its historic native range from the region it is colonizing. Although he is concerned that a small percentage of plants introduced from other continents “will likely become problematic,” he believes that a nearby native like the umbrella magnolia, which has outlier populations in southern Pennsylvania, “poses little risk” in New England.
Both Sax and Bellemare have pointed out that the threat of negative ecological consequences is likely lessened by the fact that the umbrella magnolia and other forest plants from the Southeast and mid-Atlantic share a biogeographic history with those in New England.
According to paleoecologists, as the climate cooled and glaciers expanded during the Pleistocene era, forest plants of the Northeast survived by migrating to so-called refugia in the South. When the climate warmed and the most recent ice sheet receded, some species were able to recolonize the habitat they had lost. But others, Sax suspects, were impeded by the human-driven extinction, about 12,000 years ago, of the mastodons, giant ground-sloths, and other megafauna that had dispersed their seeds for millennia.
“If we still had those big mammals,” says Sax, it’s likely that “many species that are currently restricted to the Southeast or mid-Atlantic would now be in New England.” One of these species may be the umbrella magnolia, which has no apparent modern seed disperser, biologists and horticulturists say, with the notable exception of humans.
While scientists grapple with the implications of escaped magnolias, there is poetic justice that a plant from the Dickinson homestead has sparked the discussion. Although the view of enduring wilderness championed by Thoreau and John Muir came to dominate conservation thinking, Emily Dickinson, who perceived the beauty and destructive capacity of nature all around her, may be the more appropriate literary icon for an age of climate disruption.
“Keystone-ization” is the fossil fuel industry’s new nightmare
“Another Pipeline Rejected” is now the go-to headline for updates on new fossil fuel infrastructure in the United States. Does the growing file of scrapped pipeline plans forecast the “Keystone-ization” of our energy future? Yes — proposals for pipelines to transport oil and natural gas are being brought down by public protest so frequently, we now have a term for it.
A quick review: On Friday, the New York Department of Environmental Conservation announced that it would not grant a necessary permit for the 124-mile Constitution Pipeline proposed to run through the northeastern United States. The Earth Day announcement came after backlash regarding potential safety issues from residents, as well as from Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), who said that the plan would be “catastrophic to our air and our climate.” The DEC ultimately refused to grant the permit after concluding that the pipeline would interfere with water resources in its path.
This latest decision follows the rejection, just days prior, of a $3.1 billion natural gas plan proposed by Kinder Morgan. Before that, the 550-mile Atlantic Coast Pipeline, which would have run through Virginia and West Virginia, was delayed earlier this year. Georgia’s 360-mile Palmetto Pipeline and Oregon’s 232-mile Pacific Connector Pipeline were both thwarted in March. All that went down in 2016 alone.
The mother of all these killed projects is, of course, the Keystone XL pipeline, a $7 billion undertaking that would have ferried 800,000 barrels of crude oil a day from Canada to the Gulf Coast — had President Barack Obama not vetoed it last November. Since that decision, the phrase “Keystone-ization” has come to connote the death of a proposed oil and gas pipeline — often due to public backlash.
“Fifty years ago, people in the U.S. were much more accepting of new pipelines and new infrastructure,” Rob Jackson, a professor at the Stanford University’s Woods Institute for the Environment who studies energy use and climate change, told Grist. “Today, people don’t want new pipelines and nuclear power plants near their homes and schools. The failure of Keystone emboldened people to fight the next project.”
“Keystone-ization” has become a rallying cry for writer and climate activist Bill McKibben, who uses it to encourage activists to protest new fossil fuel infrastructure. (Editor’s note: Bill McKibben is a member of Grist’s board). McKibben, however, repurposed it — how green of him — from Marty Durbin, President and CEO of America’s Natural Gas Alliance. Durbin said last year that the pipeline had become a model for climate activists, noting that it has changed the way fossil fuel companies operate:
“These aren’t new issues. These are things that pipeline developers have had to deal with for a long time. But we’ve seen a change in the debate. I hesitate to put it this way, but call it the Keystone-ization of every pipeline project that’s out there, that if you can stop one permit, you can stop the development of fossil fuels. That’s changing the way we have to manage these projects.”
Killing a pipeline plan, Jackson explained, could prevent fossil fuel extraction on the condition that there is no other way for the resources to reach the market. But in the case of oil, it also could backfire. If no pipeline is available, oil may travel by train. According to Jackson, pipelines look like a safer option when considering the terrible track record of oil train derailments — and therefore, the “Keystone-ization” of proposed pipelines may not be such a good thing after all.
At the same time, if oil prices remain low (as they are now), the cost of rail transport can be prohibitive — and when a pipeline is rejected, extracting the oil it was meant to transport may no longer be a profitable decision. If this is the case, Jackson explains, nixing a pipeline may help keep fossil fuels in the ground.
“Some people fight pipelines because they oppose any fossil fuel use. Viewed through that lens, blocking oil and gas pipelines makes sense,” said Jackson. “You will see a fight for every new pipeline from now on, I guarantee it.”
Senate passes energy modernization bill that would have been modern in 1980
Apr 20, 2016
The Senate passed the Energy Policy Modernization Act on Wednesday, the first comprehensive energy bill in nearly a decade. The bill will fund an increase in renewable energy as well as boost funding for natural gas, geothermal energy, and hydropower. The bill also reauthorizes a half-billion dollars to protect public lands and parks, updates building codes to increase efficiency and safety standards, and addresses the threat of potential cyberattacks on the electrical grid, reports The New York Times.
While the bill was hailed as a bipartisan victory by authors Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Sen. Maria Cantwell of Washington, 350.org likened it to the “V.H.S. of climate policy” — in other words, dated. It overlooks some obvious issues: Namely, it doesn’t come even close to addressing climate change. The final compromise also leaves out a provision from an earlier version that would have provided hundreds of millions of dollars to fix Flint’s water pipes after lead contamination. Republicans vowed to block the bill if funding wasn’t removed.
Environmentalists also object to measures that will speed the export of domestically produced natural gas, the expansion of methane hydrate research and development, the delay on updating furnace efficiency standards, and the expansion of funding for nuclear research.
What some senators are thinking about doing to address climate change, however, is directing funds to the Department of Energy to a study a form of geoengineering,reports the journal Science. Known as albedo modification, the potential climate solution involves dispersing tiny particles into the atmosphere that would reflect sunlight away from the planet, and, if it’s successful, cool it. But that’s a big if. The effects of such a scheme are unknown, and there are plenty of critics who worry that geoengineering research diverts much-needed funds and focus away from technology that we know will reduce carbon emissions, like wind and solar. The measure has gone through the appropriations committee but has yet to be taken up by the Senate.
As for the Senate energy bill, negotiators must now work with the House, which has passed a similar version of the bill that also increases production of oil, coal and natural gas, before it goes to the president.
Jobs
Conservation Easement Stewardship Associate
Columbia Land Conservancy
Chatham NY
Qualifications – Preferred candidate will have bachelor’s degree in conservation/ environmental science. GIS experience required/GPS skills a plus.
Laborer I – Dept. of Conservation and Recreation, Pittsfield
(six positions available)
Please excuse the short notice, but DCR now has 6 positions open for Laborer 1 positions working with Greening the Gateways in Pittsfield. These are short-term seasonal positions, meaning the work is from (late) April – June with the possibility of coming back for our Fall season Sept – Nov. The hours are 7:30am – 4pm with a 1/2 hour unpaid lunch. The pay is $13.45/hour. This job is manual labor intensive; digging holes, carrying saplings, loading and unloading rack truck with saplings, carrying buckets of soil and mulch, etc.
Because of the short turnaround time, interested candidates should call Jacklyn Beebe directly to talk more about the position:
Jacklyn Beebe
Department of Conservation and Recreation
Greening the Gateway Cities
Forester 1
(857) 930-6042
October Mountain State Forest
317 Woodland Rd
Lee, MA 01238
Please CLICK HERE for a blank application or use the link below to access the pdf version.
http://www.mass.gov/eea/docs/
Important Dates:
We are holding interviews next Monday, April 11.
Anticipated start date is Tuesday April 19th since Monday 4/18 is a State Holiday.
Environmental Justice Job Opening – Arise for Social Justice
Applicants should be familiar with environmental issues, have strong writing skills, and at least some organizing experience. Bilingual abilities strongly preferred. Half-time position.
Please submit a cover letter and resume to Ariseforsocialjustice@gmail.com or mail to Arise, 467 State St., Springfield MA 01105.
GIS Developer / Analyst – Housatonic Valley Association
Summary: The Housatonic Valley Association (HVA) seeks a skilled and motivated Geographic Information Systems (GIS) professional with strong geospatial analytical and developer skills and demonstrated expertise with ESRI’s ArcGIS desktop, mobile and server technology for the full-time position of GIS Developer / Analyst. For 75 years, HVA has been dedicated to the health and vitality of the Housatonic River, a nationally recognized, 1,245,000 acre watershed located in western Connecticut and Massachusetts and portions of eastern New York. GIS is an HVA core competency. It is essential to the work we and our partners undertake to set conservation priorities, conserve the natural character and environmental health of our communities, and protect and restore the lands and waters of the Housatonic Watershed for this and future generations.Position Description: Working out of our Cornwall Bridge, CT main office, the incumbent works closely with HVA colleagues and acts as the GIS Manager for the organization. This is a full-time position with a competitive salary commensurate with experience. The incumbent is responsible for maintaining and enhancing HVA’s natural resource and parcel-based GIS data, developing geospatial models to perform spatial and tabular analysis, and publishing cartographic products as static paper maps and dynamic web-based applications.Required Qualifications:
- Proven capabilities with ArcGIS Desktop and ArcGIS Server
- Experience building interactive web-based applications using Arcgis Online and/or ArcGIS FlexViewer
- Familiarity with ArcGIS Story Maps
- Enthusiasm to remain current in GIS technologies
- Passion for Environmental Protection and Land Conservation
- Willingness to assist with non-GIS related activities
- Effective communicator in written and spoken language
- Valid Driver’s License
Desired Qualifications:
- Familiarity with GIS data sources for CT, MA and NY
- Familiarity with Amazon Web Services and managing ArcGIS Server on Amazon EC2
- Experience with GPS and mobile GIS data collection
- Experience using Data Driven Pages, ModelBuilder
- Experience managing ArcGIS Online Organization Account
To apply: Email cover letter, resume, examples of recent work using ArcGIS Desktop and ArcServer, and links to Facebook and Linkedin pages to: Tim Abbott tim.abbott@hvatoday.org. The position will remain open until it is filled.
Landscape Design Assistant, Garden Installation Manager & Crew, Fine Garden Maintenance Crew – Helia Native Nursery & Land Design
We specialize in Native Plants, Ecological Landscape Design, Wildflower Meadows, Site Restoration, Edible and Fine Gardens. We are expanding and currently have full time openings in the following positions:
Landscape Design Assistant – The right candidate will have a strong background, full knowledge and experience in site surveying, base mapping and design, autoCAD and SketchUP, with a good knowledge of plants, especially natives. You must be energetic, hardworking, physically fit and a positive team-oriented person.
Installation Manager & Crew – We are looking for full time, energetic, hardworking, physically fit, positive, and team-oriented people to join our landscape installation team and manage installation jobs. Experience with native plants, garden installation, small machinery, stone work and maintenance is preferred.
Garden Maintenance Crew – Come join our full time fine garden maintenance team. We are looking for energetic, hardworking, physically fit, positive, and team-oriented people to join our team.
Please call 413-274-1400 to apply or email your resume to helialanddesign@gmail.com.
Seasonal Ranger I (West)–(1600026F)
DescriptionAbout the Department of Conservation and Recreation: The Department of Conservation and Recreation manages one of the largest and most diverse state parks systems in the nation and protects and enhances natural resources and outdoor recreational opportunities throughout Massachusetts. DCR is a dynamic agency, and is one of the largest park systems in the nation. The DCR system includes over 450,000 acres of parks, forests, water supply protection lands, beaches, lakes, ponds, playgrounds, swimming pools, skating rinks, trails and parkways. The Department of Conservation and Recreation seeks qualified applicants for the position Seasonal Ranger I. The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation is seeking Park Rangers to patrol facilities to promote compliance with rules and regulations, protect natural and park resources, and enhance visitor experience through providing a presence and being available for visitor information; coordinate with law enforcement officials for appropriate regulatory action; and perform related work as required. Park Rangers normally work a forty-hour week (which includes nights, weekends, and holidays). April-early June will be Monday-Friday day shift. Mid June to August will require include week-end days and may include some evening shifts. Uniforms and training are provided; park housing is not. Successful candidates must attend the Seasonal Ranger Academy.Conducts patrols, either in a vehicle, on a bicycle or on foot, effectively utilizing techniques and available resources, to enforce applicable laws and regulations, provide visitor services, assess facility resources, assist visitors with first aid, and other public services as required.Perform the crossing of school-aged pedestrians on DCR roadways twice daily in accordance with the school’s schedule.Maintain an inventory of and maintain the condition of issued equipment.Complete Bureau records, reports, files, and logs.
Attend seminars, workshops, training sessions, etc., in order to maintain proficiencies.Participates in search and rescue operations in accordance with agency policy.Provide informal and, occasionally, formal information/educational programs, demonstrations, and materials for schools and civic groups as requires, in areas such as Ranger programs, park activities and services, outdoor skills, natural and cultural history and search and rescue.Respond and assist park staff at major incidents, assist at special events, and occasionally assist at statewide incidents or functions.Position Information: Seasonal Ranger I (00137682)Location: Mohawk Trail State Forest Complex, CharlemontStart Date: 4/24/16End Date: 11/5/16Position Information: Seasonal Ranger I (00182451)Location: Tolland State Forest Complex, OtisStart Date: 4/24/16End Date: 11/5/16Position Information: Seasonal Ranger I (00137661)Location: Moore House, AmherstStart Date: 4/24/16End Date: 12/30/16Preferred Qualifications:Knowledge of the standard procedures and techniques followed in foot, auto or other types of patrols.
Knowledge of the principles and practices of park or resource management.
Knowledge of the principles and practices of recreational programming.
Knowledge of general ecology and cultural history study, practice and principles.
Knowledge of the methods and techniques for presenting media productions, and drafting brochures and exhibits.
Ability to understand, explain and apply the rules, regulations, policies, procedures standards and guidelines governing assigned unit activities.
Ability to communicate effectively in oral expression.
Ability to give written and oral instructions in a precise, understandable manner.
Ability to speak effectively before the public
Ability to follow oral and written instructions.
Ability to gather information by examining records and documents and through observing and interviewing individuals.
Ability to accurately record information provided orally.
Minimum Entrance Requirements: Applicants must have at least (A) two years of full-time, or equivalent part-time experience in park or resource management, environmental education, water resources or water supply management, or natural/cultural history interpretation or (B) any equivalent combination of the required experience and the substitutions below.
1. Possession of a current and valid Massachusetts motor vehicle operator’s license.
2. Possession of a current and valid CPR (cardio-pulmonary resuscitation) certificate from the American Red Cross or the American heart Association.
3. Possession of a current and valid standard first aid and personal safety certificate and first responder certificate issued by the American Red Cross.An Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action Employer. Females, minorities, veterans, and persons with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply.
Official Title: Ranger IWork Locations: Pittsfield – 740 South Street 01201Primary Location: United States-Massachusetts-Pittsfield-Pittsfield – 740 South StreetJob: Community and Social ServicesAgency: Department of Conservation & Recreation
Schedule: Full-timeShift: MultipleJob Posting: Mar 21, 2016, 12:43:07 PMNumber of Openings: 3Salary: 1,429.24 BiweeklyIf you have Diversity, Affirmative Action or Equal Employment Opportunity questions or need a Reasonable Accommodation, please contact Diversity Officer / ADA Coordinator:: Agatha Summons-Maguire – 617-626-1282Bargaining Unit: 02-AFSCME – Service/Institutional
Seasonal Forest And Park Supervisor III (West) – (160001XB)
DescriptionAbout the Department of Conservation and Recreation: The Department of Conservation and Recreation manages one of the largest and most diverse state parks systems in the nation and protects and enhances natural resources and outdoor recreational opportunities throughout Massachusetts. DCR is a dynamic agency, and is one of the largest park systems in the nation. The DCR system includes over 450,000 acres of parks, forests, water supply protection lands, beaches, lakes, ponds, playgrounds, swimming pools, skating rinks, trails and parkways.The Department of Conservation and Recreation seeks qualified applicants for the position of Seasonal Forest & Park Supervisor III. The Seasonal Forest & Park Supervisor is responsible for supervising the maintenance and operations of parks, recreation areas, parkways, roadways, pedestrian ways and parking lots for public use. The incumbent of this position determines work priorities and resources, assigns and supervises staff, compiles and reviews data concerning park maintenance effectiveness and provides reports of all activities and incidents.SPECIFC DUTIES:
Supervises the maintenance of assigned recreational areas, including such activities as roadway and parkway maintenance, grounds maintenance, building and equipment maintenance and the repair and/or removal of hazardous conditions such as unsafe trees or limbs. Determines manpower and equipment resources necessary to accomplish assigned tasks.Maintains records and prepares reports concerning assigned work to provide information and make appropriate recommendations.Coordinates the activities and work of volunteers, court-referred individuals, etc.May prepares budgets for assigned areas by projecting resource needs and preparing required documentation for agency’s budget request.Monitors the activities involved in park and roadways maintenance work.Compiles and reviews data concerning effectiveness of park maintenance activities to prepare reports for supervisorProvides on-the-job training for new employees.Prepares reports as required; maintains records and logs on such matters as time and attendance of assigned personnel; performs routine vehicle maintenance inspections; and operates motor vehicles and other park machinery and equipment as required.Inspects damage to park areas, roadways, parking lots, equipment, etc. as a result of storms, vandalism and accidents to estimate the cost of labor and materials required for repairs and/or replacementsDetermines work priorities and assigns staff to specific tasks such as spraying, watering, planting trees, cleaning catch basins, trash removal, etc.Performs related work as assigned. Ability to work in a team setting. Ability to exercise sound judgment. Required to work outdoors in all types of weather. Work varied shifts and/or irregular hours; and stand for prolonged periods of time.POSITION INFORMATION: Position: Seasonal Forest & Park Supervisor III
Location: Pittsfield State Forest, Pittsfield
Start Date: 5/1/16
End Date: 11/12/16Salaries are based upon full-time/40 hours worked per week. Work schedules and days off are at the discretion of the Supervisor. This position may require working weekends and/or holidays.Qualifications
This requisition will remain open until filled; however, first consideration will be given to those applicants that apply within the first 14 days.
MINIMUM ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS:
Applicants must have at least (A) four years of full-time, or equivalent part-time, technical or professional experience in the field of forestry, parks or recreational management and (B) of which at least two years must have been in a supervisory capacity, or (C) any equivalent combination of the required experience and the substitutions below.
Substitutions:
I. An Associate’s or higher degree with a major in forestry, natural resources management or parks and/or recreation management may be substituted for a maximum of two years of the required (A) experience.*
*Education toward such a degree will be prorated on the basis of the proportion of the requirements actually completed.
NOTE: No substitutions will be permitted for the required (B) experience. SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS: Based on assignment, possession of a current and valid Massachusetts Motor Vehicle Operator’s License.
An Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action Employer. Females, minorities, veterans, and persons with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply.
Official Title: Forest And Park Supervisor III Work Locations: Pittsfield-Cascade Street 012010000 Primary Location: United States-Massachusetts-Pittsfield-Pittsfield-Cascade StreetJob: Community and Social ServicesAgency: Department of Conservation & RecreationSchedule: Full-timeShift: MultipleJob Posting: Mar 11, 2016, 12:18:15 PMNumber of Openings: 1Salary: 1,758.24 BiweeklyIf you have Diversity, Affirmative Action or Equal Employment Opportunity questions or need a Reasonable Accommodation, please contact Diversity Officer / ADA Coordinator:: Agatha Summons-Maguire – 617-626-1282Bargaining Unit: 02-AFSCME – Service/Institutional
Seasonal Forestry Assistant – MA Dept. of Conservation and Recreation (Pittsfield)
About the Department of Conservation and Recreation: The Department of Conservation and Recreation manages one of the largest and most diverse state parks systems in the nation and protects and enhances natural resources and outdoor recreational opportunities throughout Massachusetts. DCR is a dynamic agency, and is one of the largest park systems in the nation. The DCR system includes over 450,000 acres of parks, forests, water supply protection lands, beaches, lakes, ponds, playgrounds, swimming pools, skating rinks, trails and parkways.The Department of Conservation and Recreation seeks qualified applicants for the position Seasonal Forestry Assistant. Seasonal positions may be subject to the recall process and will be filled in accordance with collective bargaining agreements, positions not filled using this process will be interviewed for.Duties: Forestry Assistants work outdoors in all types of weather; work in isolated areas; may be exposed to the hazards of power tools and equipment such as chainsaws and hoists and travel for job related purposes.Assists in the preparation of forest management plans designed to provide water supply protection; assists in the interpretation of aerial photos, GPS and GIS data, and other cartographic work regarding forests; assists in the inventory of natural resources and the establishment and maintenance of state forest boundary lines.Assists in planning and supervision of timber stand improvement work by state forest crews and private contractors.Assists in the sale of wood products including preparing silvicultural prescriptions, minimizing adverse environmental impacts of harvesting, and ensuring contractual compliance by private contractors.Cooperates with state and municipal authorities during emergencies and natural disasters such as forest fires, wind or ice storms, and insect infestations.Performs related duties such as maintaining records and attending staff meetings.Specific Duties:
- Collecting forest inventory data (CFI) including tree measurements, forest assessment, forest understory assessment, and coarse woody debris measurement.
- Processing forest inventory data with a computer.
POSITION INFORMATION:Position: (2) Seasonal Forestry Assistant
Position 1 Location: Pittsfield Regional Office, 740 South Street Pittsfield, MA 01202
Position 2 Location: Amherst Field Office, 40 Cold Storage Drive, Amherst, MA 01004
Start Date: April 3, 2016
End Date: November 4, 2016Qualifications:Minimum Entrance Requirements:Applicants must have at least (A) one year of full-time, or equivalent part-time experience in forestry or natural resource management, or (B) any equivalent combination of the required experience and the substitutions below.Substitutions:
- An Associate’s or higher degree with a major in forestry or forestry management may be substituted for the required
experience.**Education toward such a degree will be. prorated on the basis of the proportion of the requirements actually completed.Special Requirements: Possession of a current and valid Massachusetts Class D Motor Vehicle Operator’s LicenseThis requisition will remain open until filled; however, first consideration will be given to those applicants that apply within the first 14 dayMinimum Entrance Requirements:Applicants must have at least (A) one year of full-time, or equivalent part-time experience in forestry or natural resource management, or (B) any equivalent combination of the required experience and the substitutions below.Substitutions:
- An Associate’s or higher degree with a major in forestry or forestry management may be substituted for the required experience.*
*Education toward such a degree will be prorated on the basis of the proportion of the requirements actually completed.Special Requirements: Possession of a current and valid Massachusetts Class D Motor Vehicle Operator’s License.An Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. Females, minorities, veterans, and persons with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply.Schedule: Full-time
Number of Openings: 2
Salary: 1,547.60 BiweeklyIf you have Diversity, Affirmative Action or Equal Employment Opportunity questions or need a Reasonable Accommodation, please contact Diversity Officer / ADA Coordinator:: Agatha Summons Maguire – 617-626-1282Bargaining Unit: 09-MOSES – Engineers/Scientists
Laborer II – Long Term Seasonal (Pittsfield) – (160001F6)
DescriptionAbout the Department of Conservation and Recreation: The Department of Conservation and Recreation manages one of the largest and most diverse state parks systems in the nation and protects and enhances natural resources and outdoor recreational opportunities throughout Massachusetts. DCR is a dynamic agency, and is one of the largest park systems in the nation. The DCR system includes over 450,000 acres of parks, forests, water supply protection lands, beaches, lakes, ponds, playgrounds, swimming pools, skating rinks, golf courses, trails and parkways.The Department of Conservation and Recreation seeks qualified applicants for the position of Seasonal Planting Laborer II.The Seasonal Planting Laborer II will work outdoors in all types of weather and performs various manual labor tasks in support of the effort to plant trees in Massachusetts’s gateway cities to increase tree canopy cover for the purpose of reducing heating and cooling energy costs to residences and businesses.Seasonal staff dig and backfill tree planting holes and levels earth to grade; plant trees according to DCR Bureau of Forestry standards; load and unload tree stock from delivery vehicles; load and unload tools and equipment; maintain vehicle and equipment cleanliness.The basic purpose of this work is to perform manual tasks requiring specialized skill and the use of hand tools to support reforestation efforts.Performs various manual labor tasks, which may require some specialized skills, to plant trees.Digs holes for tree planting and plants trees according to DCR Bureau of Forestry standards.Loads and unloads trucks, physically or by use of dollies; unpacks and stores tools and supplies and equipment in stockrooms, storerooms or warehouses; and takes periodic inventories of supplies and equipment.Performs preventive maintenance on assigned equipment and tools by washing, inspecting, tightening, lubricating and by sharpening edges on all cutting tools.Performs related duties as assigned.Start date is March 20, 2016 and end date is November 19, 2016.
Preferred Qualifications: Possession of a current and valid Massachusetts Class D Motor Vehicle Operator’s License.Ability to speak and write Spanish and translate materials for homeowners who speak Spanish.Skill in using hand tools such as shovels, mattocks, pry bars, bolt cutters, clippers, etc. Ability to follow oral and written instructions. Ability to work in a team setting. Manual dexterity. Physical stamina and endurance for full time, hard manual labor. Ability to lift and carry up to 50 pounds. Willing to work in all weather conditions.
Qualifications: This requisition will remain open until filled; however, first consideration will be given to those applicants that apply within the first 14 days.
Minimum Entrance Requirements: Applicants must have at least six months of full-time, or equivalent part- time experience in performing manual labor in connection with general construction or maintenance work.An Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. Females, minorities, veterans, and persons with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply.
Official Title: Laborer II Work
Locations: Lee-Woodland Road
Primary Location: United States-Massachusetts-Lee-Lee-Woodland Road
Job: Equipment, Facilities & Services
Agency: Department of Conservation & Recreation
Schedule: Full-time Shift: Day
Job Posting: Mar 22, 2016, 4:09:37 PM
Number of Openings: 2
Salary: 1,220.36 Biweekly
If you have Diversity, Affirmative Action or Equal Employment Opportunity questions or need a Reasonable Accommodation, please contact Diversity Officer / ADA Coordinator:: Agatha Summons-McGuire – 617-626-1282
Summer Internships – Williams College
Summer Internships on Campus, Berkshire area & U.S. – Also: Summer Internship Funding: Check out dozens of campus and local environmental internships, all eligible for summer funding: Campus Emissions Research, Hopkins Forest Caretakers, Environmental Education, Sheep Hill environmental education, Farm Market/Ag research, Clark Art landscape internship, Environmental Analysis Lab, Hoosic River Watershed Association, Berkshire Regional Planning Commission, and more…http://ces.williams.edu/category/summer-jobs/National/Global Summer Internships: Dozens of enviro internships and research positions in the US, many developed specifically by CES alumnae for Williams students HERECES Summer Funding for internships and research information and application form here.Deadline: March 10 (second deadline: April 8).Position required to apply for funding.
Camp Counselors – Pleasant Valley
Pleasant Valley Nature Camp is celebrating its’ 67 th year. We are seeking caring, committed, and enthusiastic staff to lead campers for their best summer ever! Our counselors:
- Plan, develop and implement a variety of outdoor activities utilizing Pleasant Valley’s 1300+ acres of forests, fields, streams and ponds;
- Are responsible for supervising the health and safety of campers;
- Maintain communication with parents and other staff;
- Must be able to work and learn together, have outstanding communication skills, and be willing and able to share their interests and talents with children aged 5-14;
- Provide leadership and mentor Leaders in Training (LITs).
Qualifications
- Must be at least 18 years old;
- College experience preferred;
- Should have knowledge and interest in the nature of the Berkshire region;
- Applicants with a background in Environmental fields, education, or the arts are strongly encouraged to apply;
- Experience working with children;
- Willingness to obtain certification in CPR/First Aid are required-training is provided;
- Some positions also require lifeguard/water safety certifications;
- Successful candidates will pass a background records check (CORI and SORI);
- And…of course, flexibility and a sense of humor is a must!
Compensation and Benefits
Rate of Pay: $10.00- $12.00 per hour – depending on experience and position.
Additional Comments
Camp Session: June 9 – August 19 Hours: Monday – Friday 8:00 am – 3:30 pm or 8:30 am – 4:00 pm.
Camp Counselors are required to work at least one camp overnight during the summer.
How to Apply
Please send (email preferred) your cover letter and resume to:
Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary
472 West Mountain Road
Lenox, MA. 01240
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